Since summer has wafted its delicious smells and temperatures into the savvy streets of Berlin, the outdoors of German’s capital lures more than ever. Where we were maybe tempted to stay indoors of fabulous and cosy restaurants during the too-longlasting wintery chills, summer is definitely here again. And with summer comes lounging about, casually drinking exotic cocktails, languidly enjoying chilled chinking glasses of dry Riesling or sipping away at luxury bowls of champagne. In other words, bars are here again. Food more easily forgotten with the sun shining away its beauty and warmth, especially in company of mind-blowing and drudge-forgetting alcohol. That is why we have collected a few of our favourite bars. And ssh, they are not ten. But still top!

Berlin bar and drink life

Berlin has so many special, beautiful and funky bars to hang out at, we thought it about time we ventured into the area of covering on bars, as well as restaurants. We have gathered a small collection of our very own favourite bar locations. And with a bar, we mean a place for drinking alcohol in the evening. Even though in most places you may also be able to have coffee and/ or a nibble during the day, we selected these bars especially because of their evening presence.

Luzia (Kreuzberg)

If you are a Kreuzberg kind-a gal or boy, you must have thorough knowledge of Luzia. This was one of the first bars we encountered in proper Berlin-style and therefore one we will not easily forget. It is Berlin in all its shabby-chique essence, with classy drinks and a rugged exterior. Funky and friendly staff and a place that is always filled to the brim at the end of day. Try their Luzia-special cocktail, which is absolutely delicious and can function as a proper meal, due to its cucumber surprise inside.
Luzia is the place you go to with one or two friends when you are getting ready for a night out on the town. A great place to meet new and other hip Berliners and mingle a bit.

[googleMap name="Luzia" width="300" height="300" mousewheel="false" typecontrol="false" directions_to="false"]Oranienstraße 34 10999 Berlin[/googleMap]

Oranienstraße 34
10999 Berlin

Drama (Kreuzberg)

We love gay and we adore gay Berlin. Next door to Melitta Sunstrom’s, a classic gay haunt during the day and the entrance to Berlin’s fabulous gay hot spots Schwuz at night, you can find the small and quaint Drama. Even the name of this bar precedes its own reputation. Drama is a pink, glittery kind of bar that specializes in cocktails. A great and cosy spot to meet up with friends or meet some new gay-friendly pals. Basically open around the clock and also a personal recommendation to score a after-party bloody mary after a night of dancing the night away in neighbor club Schwuz.

[googleMap name="Drama" width="300" height="300" mousewheel="false" typecontrol="false" directions_to="false"]Mehringdamm 63 10961 Berlin[/googleMap]

Mehringdamm 63
10961 Berlin

BR 101 (Mitte)

Summer equals time for cocktails. And one of the best places for cocktails in Berlin is our much-loved spot BR 101 in Mitte. A Brazilian-themed little bar on the Torstraße in the middle of brimming Berlin life. You can curl up inside, or lounge about on one of the tables outside. For 3 to 4 euros you can order one of the billions of cocktails they have on their menu here. Well-known classics all the way down to their own creative creations. Sour, sweet, light-hearted, thoroughly alcoholic – there is a cocktail for everyone’s flavour here. Our personal recommendation is the Mozambique, a brightly turquoise coloured cocktail with amaretto and fresh juices.

[googleMap name="BR 101" width="300" height="300" mousewheel="false" typecontrol="false" directions_to="false"]Torstraße 69 10119 Berlin[/googleMap]

Torstraße 69
10119 Berlin

Godot (Prenzlauer Berg)

If you enjoy lounging about outside, like most of us do during the days and months of summer, Godot is a great tip. Located directly on the Kastanienallee in the center of Prenzlauer Berg and only around the corner from the too-well-known Mauerpark, you can easily and casually hang out on the terrace of Godot. With a happy hour each day up to seven, it is also a great location for cocktails. Not so yummy as BR 101, but good enough for a nice night filled with hours of enjoying the bustling atmosphere of Kastanienallee, next door to many fab eateries and other bars.

