Berlin - what to see and do: Bars, Clubs, Restaurants…

ESTE ES EL REPORT DEL COLEGA…IMPRIMELO, ES UNA JOYA…LO QUE TE PONGO EN

NEGRITA SON EN LOS QUEN ESTUVIMOS Y QUE MAS ME GUSTAN…
Here are my personal aSW-recommendations for Berlin ...

Executive Summary: Book a Hotel in Berlin-Mitte (Lux 11),

have Breakfast at San Nicci, go shopping at Kurfürstendamm
(KaDeWe), Friedrichstraße and small stores around Hackescher
Markt, have Dinner at Grill Royal or Pan Asia, go
for a drink to Bar Tausend or Greenwich, go Clubbing at
Cookies or Watergate.

Extended version:

=== General Information ===

Geographics and where-to-stay:

Berlin is a city with 3.4 million inhabitants (or 4.2

million if you count the suburbs as well) - but it's smaller
than you might think: Berlin is separated in the so called
"Bezirke" (Districts). There are 12 districts in Berlin and
every district is a small city on its own - but usually you
only hang out in about 3-4 districts (mostly Mitte,
Prenzlauer Berg, Schöneberg, Charlottenburg) at all. Lots of
people haven't set a single foot in one of the other
districts, as there is mostly no need to do so. :-) Knowing
these facts makes Berlin a lot smaller than it may appear.
Tip: Use Google Maps or <www.stadtplandienst.de> (more
detailed) for orientation.

You may have heard about the Kurfürstendamm, located in the

former west part of Berlin, as one of the main streets.
That's right, but: Nowadays, most hot spots are located in
the districts Mitte and Prenzlauer Berg (both in the former
east part of berlin). Especially nearly no hip club is
located in the former west part. So try to book a hotel in
Mitte.

Berlin has the highest number of 5-star-hotels of all cities

in europe, so it's up to you to decide... Be sure to check
out Hotel Du Rome (my absolute favourite in Berlin - great
location, great hotel, great service). If you don't like the
big ones: Lux11 is a nice small luxury one with nice rooms
and realy centrally located.

Other nice standard-high-class-choices are: Grand Hyatt,

Ritz-Carlton, Mandala (all at Potsdamer Platz) or The
Regent. For a good value 5-star-hotel try SAS Radisson near
the Berliner Dom (good location!).

Concorde, Hotel Q and Schlosshotel are good choices in the

former west part of Berlin. Schlosshotel is really lovely,
cosy and small - but really located a bit outside (perhaps
rather suitable for honeymooners).

Check <www.hrs.de> for good rates.

If you are tight on budget: Künstlerheim Luise

<www.luise-berlin.com>, Hotel Honigmond (really small, great
location and very charming <www.honigmond-berlin.de>) or
Hotel Ibis at Alexanderplatz.

Areas of interest:

As a former-divided-city, Berlin has two city centres, one

in the former west part and one in the former east part.
Going from one part to another is quite a ride, it's at
least 15-20 minutes with a cab - so you should plan in
advance.

Most hot spots in the former east part are located in Mitte
around Hackescher Markt: from Rosenthaler Platz, Alte
Schönhauser Straße to Oranienburger Straße there are lots of
stores, restaurants, bars, etc. - don't miss smaller streets
around. Avoid most locations in Oranienburger Straße itself,
nowadays there are only horrible tourist restaurants around
there. When walking through Prenzlauer Berg, head to
Kastanienallee, Kollwitzplatz and Helmholtzplatz - there are
lots of lovely places (restaurants, etc.) in a very cosy
setting. There is a nice market on the Kollwitzplatz every
saturday which is worth a visit.

Regarding the former west part, there are lots of beautiful

streets in Charlottenburg around the famous Kurfürstendamm,
mostly located between Adenauerplatz and Joachimstaler
Straße, especially the Savignyplatz is especially nice.
You'll find also quite a lot bars around Pariser Straße /
Ludwigkirchplatz. In Schöneberg you should check out the so
called Winterfeldplatz.

If you're interested in the more alternative side on Berlin,

head to Kreuzberg (especially around Paul-Lincke-Ufer,
Bergmannstraße and Oranienstraße). It isn't anymore a party
hotspot as it used to be before the wall came down, but
because of its unique atmosphere and its muticultural
flavour.

