"American Bar" in Berlin
Magnolia and violet blossoms, spruce tips, elderflower and even asparagus: the seasonal flavours of nature and plants from local farms form the basis for the fantastic cocktails in this wondrously beautiful Neukölln bar. The weekly changing menu always has pleasant surprises in store.
One counter, fourteen bar stools, the best ingredients, classic basic recipes with a creative twist and highly professional service: this is the minimalist secret of Gonçalo de Sousa Monteiro's magnificent bar, which rightly made it on to the charts of "The World's 50 Best Bars" ten years ago.
The team led by Brit Sam Orrock has perfected artisanal techniques such as vaporising, centrifuging and cold pressing. Nevertheless, the bar is not a meeting place for nerds, but a real temple of flavour. Around ten unusual drinks such as "Beetroot" or "Matcha Martini" are on the changing menu.
Pleasure begins in the mind - knowledge of spirits and their clever use are part of bar culture. In this "bar for refining the senses", they know how to work with perfectly crafted distillates and create poetic cocktails such as "Soyer en Rêve", a nutty Champagne dream with passion fruit.
With their Krass Böser Wolf bar, the creators Dustin Franke and Johann Lautenschläger manage the balancing act between quaint neighbourhood pub and trendy cocktail bar. Customers order cocktail classics such as gin fizz or their own creations such as "Thyme of my Life" with gin, rosemary, thyme, lemon and grapefruit.
Pay as much as you like - that's the pub-friendly credo of Benito Opitz and Philipp Schmitz. The owners of the Mondhuegel Bar have made it their mission to preserve the pub charm and mix drinks made from home-made spirits, distillates and syrups made from natural ingredients in their Kreuzberg bar.
More than just an insider tip in the Schöneberg neighbourhood for 30 years: just in time for its anniversary, the popular Waterhole behind the green door was named "Bar of the Year" and boss Maria Gorbatschova was even named "Bartender of the Year". The secret: fantastic creative drinks, intelligent bar culture and personalised customer service.
Experimental drink creations are the speciality of the makers of the Lamm Bar. The popular bar in Prenzlauer Berg is known for its bartenders taking a lot of time to give good advice. You should definitely try the banana split cocktail with rum, banana, lime and chocolate bitters.
Lush green plants and wall decorations made from artificial plants invite you to enjoy a cosy evening with delicious drinks at Le Jardin. Bar owner Yannik Walter and his team source some of their ingredients from the indoor farm and experiment with their microgreens. An all-round harmonious, natural concept.
Inspiring place for ambitious cocktail hunters. Here, Anastasia and Filip serve creative signature drinks and excellent bar food that inspire the mind and body. Special recommendation: the "Aperitivo Tasting Flight" (45 euros, 5 to 7.30 pm), where three mini cocktails are served with matching snacks.
Ring the bell and don't be alarmed when the Mad Hatter opens. The enchanted bar near the fairytale fountain is mysterious, and drinks such as "Cheshire Cat" or "Queen of Hearts" from the truly magical bar menu are also magical. And of course, "Cinderella" is served in a glass slipper.
"Naked & Famous" and "Pornstar Martini" - the popular signature drinks at Charlottenburg's Galander are also a nod to the past, when people used to party the night away in the old red light district. Today, the place exudes a more dignified hipness - ideal for enjoying high-quality bar craft.
As Berlin's oldest bar, the Rum Trader is still one of the top addresses for really good drinks in the capital. The atmosphere is intimate and personal, the furnishing style eccentric and reminiscent of the 70s. The bar is known of course for its excellent selection of different types of rum.
A classy, casual interior, changing art on the walls and interesting people everywhere. The first impression is deceptive: this bar is not about chichi or show, it's about serious drinking. And signature drinks such as the tequila-mezcal-based "Sun Ra 1995" go perfectly with the club sandwiches.
The drinks mixed at Herr Lindemann in the quiet Rixdorf district of Neukölln promise a healing effect. They are made with lots of herbs, which, in combination with gin, rum and other spirits, are not only supposed to make you healthy, but also have a completely convincing flavour.
Classy, humorous, gentlemanly: relocated from Old Street in London to Berlin, this Edwardian bar sets new standards in terms of style. New and historic cocktails such as the "Deviled Egg" or "Geisha, that's nuts!" are served in unusual glasses and vessels. Excellent bar food is also available.
With dark wood, black leather, and the tangy aroma of almost 40 years of bar history, Franzotti is a Kreuzberg classic with a solid selection of cocktails and a mecca for whisk(e)y fans. There are hundreds of bottles of Scottish Islays, Canadian Rye whiskeys, and exclusive bourbons, which not just pleasing to the eye.
Meet up for an aperitif after work at the Salut! Classic Bar in Schöneberg. The menu features classics from the 1920s and 1930s, as well as the bar's own first-class drink creations. Bar owner Dejan Spasovski attaches great importance to high-quality ingredients, some of which are produced on site.
The opulent ambience with gold glitter, crystal chandeliers and velvet brings the Golden Twenties of the last century back to life. For the bar of the upscale restaurant, flavour juggler Arnd Henning Heißen has reinvented popular cocktail classics from that wild era, such as the "Charleston Sour" or "Cabaret Martini".
Howdy - you should actually wear cowboy boots here, if only because of the decor. Local craft beer, bourbon or rye whisk(e)y and very good cocktails such as the "Stagger Lee Manhattan", which are mixed with homemade ingredients, are served with very good sound (an often underestimated bar accessory).