Heile Welt
Schöneberg
Your friends are here
Together with Tom’s Bar and Hafen, Heile Welt is the most important institution in Motzstraße. The atmosphere is very chatty here and it is a good idea to either start or finish your evening out in Heile Welt with good looking men and great drinks.
Heile Welt, Motzstraße 5, Schöneberg
For everyone
A smoker’s biosphere right behind KaDeWe! HarDies pub boasts with low prices, good service – and tolerance. Everybody is welcome. The speciality are homemade gateaux delicacies. HarDies is also the pub with its own streetfair on the door step, which is becoming more and more popular: 13th May the star attraction is Baccara!
HarDie’s Kneipe, Schöneberg, Ansbacher Straße 29, daily noon-midnight, Fri, Sat till 2am
Trucker atmosphere
The place to go for gay lorry and truck drivers. But not only they enjoy the truck stop atmosphere in Gnadenbrot. The tables are named after truck stops which can be found on the German Autobahn maps. Yummie food is served day and night, a good draught washes down the traditional creative dishes. Do not be the designated driver!
Raststätte Gnadenbrot, Schöneberg, Martin-Luther-Str. 20a
Party and flirt
20 years are like an eternity in gay terms – Hafen in Motzstraße has been the legendary port for long Schöneberg nights. Apart from its central location, Hafen has everything a good bar is made of: flirtatious party lovers, good drinks and really diverse music. On top of that there is a committed team which constantly works on new party concepts.
Hafen, Schöneberg, Motzstr. 19
Younger and older
“For successful cruising” is best used to describe the atmosphere in Tom’s Bar. Night after night the international guests are in search of human contact – upstairs at the bar and downstairs in the famous darkroom in the basement. Recipe for success: curious tourists meet experienced locals, good music and friendly staff that meet your wishes. There is no doubt about it, Tom’s Bar in Schöneberg is an absolute “must see”; especially crowded and cruise willing on Mondays because it is: 2for1.
Tom’s Bar, Schöneberg, Motzstr. 19, daily from 7am, Sun 8am
Melting pot
The café is known in the city and no less in the gay community. The most diverse people mingle here because the atmosphere is so relaxing. The great choice of cakes and the variety of dishes on the menu do not leave wishes unfulfilled even though it is tough to choose. In the summer outdoor seating makes it possible to watch the busy street, in winter a cover is provided. Berio is a popular place to meet with friends, whether you want to have a night cap or your first drink to take off into the nightlife.
Café Berio, Maaßenstraße 7,
Right in the middle
Everything blond – right in Schöneberg’s centre, the gay bar “Blond” is situated. There you can meet nice people. The drink menu boasts a large variety of cocktails and drinks. If you want to make music, there is a music box free of charge. Because of the central location of the bar, it is a perfect starting point for a night out or a pub crawl in the gay district of Berlin. If it turns out to be a long night, no worries it is easy to get anywhere from there, whether you want to continue or just go home. So Blond is the place.
Blond Eisenacher Straße 3a,
Outgoing
New Action is a perfect cruising bar for fetish and leather lovers. Motto evenings make an interesting programme, whether it be cruising non-stop party or shooter party, there is something for everyone. Have a beer at the bar and from chatting you get to chatting up and if this is promissing then you can make contact in the cruising area. Not only Berliners, everyone, no matter where from in the world, is welcome here. Berlin nights are famous for being very long here.
New Action, Kleiststraße 35
Nina Queer, owner of Bar Zum Schmutzigen Hobby
Friedrichshain
Amusing
The neighbours were annoying. So the glamour queen Nina Queer moved to a little building on the Astra site at the corner of Simon-Dach-Straße. Now the music can be louder, the concept is the same – just without complaining neighbours! The interior suits Nina fine and a large part of the inventory moved with her. So the walls there are also covered with sexy fun pictures. Wednesday is the day where the place is packed for Glamour-Quiz, it is worthwhile! A great addition and at last something new in the Simon-Dach neighbourhood and the basement is going to be refurbished this year too. Amuse yourselves!
Zum Schmutzigen Hobby, Revaler Straße 99
Nice mix
Bar Himmelreich is situated smack in the centre of the nightlife neighbourhood in Friedrichshain and has become an established gay-lesbian spot in the very busy Simon-Dach-Straße. The seating is 50s style at the bar and in the lounge. Every week women´s lounge, highly favoured by the lesbian crowd.