Eating out:

A reservation for most restaurants in Berlin is recommended

at least on weekends - be warned: there are still a lot of
restaurants which don't accept credit cards! Especially bars
and clubs will most likely only accept cash. But you'll
find ATMs everywhere in the city. And, another plus: Most
people will find Berlin *very* cheap compared to other big
cities like London, Paris, etc.

You don't need to have dinner early, most restaurants offer

their menu until midnight, nearly every restaurant until
23h. There are also quite a few restaurants where you get
something to eat nearly all through the night. Usually
people meet up for dinner somewhen around 8pm-9:30pm. In
most casual restaurants you may sit whereever you like, in
more upscale places you'll be seated. Tipping is not
required but very usual, about 10% is okay.

All restaurants have non-smoking policies by law since the

beginning of 2008. You may find quite a few places who don't
enforce that law, but most of them are rather enforcing it.

Getting a snack like a turkish Döner, an arabian Falafel or

a Berliner Currywurst with french fries is definitely
possible all night long. Yes, even at 5:20am :-) Where? See
below.

Party:

Berlin has no closing hours by law which means most bars and
clubs are open from dusk till dawn. But: Parties tend to
start very late, definitely not before 23-0h. Please note
that Berlin isn't a posh city - wearing an expensive suit
and a tie or waving your black AmEx Centurion Card most
likely won't help you to get into cool clubs. Rather dress
relaxed and stylish. Also unlike other bigger cities: your
name doesn't need to be on any guestlist - all relevant
clubs in Berlin are non-member clubs, so you'll get in if
the bouncer likes you. If he asks you something about your
name on the guestlist, the bouncer DOESN'T like you. :-) Of
course there ARE guestlists, but that just means you'll get
in for free. The other typical rules do apply: No large men
groups, have a nice woman on your side, smile, behave nicely
when waiting in line. Another notice: You can't reserve a
table in most (interesting and hip) clubs. For exceptions
see below.

Security and transportation:

Berlin is a safe city (talking about the inner districts).

The Cabs (yellow color) are reliable and safe, even if the
drivers may be a bit rude sometimes (that's called "Berliner
Schnauze"). There are no black cabs, so you can grab any cab
you see on the street with the yelow "Taxi" sign (as usual:
a lit sign means free). A reliable number for cab calls in
Berlin is 0-800-CABCALL (0-800-2222255) - advantage: you can
pay using a credit card in all their cabs, which is
definitely not always the case in Berlins cabs! If you grab
a cab from the street (not from a taxi stand!) and only need
to go a few blocks, request a "Kurzstrecke" BEFORE starting
the ride (!), then it's only 3,50 EUR for two kilometres.
Perfect for club hopping!

There is also an excellent train and nightbus system. For

public transport check out <www.bvg.de>: you may download
maps and timetables there as well. It helps to have a
print-out of the document "Network Map of S- and U-Bahn"
with you. An online planner for Berlins public
transportation system is available at
<www.fahrinfo-berlin.de>. If you're completely lost: The BVG
offers a 24/7 call center at 030-19449. There's also a nice
free iPhone App called "Fahr-Info" which includes GPS
locating, timetables and all the maps.

Meeting aSW people:

Some aSW members do organize get-togethers. Check out the

forum threads for the next date or send her a PM. There are
also often gathering on weekends when lots of aSW members
are visting the city - so just ask in the Berlin forums.
There is also a mailing list for Berlin events, contact
Miriam Elisabeth-Otto on aSW for details.

For more questions and details feel free to drop me - Thomas

Witt - a message on aSW anytime.

=== Drinks and Bars ===

Berlins Bars are not that famous, so the ones listed here
are rather the top-of-the-top. I'd recommend first to try
these ones instead of other bars, if you don't wanna be
bothered by bad drinks and horrible service.

Tausend, Schiffbauer Damm 11 (corner to Albrechtstr.)

This bar opened a year ago - and it's definitely THE
hippest Bar in Berlin. Just THE place to be. There is no
sign at the door, but after you passed through the door,
you feel like being in the roaring 20'ies. Nearly every
evening there is a live band playing (mostly jazz, swing,
rare grooves, ...). This bar has a ubercool interior and
usually a really cool good-looking crowd. If you are
looking for THE bar in Berlin - go there. The entrance is
hidden, head to Schiffbauer Damm corner to Albrechtstr.
(yeah, just 2 minutes away from San Nicci and the Grill
Royal) and look for a steel door, located directly under
the railway bridge. They do have a quite strict door and a
dresscode. No sneakers, no jeans, no large groups -
otherwise the bouncer most probably won't like you. Unlike
other locations in Berlin: Wearing a suit is there a big
plus. The door policy seems to relax a bit, but - dress
nice and check this bar out. Usually you'll meet lots of
aSWers there as well. Opened Tue-Sat from 9pm. It helps
beeing there early, between 23:00 and 01:00am it's really
crowded. Saturdays is usually REALLY packed in there but
usually also the funnies evenings. On weekdays it's a lot
more relaxed there. Reservations for early entry are
(sometimes) possible at: +49 (30) 41 71 5396. By the way:
The name of the lovely asian woman at the counter is
Maiko, knowing her may help you.

