Berlin Trilogy #2 Drinks

It wasn't difficult to choose a theme for this second post in my Berlin trilogy!  If you missed the first one, all about my favourite places to eat in Berlin, you can catch up here.  Today's post, however, is focusing on, what I think, are the top places to grab a drink in my favourite city.  We all know that drinking and socialising, and beer in particular, is a huge part of German culture, but the options for places to drink in Berlin take this to a whole new level.  There are some fantastic pubs, craft beer bars, hip cafes, underground 'invitation only' type bars... the list is endless.  Whenever I go to Berlin, I make sure to try new places to drink, and I have to say that I have discovered a few gems!  Whether you are looking for a quiet beer, fancy cocktail or somewhere with a fab atmosphere to enjoy a glass of wine with a friend, I've got you covered with these options.   I am always looking for more places to try out too, so if you have any more recommendations for places to drink in Berlin, please let me know in the comments!

1. Wohnzimmer (Living Room)

This place is a fairly recent discovery for me, and is definitely one of my favourites!  Wohnzimmer is a bar that is set up like a living room (this idea has Berlin written all over it!) - when you enter, you feel as if you are stepping inside somebody's apartment.  There are cute little tables and chairs everywhere, none of them are matching of course, and in each little nook you will find another cosy seat or little bar to stand around. There is one central bar where you can order beers and wines, but I also really recommend following the way through to find the separate cocktail bar, which serves all the classics as well as some more unique cocktails too.  Drinks here are really affordable, beers and wines vary between 3-4 Euros and cocktails are around 6.

The atmosphere at Wohnzimmer is one of the best things about this place: it is absolutely full of lively, bohemian type people, everyone is having a great time, conversation and laughter is overflowing out of the doors.  I have to say that it does get very crowded in 'peak time', so I would suggest arriving earlier or later to ensure you don't have to wait long for a table.  This is definitely worth a visit when you are in Berlin, and another great thing about it is that it's located in an area with loads of other cool bars so you can easily make a fun evening of bar-hopping!

2.  Kashk

Kashk is a fantastic place to drink beer in Berlin.  Specialising in craft beers, there are SO many to choose from, and they are all great!  I would also recommend trying the taster float, where you can try small glasses of several different beers - this is something really fun to do with a friend.   

Kashk is super hip, small, very young and edgy.  I have found that it is a great place to meet people; you always hear several different languages being spoken, and people from all over the world come here to socialise.  I would recommend Kashk as a great place to start an evening, to have a couple beers before heading for dinner, or just to come and relax with a few friends.

3.  Friedrichshain

I am cheating a little bit here because Friedrichshain is not one bar, but rather a district in Berlin with many great bars!  It is a little out of the centre of town, but if you decide to venture here you will not be disappointed - there are loads of great places to go and each one is totally different and offers something special.  I find what makes the Friedrichshain so cool is actually the setting; it is largely made up of converted old warehouses, which have been turned into art galleries, bars and there's even a barber shop if you need a haircut!

Visiting during the day, where it is kind of 'chill central', especially in summer, can be really fun.  You will find lots of beer gardens with street food style catering, laid back cafes and craft beers.  In summer they put everything outside and people just spend afternoons lounging around, listening to music and chatting with friends.  Come nighttime, it is definitely THE place to party in Berlin.  Each warehouse plays different kinds of music, so if jazz or drum and bass is more your style, you will find something to dance to! 

4.  Zum Starken August

If you are seeking a place to have a nice quiet beer, Zum Starken August has all the best qualities of a pub while still being a little bit different (it wouldn't be Berlin if things weren't slightly unique).  It is essentially a pub that is decked out like an old circus!  There are coloured spot lights, mirrors and homemade paper lights on the tables which give it a really trendy, cool vibe.  I arrived here pretty early in the evening on my visit, around 6pm, and it was perfect - very quiet and a really nice place to have a drink.

They offer lots of craft beers, as well as other drinks too, so if you are not a beer drinker it's definitely not a problem here. Again, it is very affordable, and I got the impression that other parties of people were settling into this pub for the whole evening, which seemed really fun!