Himmelreich, Simon-Dach-Str. 36
Sing along!
Here a recommendation for all Karaoke fans: Monster Ronson´s in Friedrichshain. You can sing your heart out together with a few good friends in the small booths. The bar boasts the popular Berlin atmosphere and look. The changing programme always surprises with hard rock parties and other features – just pop in!
Monster Ronsons, Warschauerstr. 34, daily from 7pm
Drink an cruise
The gay cruising pub in Friedrichshain has a charming name for its darkroom: „relaxed guestroom“. In the sailor’s pub atmosphere chatting, drinking and cruising is easy. Guests are gay, male and diverse – everybody is welcome. Highlights in the week are 2-4-1 evening, „Doppelschicht“(double shift) on Wednesdays and the start into the weekend „Molle & Korn“ (beer & schnapps) on Fridays.
Große Freiheit 114, Boxhagener Str. 114
Mitte
Glamorous
In the vicinity of pretty Hackescher Markt you may party in style and elegance. If you love Berlin transvestites and atypical bars, your place is the Betty F***. Mottoparties, kitsch and party lovers make a night out in Berlin unforgettable. If you want a very different experience then come to Betty F***.
Betty F***, MitteMulackstr.13,
Really queer
It is hard to find another bar in Berlin which is so well balanced when it comes to gay-lesbian guests and with the location in Mitte it sticks out from the other gay-lesbian centres. The bar is run by an Australian woman and hosts motto parties every 4–6 weeks. For lesbians the monthly Girls Savoire-Party is an enrichment.
The Sharon Stonewall Bar, Mitte, Kleine Präsidentenstr. 3,
© Archive Rauschgold in Kreuzberg
Kreuzberg
Come in and find out!
Cool music, nice people, normal prices, mixed guests. Every-thing is great, but Rauschgold is also a place for transvestites and queens who party together instead of scratching out each other’s eyes. Everyone else is welcome to join in, often shows and specials. A great place to start or end the night, but of course you can just stay put.
Rauschgold, Mehringdamm 62
Alltime Darling
You cannot just claim to be an institution, very few bars are referred to as such, but Bierhimmel certainly is exactly that. It seems that Bierhimmel has been on Oranienstraße in Kreuzberg since the beginning of time. An espresso in the morning, a piece of cake in the afternoon or drinks to start off into the night: Bierhimmel. Customers as well as staff are wonderfully queer. A place to meet for turkish and German Kreuzbergers, overdone transvestites, trendy tourists and many more.
Bierhimmel, Oranienstraße 183, Mon-Fri from 9am, Sat/Sun from 1pm
Relaxed feeling
The F*** 3000 is certainly one of the most relaxed darkroom bars in the capital. There is comfortable seating at the bar and the darkroom keeps its promises. Rather dark!Touching is a must! Indie parties take place regularly in the small bar with club atmosphere. Here you meet all kinds of people, party-goers, alternative types, bim-bettes and tourists.
Ficken 3000, Kreuzberg, Urbanstr. 70
Never ending nights ...
Plush, queer, crowded. This is the legendary Kreuzberg classic venue: Roses. It attracts its numerous guests with its morbid charm and the patina of earlier glamour. Together with locals and tourists it is even more fun to venture into the small hours of the day. Nowadays there is even a doorman, times do change …
Roses, Oranienstraße 187, daily from 9pm
Indie and smokey
Möbel-Olfe is the cliché of a typical Berlin trendy bar. Loud, raw, crowded and smokey. The venue has developed its own cult status and especially on Thursdays all Berlin boys meet here who do not care for anything mainstream. Party into the night with Electronic beats and Polish beer until morning. To find the entrance in Dresdner Straße, take the passage to Kottbusser Tor.
Möbel-Olfe, Reichenberger Str. 177,
Behind the window
The glass bungalow at Kottbusser Tor is one of Kreuzbergs meeting points for the queer party and culture in-crowd. Be it readings, concerts, lesbian parties like Creamcake, oriental bar evenings like Gaziano or total music mixes with Christiane Rösingers Flittchenbar, Südblock is the best of underground.