Greenwich, Gipsstr. 5
Typical berlin mitte bar, founded by Cookie, no sign at
the door, hip people, good drinks, full on weekends.
Classic stylish bar in Berlin. Always a safe bet and one
of the few alternatives to Bar Tausend.

Solar, Stresemannstr. 76, <www.solarberlin.com>

Fabulous bar in a penthouse, stunning view. They also
offer food at their restaurant, but on weekends you have
to book weeks in advance (+49-163-7652700)- and the food
quality varies from time to time, currently it seems to be
quite good again. But you may also have dinner somewhere
else and drop by for a drink or two. It's a bit tricky to
find: The reception and elevator to the bar is located in
the backyard. Good idea for a romantic sundowner.

Qiu at Mandala Hotel, Potsdamer Platz, <www.qiu.de>

Small bar, cosy, quiet, a bit posh, high quality drinks. A
perfect place after a romantic dinner - or before having
dinner.

Shochu at Adlon Hotel, <www.ma-restaurants.de>

The bar of the haute cuisine restaurants ma/uma. Really
lovely-stunning interior, not that crowded, great and
unusual drinks. Perhaps a perfect choice for a romantic
pre-dinner drink.

Lining Bar, Tucholskystr. 34, <www.lining-bar.de>

A nice bar, good drinks but not too exciting, often live
DJ - meet there with other people and start the evening.
Mostly overcrowded on weekends, from 22h to 1h it's REALLY
full there. Note that the Rodeo Club is just a few metres
away.

Rumtrader, Fasanenstraße 40, Fon: 8811428

Either you love it or you hate it ... Perhaps the most ...
extreme and exceptional bar in Berlin. It's run by the
owner named Mr. Gregor Scholl, and he's VERY special. The
bar is really really tiny (about 15-20 people max.), and
you can't avoid a conversation with Mr. Scholl - so be
prepared don't go there if you want to have a romantic
evening. You won't get a drink menu, so usualy his first
question is: "Sour or sweet" - and so he'll tailor a drink
specialized for your needs - and to your personal alcolhol
tolerance level. The bar has quite a bit of history, it
was founded in the 70'ies by a guy called Mr. Schröder,
who learned after the war at the Trader Vics in SF, where
he met Ian Flemming (yeah, the James Bond author). It is
said, that this bar was Ian Flemmings favorite Bar in
Berlin - because of the martinis, and there is a reference
to this Bar in James Bonds "Octopussy".

Other short recommendations: Bar Nou and Haifischbar (both in

Kreuzberg), Riva Bar (Dircksenstr., Mitte).

The Ritz-Carlton and the Hotel Du Rome also have nice hotel
bars. Especially the Bar of the Hotel Du Rome has great
cocktails and a really nice atmosphere - I know quite a lot
of Berlinners - including me - who frequently go there for
having a nice drink to start the evening. The Hotel Du Rome
has also a REALLY STUNNING roof deck. Just to to the
concierge and ask for the elevator to the roof deck. Be sure
to don't mis it, it's really a great setting in a warm
summer night!

Avoid at any cost: Trompete, Green Door, Bar am Lützowplatz,

Dantes and all other bars directly at Hackescher Markt. The
recently opened Puro Sklounge has really nice interior and
features a stunning view - but unfortuneately attracts
really awful visitors so far - avoid!

=== Dining ===

Berlin has lots of great restaurants and you'll most likely

get good food. But dining in a nice and cool atmosphere is
maybe not that easy to find. So I'll focus on my favorites
here which I really recommend:

Pan Asia, Rosenthaler Str. 38 <www.panasia.de>, Fon 27908811

Pan-Asian cuisine, best for sushi - but it's not only
about the food, it's about the people and the hip interior
(be sure check the restrooms as well) and even the music
they're playing. You'll always have fun there, especially
with a bigger group. Strong Advice: Don't choose a table
on your own, wait to be seated! The lounge area on the
left is more cosy - and usually reserved for frequent
guests - whereas the party zone is on the right hand side.
Be there before 8pm as it gets really packed afterwards -
and dress a bit stylish, then Tina, the lovely Manager,
will give you a nice table. Don't take photos there, they
don't like that.