[googleMap name="Godot" width="300" height="300" mousewheel="false" typecontrol="false" directions_to="false"]Kastanienallee 16 10435 Berlin[/googleMap]

Kastanienallee 16
10435 Berlin

More tips and tricks to some of our local bars coming up this summer. Stay tuned!

Another restaurant that I have visited many times and only briefly mentioned in my reviews. So today it is time for Zaza, a posh-y semi-professional cocktail and sushi bar on the Kastanienallee. Everyone who has ever read this blog before knows that I absolutely adore sushi, so the concept of a bar/ restaurant that specialised in sushi and cocktails sounded like a dream to me. The first time ever I went here, I was together with a friend and we ran into my boss. Since I had just started said job, I got all shocked and hot and bothered. Thankfully,  a couple of Zaza cocktails later,  my poor little shy soul perked up. Zaza does very nice cocktails and if you time your visit to coincide with the drinks happy hour (18-20h), you can enjoy your cocktails for decent prices.
You can find Zaza in the middle of the popular Kastanienallee in the bezirk Prenzlauer Berg, not far away the W-Imbiss and Sushi Number One.

Lounging in P-Berg

Zaza is pretty. It has a cool, contemporary lounge feeling to it and you will happily spend a long evening in this joint. The restaurant is very large and has a long, yet narrow shape to it. At the far end of the restaurant, you can find a large and comfortable smoker’s lounge with a bar where you can also drink drinks and eat food while inhaling some of your favourite Pall Mall or Marlboro scents. And in the summer days Zaza has a large (and mostly filled) outside space with tables and chairs – perfect due to it’s people spotting location on the Kastanienallee.
I have used Zaza as a liasion location for work-related drinks and dinners, what probably best describes the vibe that this restaurant has. It is chilled, but simultaneously has a sleek professionalism to its deco.

Sushi food and more

The sushi menu at Zaza is quite impressive. They have quite a couple of festive and special rolls (like my beloved tamago roll) and an extensive offer of regular maki’s and nigiri’s. I think I might have spent the evening at Zaza at least five times now, and it took my five tries to finally also order something else from sushi. Because, even though they have a decent enough menu, I have to admit I was not particularly impressed or smitten with the sushi. Where other sushi restaurants regularly surprised me with flavour, Zaza’s sushi disappointed me with a bit of a bleak, boring sushi. Okay, maybe I am too much of a sushi buff to enjoy sushi that is anything less but superb, but these experiences made me choose a wan-tan side dish combined with a completely different kind of sushi from what I normally eat.
And I was pleasantly surprised: Zaza does great quality wan-tans and other appetizers. I have seen my table companions order nice grilled meats and salads that were also very yummy. I would recommend ordering a varied mixture of sushi and small nibbles to get as many of your taste buds to join in the culinairy experience. All in all, Zaza does more than decent sushi – but it is just not the best I have ever had. (More on that in the best sushi restaurants.)

What makes this restaurant fabulous?

• The staff is cheerful, polite and they know their way around the menu
• Zaza has a nice and posh atmosphere to it that will make you want to stay
• The menu is filled with many different kinds of nibbles and bites that are worth exploring

What makes this restaurant less fabulous?

• It is a sushi and cocktail bar in Prenzlauer Berg – and sadly therefore not the cheapest place. But with foods ranging from four (for a small maki) to ten euros (for a bigger dish), still affordable
• If you are a huge sushi buff and you want to eat a lot of good sushi for little money, I would not recommend Zaza

Where to go?

[googleMap name="Zaza" width="400" height="400" mousewheel="false" typecontrol="false" directions_to="false"]Kastanienallee 12 10435 Berlin[/googleMap]

Zaza
Kastanienallee 12
10435 Berlin
+49 30 44031185
www.zaza-bar.de

Photo: Flickr

Like I said before, I am not really into chain restaurants. But after my elaborate experience with Indian take-away and order-in food, I will explore the large chain of Indian restaurants in Berlin called Amrit. The largest and probably most well-known Amrit location is on the Oranienburger Straße and consists of two sections. The one on the left is a large, posh (yet may considered tacky by some) restaurant and on the right Amrit has a large patio-restaurant that can be opened completely in summer. Since the Oranienburger Straße is one of Berlin’s most beloved tourist’s spots, it is not surprising to see many tourists lounging in and around Amrit. Another large and well-known location of Amrit is to be found on the Oranienstraße in Kreuzberg, around the corner from Green Rice. Yet another Amrit restaurant is in Schöneberg, on the Maaßenstraße, almost next to the Vietnamese and Thai restaurant Chaapa. I would personally recommend the locations in Schöneberg and Kreuzberg, as the restaurant in Mitte is mostly very busy (and extremely touristy).