Südblock, Admiralstraße 1–2, daily from noon, Mon closed
Cocktails and more
Galander is located near Mehringdamm: a wonderful cocktail bar with lovely 20ies interior. Dominik Galander and his team offer cocktails on the highest quality level. Every drink here is a revelation and fine bar snacks like a small cheese platter are also served. The customers are a colourful mix of locals, party goers as well as politicians and stars. If you enjoy a well made cocktail you better visit Galander!
Galander, Großbeerenstraße 54, Tue-Sun 6pm-2am
Neukölln
New and hip
It is a bit difficult to find the words for Galerie Studio St.St. …Maybe the best way to describe the place is as a mix of living room, cabaret and gallery/pub. It is located in Berlin´s new and hip Reuterkiez, a gallery for lovers of queerest art. Its exterior does not catch the eye, its interrior is quite plush, cosy and assembled with a loving touch. All in all a very charming, transvestite trash venue in the hand of the incomparable Juwelia Soraya.
Galerie Studio St. St., Sanderstraße 26, Tue 4-7pm, Fri/Sat 8-24pm
Prenzlauer Berg
Typical Berlin
This institutional café, which has a good reputation as a restaurant is in the middle of the Kollwitz neighbourhood, where Sredzkistraße meets idyllic Husemannstraße. Since 1993 guests come here to enjoy the relaxed atmosphere among a mixed crowd and to watch the typical Berliners pass by. Breakfast is served from 10 am, the menu includes German and international classics, fresh baked cakes and coffee and in the evenings you can enjoy the atmosphere while drinking a beer.
November, Husemannstraße 15, Mon-Fri from 10am, Sat/Sun from 9am
Diverse
Café Berger is located between Helmholtzplatz and Kollwitz neighbourhood. Well known and popular: put your breakfast together yourself – this is what locals as well as tourists like. There is a lunch menu and also home made cake and delicious coffee specials. The focus is on fresh ingredients and fair trade drinks are also offered. The relaxed atmosphere invites you to stay longer. Café Berger welcomes everyone and is a perfect addition to the gay scene in Prenzlauer Berg.
Cafe Berger, Senefelder Straße 4, daily 10am-7pm
Private Feeling
Since 2008 this small but fine venue was the talk of the district: Privatleben – a charming bar with a feel-good atmosphere, created by friendliness and a warm welcome. The name says it all, you feel at home, meet locals and people from all over the world. The crowd is as diverse as on Christopher Street Day and so is the programme; you might have the Munich Oktoberfest in Berlin for one night or it could be the wheel of fortune.
Privatleben, Rhinower Str. 12
Charming
This bar is a mix of discotheque, club and pub as can be seen in the lovingly and carefully decorated interior. Photos of famous but deceased personalities hang on the walls to create a trendy yet cultural atmosphere. Here you meet gays and friends from Berlin and the vicinity, be it for a nightcap or drinks at the weekend. This bar is where sadness stops and fun begins.
Trauerspiel Bar, Milastr. 7
Cocktail-Time
The stylish bar Perle in Prenzlauer Berg awaits you with classic and contemporary jewels from the world of cocktails. The staff put effort into aromatising these.”Queer Beer Thursday” is tradition here. The bar is worth a visit for cosmopolitains on a short visit as well as for those who have settled here for some time. Communication does not necessarily have to be in German, visitors party with Berliners from the neighbourhood, in summer preferably on the terrace.
Perle Bar, Sredzkistr. 64
Coffee and bed
Schall & Rauch offers its guests a variety of things: Sundays, coffee and cake, a beer at night or something hearty to eat, there is something for everyone. The well thought through interior makes everyone feel comfortable. This gay-lesbian Café not only offers great food and drink, it is also a B&B which is perfect for the queer tourist. Try it!
Schall & Rauch, Prenzlauer Berg, Gleimstr. 23,
For singers
From outside – boring; inside – the opposite! Everything in Flax is colourful and joyful. There are always a few talented singers hanging out among the crowd, who make a visit into an unforgettable event. There is something different on every day. Just drop in! Check it out!
Flax, Prenzlauer Berg, Chodowieckistr. 41,
Men's classic
The men‘s classic venue in the East is the Greifbar. Here <men, films, cruising> is the motto every day of the week and a possibility to make contact. The prejudice that here you go “only for fucking” either dissolves in a nice chat at the bar or is simply put into practice in the back room. Very friendly staff!
Greifbar, Prenzlauer Berg, Wichertstr. 10