Grill Royal, Friedrichstr. 105b, <www.grillroyal.com>, Fon: 28879288

"The Grill" (as it's called by its frequent guests)
features a stunning location directly at the spree river
and a real cosy, warm and stylish interior. The menu
consist mostly of steak and seafood - the name says it
all. The steak is maybe the best you can get in Berlin.
The Grill restaurant features always a stylish crowd and
is definitely worth a visit. Early reservation
recommended, they're always fully booked on weekends. Try
to get a table in the middle or at the windows, the tables
for two are sometimes not that great, so always reserve
for at least 3-4 people. The Grill sometimes offers free
entry vouchers for Bar Tausend afterwards. aSW Member Igor
Paasch is one of the restaurant managers at the Grill.

Borchardt, Französische Str. 47, Fon: 81886262

One of the well known seen-and-to-be-seen-Restaurants in
Berlin, austrian/french upper-class-bistro-style cuisine,
good service, even if it's not really cosy - don't expect
a romantic dinner place. Try the Wiener Schnitzel. Nice
terrace in the summer. The restaurant manager is Rainer.
Tip: Strictly avoid a table in the basement - if they want
to bring you downstairs, refuse! This is the room for the
B-guests, and it's horrible. Also notice that the service
at Borchardt can be quite bad if there's a big event like
Berlinale in town. Reservations can be _very_ problematic
at these times - and sometimes on weekends as well-, you
may find yourself waiting for an hour or two for a table -
rather go to the Grill then.

Good Time, Hausvoigteiplatz or Chausseestr. 1, <www.goodtime-berlin.de>, Fon 20074870

Best Thai food in town. The food is just outstanding - and
without any additives. They offer also lots of vegetarian
dishes. The one at Hausvoigteiplatz is bigger, but not
that cosy. It's relaxed there, you just go there for the
food, not for watching people. Reservation recommended at
least on weekends.

San Nicci, Friedrichstr. 101, <www.san-nicci.de>, Fon 306454980

Quite new, tasty italian food, nice terrace, also very
nice for breakfast and lunch. It's not as hip as Grill or
Pan Asia, rather quiet and relaxed. They've got a quite
innovative menu, even if the food quality differs from
time to time. It's a good choice for breakfast and lunch.

White Trash Fast Food, Schönhauser Allee 6/7, Fon 50348668 <www.whitetrashfastfood.com>
The White Trash features a really rock-trashy and
"kitschig" interior by intention - and it's great fun to
be there. Most waiters don't speak german at all. But
they've got lovely steaks and maybe the best burgers in
town (also Veggie burgers!). Mostly there's also a weird
live band playing. A really unique experience. Reservation
strongly recommended on weekends.

Delizie d'Italia, Kollwitzstr. 100, Fon 48494977

A hidden gem in Prenzlauer Berg - a really lovely italian
restaurant with original italian cuisine (a nice couple,
Rita and Antonino do run the restaurant), lovely waiters
and hand-made pasta. Lots of celebrities drop by there -
and get served as everyone else would be served. A really
nice and romantic place, completely unexceited, but you'll
love it. Really typical italian.

Brechts, Schiffbauerdamm 6, <www.brechts.de>, Fon 28598585

A lovely austrian restaurant. Always good and reasonable
priced food, lots of space to sit outside in the summer
season, friendly staff. Completely unexcited, but a kind
of a nice gem. Perfect for lunch in Mitte after shopping.

Cochon Bourgeois, Fichtestr. 24, Fon 6930101 <www.lecochon.de>

The Cochon Bourgeois is a nice and cosy one, located a bit
offside in Kreuzberg. It's rather an apartment in an old
building than a restaurant featuring authentic but
innovative french cuisine (a bit pricey, but still okay).
Every night there is a piano player playing, the staff is
usually a bit distinguished but very attentive. The food
is really delicious, but it's perhaps not a good choice to
go there with a vegetarian. Great for a romantic dinner.
No credit cards accepted, reservation strictly
recommended!

bond, Knesebeckstr. 16, <www.bond-berlin.de>, Fon 50968844

A just recently opened nice restaurant in the former west
part of the city. Very stylish interior, good food for
reasonable prices, good service. You can also sit outside
in the summer season. A good idea for after-shopping or if
you're around Kurfürstendamm anyway. Try the tiger prawns!