Eating out Indian food

So, the most important thing about a restaurant is of course the food. And the food at Amrit is surely not bad. I have eaten at Amrit at least five times, so I am definitely of the opinion that they serve quite decent food (otherwise I would be quite the sucker for  going back). The sad thing is just that they will make you feel like you are in a chain restaurant. The service is hasty and mostly unpersonal. Some of the staff are very nice and friendly and will make you feel at home, but you will need to chat up one of the more experienced (or high-up) members of staff for such luxury. They can also be unflexible when you want to make a slight alteration to your meal, which I think should always be a possibility open for discussion in any restaurant, not simply be replied with a simple “no, not possible”. I do go out to dinner to relax, enjoy the service and the food. For which I pay. I prefer pampering over arguing.

Good Indian food? Great Indian food?

However, comparing it with my other Indian experiences, it is not that great either. The most frustrating about this restaurant is that a couple of the curries taste similar – which is a shame. Just by ordering at Amran twice, I got two completely different, yet equally fantastic curries in my kitchen. Yet, after eating at Amrit at least three to four times, I got used to not expecting too much. The food is good, just not mind-blowing. The appetizers here are fabulous though. You can fill yourself up with nibbles of naan, sauces, nice meat balls and flavourful cheeses. Therefore, my personal advice would be to order a mixed appetizer plate, or just lots of appetizers – which will get you filled up even more than a main dish and will offer a larger variety of food.

What makes this place fabulous?

• The deco is very un-subtle, but extremely extravagant and quite atmospheric if you’re in such a mood. It is pretty, clean and fabulously over the top.
• All locations have large and comfortable outdoor seating arrangements where you can enjoyably sip your summery cocktails.
• Generally, the staff is quick and friendly, just do not complicate your orders with a personalised request. (They do work chain-restaurant-style.)

What makes this place less fabulous?

• I would say, for the food that you get, Amrit is quite pricey. Very afforable, but I would not categorise it as a budget restaurant, with prices around ten euros for a basic curry (and extra charges up until 3 euros for naan or chapati). Cocktails are also non-budget, but they do offer affordable happy hours.

Where to go?

[googleMap name="Amrit (Schöneberg)" width="400" height="400" mousewheel="false" typecontrol="false" directions_to="false"]Winterfeldtstraße 40 10781 Berlin[/googleMap]

Amrit Schöneberg
Winterfeldtstraße 40
10781 Berlin
+49 30 21 01 46 40

[googleMap name="Amrit (Kreuzberg)" width="400" height="400" mousewheel="false" typecontrol="false" directions_to="false"]Oranienstraße 202/203 10999 Berlin, Deutschland[/googleMap]

Amrit Kreuzberg
Oranienstraße 202/203
10999 Berlin
030/6125-550

[googleMap name="Amrit (Mitte)" width="400" height="400" mousewheel="false" typecontrol="false" directions_to="false"]Oranienburger Straße 45 10117 Berlin[/googleMap]

Amrit Mitte
Oranienburger Straße 45
10117 Berlin
+49 30 2888484 0

As soon as the sun shines its shiny and cheerful way across the city, we all get that tingle. That tingle that makes you want to mingle and enjoy being outside. Whatever, wherever, as long as you’re outside, everything is fine. Together with this tingle, I always get a craving for a cocktail. Or two. Especially in summer I love drinking cocktails. They’re resfreshing, fun and alcoholic all in one!

Unfortunately many bars and restaurants in the big cities are known for and very experienced at asking for extortionate amounts of money for a half-decent cocktail. Moreover, you should be very lucky if the cocktails on offer are more than a Sex on the Beach and a badly shaken Caipirinha. Finding a nice location with decent and afforable cocktails can be a bit of a hassle for your average Berlin tourist or new arrival. Avoid the Alexanderplatz and its one ‘decent’ looking so-called cocktail bar, we have found a great alternative.