Clubrestaurants (dining and dancing):

Cookies Cream, Rodeo, Spindler & Klatt and Felix: see below

Best choices for haute cuisine:

- Facil at Potsdamer Platz (small and cosy, but closed on
weekends),
- Ana e Bruno (very cosy and small, family style: Ana and
Bruno are running the restaurant since years - you gotta
go there because you love the food and not because of
going to a stylish restaurant),
- Vau at Jägerstr. (maybe the most relaxed top-restaurant
in Berlin, not that stiff service, innovative menus.
Also great for lunch - they've got a really good value
lunch menu every day),
- ma/uma (by Tim Raue at Adlon Hotel - japanese and
chinese food. Really something new, food quality differs
but interior is STUNNING!)

Other short recommendations:

- Adnan at Mommsenstraße (the Borchardt of West-Berlin),
- Orient Lounge @ Rote Harfe (really nice arabian food,
you may sit in separate cosy lounges or on huge sofas)
- 12 Apostel at Savignyplatz (huge quality pizzas, near
Friedrichstr and Savignyplatz, food ALL thorugh the
night!)
- Gugelhof at Kollwitzstraße (good alsatian-french food in
Prenzlauer Berg, Bill Clinton once ate there).
- Restaurant im Brecht-Haus (Authentic austrian cuisine in
the former home of Berthold Brecht, cosy and small)
- Noodles (at sea level in the SAS Radisson - cheap, but
good for asian lunch, really nice view).

You may also head to Oranienstraße in Kreuzberg, where

you'll find lots of multicultural restaurants, everything
from indish, turkish to arabian - like the Orient Lounge
mentioned above. It's not posh there, but it's fun.

Avoid at any cost: Paris Bar (out since 15 years), Al

Contadino Sotto Le Stelle (yes, even if Brad eats there),
Due Forni (rude service).

=== Quick Lunch ===

Kuchi, Kantstr. 30 and Gipsstr. 3, <www.kuchi.de>

Kuchi is great for sushi and asian food. The interior is
quite ... boring, so I'd rather recommend it for lunch.
They have two restaurants, one near Kurfürstendamm
(Kantstr.) and one near Alexanderplatz (Gipsstr.).

Petrocelli, Savignyplatz, <www.petrocelli-berlin.de>

Lovely and cosy italian restaurant with tasty italian
food. Perfect for lunch (until 4pm!). They've also got a
branch at Kurfürstendamm which is more busy whereas
Savignyplatz is more relaxed.

EL MITICO VIETAMITA!!!

Monsieur Vuong, Alte Schönhauser Str. 46, <www.monsieurvuong.de>

Great for a quick lunch while shopping around hackescher
markt/höfe area. No reservations.

Si An, Rykestr. 36
Like Monsieur Voung in Prenzlauer Berg. Very cosy. No
reservations.

KaDeWe:
See below.

The best places to get a real Berliner Currywurst with french fries are:
- Konopke Imbiß, U Eberswalder Straße
Located on the median under the underground station U
Eberswalder Straße (yes, the underground is aboveground
there, I know, that's weird :-). One of the eldest and
most famous places to get a currywurst in Berlin

- Curry 195, Kurfürstendamm 195

Most famous in the former west part. Open nearly all
night long. Great experience: You can even order a
bottle of Dom Perignon or Veuve Cliquot there. You often
meet cool people there in the middle of the night, after
leaving boring first-class-parties. They've got also a
branch at the train station Bahnhof Friedrichstraße.

- Fettnapf, Rykestr. 48
A bit upscale, even if that sounds weird. Great fries,
great stuff. Just delicius. You'll also get there a
mayonaise sauce with truffes.

For turkish food like Döner and arabian Food like Falafel head to:
- Dada Falafel (Linienstraße 132 in Mitte - a really nice
place with tasty falafel)
- Falafel Daye (Danziger Str. 24, near U Eberswalder
Straße in Prenzlauer Berg, open at least until 4am
- Imbiß at Yorckstr (directly located near U Mehringdamm,
don't be scared, the Döner is great)
- and mostly all other places in Kreuzberg as well.

=== Clubs and Nightlife ===

As you may have heard, Berlin is really famous for its

nightlife. :-) Clubs are often and constantly changing, but
this selection should match aSW taste. But that list may be
outdated in about 1-2 years. As already mentioned, you can't
reserve a table in most cool clubs - the ones where you can
are usually not that typical berlin-style and attract rather
a boring crowd.

PARA LOS JUEVES

Cookies, Friedrichstraße / Corner to Unter den Linden at Westin Grand Hotel

Open on tuesdays and thursdays only, maybe THE hippest
club of Berlin. Features a nice crowd (20-35 y/o),
different kinds of music but mostly electronic, also often
a strict door - give Smiley, the bouncer, a nice smile.
The club is definitely a must-see. Once inside, it's
usually relaxed and you'll meet lots of nice and
interesting people. They also open since a few months on
Saturdays (it's called "Crush" on Saturdays), but the
entrance is located deep in the backyard of the Hotel
Westin Grand in the Behrenstraße. But try to go there on
Tue/Thu. Cookies also hosts since a few months a
vegetarian restaurant called "Cookies Cream". It has
definitely good food and features really unique
berlin-style atmosphere. Having dinner there means also
free access to the party afterwards - so book on tuesdays,
thursdays or saturdays. Reservation in advance strongly
recommended. For restaurant reservations call +49 30
27492940.

IL MIO FAVORITO….

Watergate, Falckensteinstr. 49, <www.water-gate.de>

Located directly at Spree river, really (!) stunning view
over the waterline on two floors. One of the most
beautiful clubs in Berlin. Parties there tend to start
very late and dancing until sunrise is not unusual. Style:
Electro, Tech House, sometimes Drum&Bass. Check out the
line-up before. Sometimes strict door, avoid large groups
without women (as usual)...

IMPACTANTE

Panorama Bar/Berghain, Am Wriezener Bahnhof, <www.berghain.de>

One of the hardest but coolest clubs, style: hard electro
and techno. It's just about party there! The Berghain club
on the lower floor often hosts (hardcore) gay parties. The
Panoramabar on the upper floor is more relaxed. The
bouncer looks scarier than he really is - but: Really
strict door, dress cool. Very berlin style. Partytime
there tends to to start REALLY REALLY late. Go there
around 1-3am in the morning. If you go too early, you may
find yourself waiting in a looong queue. The club is a bit
hidden - ask the taxi driver for the exact location, he'll
know.
Felix, Behrenstr. 72 near Hotel Adlon, <www.felix-clubrestaurant.de>
Good looking people, sometimes good house music, but
unfortuneately also often very mainstream (people and
music). Rather check out the after work parties on
thursdays. You may have dinner there as well (which is
usually quite tasty and a bit upscale), so it's possible
to book a table there which you can keep all night long.
Perhaps the club where most people from other big cities
will feel "like home", but also the most not-typical Club
in Berlin. If you know the other clubs in Berlin, you may
find it a bit boring there. The Pacha Parties are a real
highlight! Dress Code (suit recommended, but it's not too
strict) on weekends. aSW member Friederike Werner is the
Door-Mistress on Saturdays.

Tape Club, Heidestraße 14, <www.myspace.com/tapeberlin>

Quite new, located in an old industry building (a bit
tricky to find, but not too hard). Really stylish
interior, not too big, nice people - but the music is
often quite unpredictable. Also the clubbers there tend to
be quite young. Open on fridays and saturdays.

Rodeo, Auguststr. 5a (backyard) <www.rodeo-berlin.de>

A bit hidden and hip. Restaurant and Club. Only opened
Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Quite raw, but nice
atmosphere in a stunning building, Berlin-Style. Gained a
lot of attention when Karl Lagerfeld was opening a photo
exhibit there. The food quality (small menu, often steaks)
differs from time to time, but is generally good - and
it's not just about the food there, it's also about the
location itself. After dinner they throw a party on
weekends. Reservation is required and only possible by
sending a text message to +49 163 1620168 including time,
number of persons and your mobile number. You have to be
there between 8pm and 9:30pm - and you have to be on time.
You may also have dinner elsewhere and join in later for
clubbing They play everything from 80'ies to electro - the
music is sometimes very annoying. Usually a funny young
crowd and nice people. Be warned: they do have a quite
annoying door sometimes. Some of the people running the
Rodeo are aSW Members (Christian Rasche).