No more bad or expensive cocktails

One of Berlin’s best hidden secrets is this small cocktail bar that you might even be tempted to ignore. It does not look extremely exciting or special, but do not judge a book by its cover. Only a short walk away from the Alexanderplatz, on the big and busy street of Torstraße, one can find Br 101. Br 101 is a small, cute Brazilian cocktailbar with a great terrace space with tables and comfortable lounge corners in summer. They offer a huge range of the most exciting, well-known, classical and original cocktails. And that for prices of 3 to 4 euros per cocktail! My personal favourite (apart from the great Bloody Mary‘s, Moijto‘s and Gin creations) is the Mozambique cocktail. This  is an exciting turquoise cocktail that consists of a great refreshing mixture of Amaretto, Blue Curacao, lemon and orange juice.  Their cocktail menu goes on for many pages and they have a dozens of their original creations on offer. Surely the best place for a nice summery afternoon and evening, while easily drinking three to four cocktails without having to worry about your pocket money. A great place for trying out as many different cocktails as you like – perfect for meeting friends.

What makes this place fabulous:

• Their huge and great range of cocktails. Pages and pages of new and exciting cocktails in their menu.
• Afforable prices with a happy hour from 19-21 with all cocktails for 3 euros!
• Friendly and cute staff. Authentic Brazilians that will supply enough Salzsstange for a nibble.

What makes this place less fabulous:

• Unfortunately they only do ‘real’ nibbles on occassions, when you can get fried papaya and other authentic Brazilian snacks. Would be a great addition, to offer more foods. Sometimes drinking can make one hungry.

Overall: 9/10.

Where to go?
[googleMap name="BR 101" width="400" height="400" mousewheel="false" typecontrol="false" directions_to="false"]Torstraße 69, 10119, Berlin, Germany[/googleMap]

Br 101
Torstraße 69
10119 Berlin
030 4404-3871

One day in the early spring, back in the days we had not really been exploring the culinairy delights of Berlin that consciously, we went to Oranium on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Oranium is a mainstream German-cuisine oriented restaurant located on the Oranienburger Straße. The Oranienburger is basically in the middle of the touristic center of Berlin and close to the well-known  Hackescher Markt, the Museumsinsel and the golden Synagogue. Initially we only intended to stay there for drinks and nibbles, but the comfort inside and the cosy leather couches and chairs, the comfy lights and the perfect Sunday atmosphere made us stay. In the end, we ordered foods and chatted the evening away. Ever since, Oranium has remained one of my favourite haunts. It is especially well-suited for a Sunday brunch or studying for a long afternoon when you’re sick and tired of the library’s monotonous decoration. Whereas it is a restaurant inhabited by tourists and offers food that is more conventional than exciting, it is a sincerely nice place that I still do not mind visiting.

Wining and Dining at Oranium

On that very first day, I ordered a particularly exciting dish that was a main course consisting of a so-called strawberry chicken. Not a classical or well-known combination, but somehow it tickled my fancy. Not without cause, because the crispily baked chicken bathing in a spicy and sweet sauce with actual pieces of strawberry in it, tasted delicious. Supplemented by a nice pyramid of rice and some salad, it was a very nicely balanced meal. That main course was the beginning of an ongoing flirt with Oranium, which is a nice place to pop into for a quick bite, a cup of coffee or a nice alcoholic drink. The best reason for coming here, however, is a brunch or a breakfast.

Oranium also does some very nice typical German desserts (Nachspeisen) and basically suits all your most basic and classical wishes for food and drink. They have an extensive menu with pasta’s, pizza’s, German Flammkuchen (a thin brother of the pizza with e.g. sour cream and ham on it), tapas, lunch and breakfast dishes. My personal favourite brunch dish at Oranium is the süßes Frühstück (sweet breakfast), which is very decently priced at around 4 euros, which gets you a fresh croissant, a brötchen, a boiled egg, a plate with a crêpe with mangocream (yummy!), fruits, jam and butter. For me the perfect little elaborate breakfast on a Saturday or Sunday morning. They also serve nicely priced fruit and yoghurt breakfasts. For a restaurant on the Oranienburger Straße, this is a very decently priced eatery with some nice dishes.