Weekend, Alexanderplatz 5, <www.week-end-berlin.de>

Located on the 12.th floor, wonderful view (stay there
until sunrise). Style: electro, minimal, great lineups (if
you like the style), sometimes annoying door especially
when arriving with a bunch of guys. It used to be one of
Berlins hippest clubs, it's now rather transforming in a
tourist place. Anyway, the view and the lineups makes it
still sometimes worth a visit. They've opened also
recently a great roof deck at the 15.th floor offering
great views over Berlin while chilling out. The roof-deck
is open only in the summer. The owners (Oskar Melzer,
Marcus Trojan) are aSW members. The weekend team just
opened another club called Violet Club (Rosmarinstr. 8
near Cookies), but it's still to be checked out.

Spindler und Klatt, Köpenicker Straße 16/17 (backyard), <www.spindlerklatt.de>

Clubbing and dining (food quality differs from time to
time and is often quite horrible - rather go for standards
if eating there at all) in huge lounge beds. Check the
line-up before. Also features a nice summer terrace with a
view to the Spree river.

Other tips: You may have heard about the reopened famous
Tresor Club - but most probably you won't like it (even the
location is very nice) - lots of 18 y/o suburb people are
hanging out there. One of the few house clubs in the west is
the Maxxim, which has a nice interior and usually
good-to-great line-ups, but often a really young and
annoying crowd.

Avoid at any cost: 90 Grad, Adagio, Matrix, First, 40

Seconds - generally speaking all clubs in the former west
part. You'll most likely be disappointed.

=== Breakfast ===

You can get breakfast in Berlin nearly everywhere and nearly

at anytime. Most Cafes have breakfast at least until 2-4pm.
Here are my favorites:

San Nicci, Friedrichstr. 101, <www.san-nicci.de>, Fon 306454980

See above. They feature a really nice breakfast. And
be sure to try the "Frutta" breakfast, their homemade
marmelade and biscuits!

Cafe Anna Blume, Kollwitzstr. 83, <www.cafe-anna-blume.de>

Huge and tasty breakfast, nice terrace, reservation
recommended on weekends.

Cafe Sowohl Als Auch, Kollwitzstr. 88, <www.tortenundkuchen.de>

Right across the street from Anna Blume, same owner. Try
the cakes! You gonna love it.

Keyser Soze, Tucholskystr. / Corner to Augustr., <www.keyser-soze.de>

Near the jewish synagogue in Mitte. A bit rough, but good
breakfast and a nice crowd hanging out there.

Schwarzes Cafe, Kantstr. 148

One of THE classic cafes in the former west part. Open 24
hours, you'll get breakfast and everything else there all
day and night long. Always worth a visit - for breakfast
or when leaving a club and you don't want to go home.

Cafe Einstein, Kurfürstenstr. 58, <www.cafeeinstein.com> - typical

See below. Lovely austrian-style breakfast location.

=== Coffee / Tea Time ===

Cafe Einstein, Kurfürstenstr. 58, <www.cafeeinstein.com>

Typical Vienna-styled cafe, have a coffee there after
shopping at KaDeWe. Great homemade cakes. Garden openend
in summer. Having breakfast there is also very
recommended. They also have a branch at Unter den Linden,
but you'd rather go there for lunch.

Cafe im Literaturhaus, Fasenenstr. 23

near to Kurfürstendamm, nice and cosy for
after-shopping-coffee.

Tajikistan Tea-House, Am Festungsgraben 1

A hidden gem: an original tea-house from Tajikistan, a bit
hard to find. Go into the "Palais am Festungsgraben", go
upstairs, turn left and that's it. You have to take your
shoes off, sit relaxed and enjoy lovely russian tee
ceremonies. Reservation (1 day before!) strongly
recommended on weekends.

=== Shopping ===

General infomation:
The main shopping streets are Friedrichstraße in Mitte
(former east part) or Kurfürstendamm in Charlottenburg
(former west part). You'll find most luxury labels like
Gucci, Boss + Co. on Kurfürstendamm, also in the KaDeWe -
and mostly also have a dependence at Friedrichstraße
and/or at Galleries Lafayette. Rather avoid the big
shopping centres like the one at Potsdamer Platz, it's
just boring.
Kurfürstendamm:
- KaDeWe <www.kadewe-berlin.de>
THE famous Harrods-like department store in Berlin! They
have nearly everything, from fine clothing to nice gifts.
Must see: The food section. You may also have lunch there
which I'd really recommend, you may taste nearly every
delicacy they have. So it's also a great place to have
lunch. Or just have a glass of champagne there. It's
usually very very busy there, especially on weekends, so
try to go on weekdays. You should definitely taste one of
the great cakes there, my favorite is the strawberry
cake. Have a glass of champagne with it at the Veuve
Cliquot booth right around the corner (you can take the
cake with you). The oyster bar is nice as well!

Friedrichstraße:
- Quartier 206 <www.quartier206.com>
exclusive designer fashion
- Corner Store <www.thecornerberlin.de>
exclusive designer fashion
- Galleries Lafayette <www.lafayette-berlin.de>
The pendant to KaDeWe - very much smaller, but also a
bit more relaxed atmosphere, especially when shopping
for fashion. They also have a nice relax champagne bar
in the food section.

For small Berlin designer labels check out streets around

the area at Hackescher Markt (Alte Schönhauser Str.,
Münzstr., Rosenthalerstr.) and Kastanienallee in Prenzlauer
Berg. There is also a recently-opened Wunderkind Store (made
by Wolfgang Joop) where they sell "vintage" dresses, mostly
worn only once on the catwalk.

=== Exhibitions ===

Photo exhibits: <www.photography-now.com>

Museums: Lots of and worth a visit! Really. Jewish museum,

Neue Nationalgallerie, Alte Nationalgallery, Egypt, etc. ...
check out the "Tip" Magazine (www.tip-berlin.de) for
up-to-date museum and exhibition information and special
exhibitions (and addresses)

Galleries: Most galleries are located around Linienstraße /

Auguststraße.

=== Small tips / What else? ===

If you want to see typical "tourist attractions" you

shouldn't miss at least: Brandenburg Gate (and the jewish
memorial besides it), Potsdamer Platz, Gendarmenmarkt,
Museumsinsel and Berliner Dom and the Reichstag. Regarding
Reichstag and avoiding to wait in line: If you want to, try
to book a table in the Restaurant "Käfer" in the Reichstag,
which will avoid the wait. The Fernsehturm is a typical
tourist attraction, but the view is great on a sunny day -
drop in a coffee, don't have dinner or lunch there.

If you are looking for the Berlin Wall, there are not too
many left-overs. You may visit Checkpoint Charlie (which
isn't too exciting), but rather head to Bernauer Straße (a
bit offsite), where the largest part still-existing of the
wall is located, besides a memorial and a museum. The
largest part of the wall still existing is at East Side
Gallery (between train station Ostbahnhof and
Oberbaumbrücke).

Also there are lots (!) of other museums, not enough room
here to mention them all - take a look at
<www.smb.spk-berlin.de>. Also there are at least three major
opera houses, be sure to check the Staatsoper with Daniel
Barenboim (rather avoid Komische Oper, unless you like very
modern productions).

There is lots of jewish culture in Berlin: The jewish

synagogue in Mitte is definitely a must-see (check opening
time before), I already mentioned the jewish memorial above.
Also the jewish museum is really great.

There is also a good montly english language magazine about

Berlin, called the "Exberliner" <www.exberliner.com>.

If you can afford the time and the weather is nice, do an

one-hour-boat tour through Berlin Mitte! Even you'll find
only tourists on the boat, the trip is REALLY worth doing
it. There are lots of landing stages for the boats in the
city, e. g. at the Museumsinsel.

Berlin features also two Zoos (Zoologischer Garten in the

former west part and Tierpark in the former east part).
Tierpark is a bit nicer, whereas Zoo features the
sweet-and-fabolus Ice-Bear "Knut". Besides the Zoo there is
the Aquarium, which has one of the biggest collections of
marine animals in the world.

On sundays there are also lots of nice fleamarkets, the

biggest one is at 17. Juni. Check the "Tip" Magazine for
more information.

A bit tired after walking through the city? Maybe relax at

the beautiful "Yi Day Spa" <www.yi-spa.com> in Mitte,
Monbijouplatz 3a. You'll get a traditional thai massage in a
really nice setting. It's really lovely there and perfect
for a one- to two-hour break. Reservation required.

Need a make-up or your hair should look great for the big
night? Write an e-mail to Kristina <[email protected]>
- she's a professional hair and make-up artist. She'll visit
your in your hotel room and makes you look even greater
than you already do. Reservation required in advance.

If you have even more time for a one-day-escape, visit

Potsdam near Berlin for having a walk through the really
nice park.

Even more time? Get a rental car, get up early and do a

one-day-trip to the baltic sea - Warnemünde is the place
where you should head to. It's just about a two-hours-drive
(you can go by train as well) and it's great to
sunshine-relax at the beach.

Have fun and enjoy Berlin ...

... Thomas