What makes this restaurant fabulous:

• The atmosphere and deco is very cosy and warm. It makes you feel at home and go in snuggle-up mode. Also a great location for doing some work or bookreading on a rainy afternoon.
• The largeness of the menu which is definitely practical if you are unaware of your dinner partner’s desires. Very extensive, anyone will find a meal of their choice here.
• The cocktails. They have daily cocktail offers, which enables you to drink great cocktails for little money. (3,50 EUR)

What makes this restaurant less fabulous:

• The service, as it is a rather large restaurant, sometimes the staff can be a bit harsh and unfriendly.
• The prices. Unfortunately, it is not particularly cheap. Not overly expensive either, but it’s not the place to go for a budget meal.
• Do not think you are going to dine at a exceptionally good restaurant. It is nice food. Nothing more.

• Tiny tip: Oranium is the best place to hang out when it’s chilly and you want to sit inside. Do not go here in summer or when you want to sit outside. They have awful looking yellow umbrella’s and the wasps like this place when it’s sunny.

Where to go?

[googleMap name="Oranium" width="400" height="400" mousewheel="false" typecontrol="false" directions_to="false"]Oranienburger Straße 33/34, 10117, Berlin‎, Germany[/googleMap]

Oranium
Oranienburger Straße 33/34
10117 Berlin‎
030 3088-2967‎

Excellently located on Oranienburger Strasse (close to sushi hot spot Wasabi) opposite Tacheles, this Cuban restaurant tempts you with a heart-wrenchingly irresistible chalkboard offering cocktails for your pocket money. Just like the neighbours up and down the street. To survive on this strip of lively eateries in Berlin Mitte, you have got to be good. You have got to tempt in the pedestrians whose noses have been brushed with the flirtatious aromas of curry and who have bravely defied the Brick Lane style waiters gathering up the rumbling tummies into the Indian restaurants.
And anyone not quite craving a poppadom, or anyone who likes to flex their Erasmus Spanish like me will be delighted to know that the staff are Cuban natives – and it is good food. (I feel qualified to say this as I’ve stayed in the Hotel Nacional de Cuba and been served dried bananas, stale crisps and cold potato croquettes as nibbles – ‘nuf said.)

Atmosphere
The well-worn interior boasts Che Guevara wall motifs and seductive candlelight, whilst in Berlin’s sensational summer months one may prefer to people watch from the street tables.
Cocktails
So naturally one begins with a thirst quenching cocktail – and aside from the classic Mojitos and Cuba Libras there are some delicious fruity options which really pack a punch whilst awaiting the grub’s arrival.
Food
Even the menu is a tastebud tickler with a flummoxing array of meats, fish, “salads” and tapas platters. Start with nachos or fried plantain. Main dishes are generous, satisfying and surprisingly authentic (if one ignores the fact now-capitalist Berlin has no shortage of necessary ingredients). Sautéed fish filets  served with humps of rice; chicken and beans; Hemingway platefuls; excellent seafood, great garnishes. Pretty divine if you’re craving a little Latino.

What makes this restaurant fabulous:

• The staff – beautiful curvy Cuban ladies; dark and handsome barmen
• The cocktails – stylish & strong
• The menu – satisfies all meaty / vegetarianistic cravings
• The location – Tacheles, Monbijou Park, Hackescher Markt… if you’re falling out of the Jewish Synagogue this might just restore your faith in the world
• Che Guevara beaming down on your tastiness
• Brushing up your Spanish (impressing friends/dates at the same time)

What makes this restaurant less fabulous:

• Slightly misleading seafood “salad” – beware, its just mussels and limp lettuce drowning in garlicky oil!

Getting there

[googleMap name="QBA" width="400" height="400" mousewheel="false" typecontrol="false" directions_to="false"]Oranienburger Str. 45, 10117 Berlin [/googleMap]
QBA
Oranienburger Straße 45
10117
030 28 04 05 05