Kreuzberg Berlin – All our local tips

Mainly the Admiral-Brücke is just a beautiful little iron bridge over the Landwehrkanal in Kreuzberg. But it has something to it that is kinda typical for Berlin: For some reason people meet, chill out and chat here.

While strolling around in Kreuzberg with friends our ways crossed the bridge a couple of times. And every time one of them came up with the idea: “Hey, why don’t we just stay here for a while and have a beer?”

So we went to this little late night shop (so called “Späti”) a few meters away and got some fridge-cooled beers and sat down on these road stones on the bridge. It didn’t take very long for me to understand that this must be quite an alternative meeting place. Seems there are always a bunch of people here who do the same we did… I’ve always met people there, even in winter. The crowd is often joined by street musicians who are probably the reason why the Admiral-Brücke started to be that appealing for so many people a few years ago.

When you go there, please be considerate and lower your voice the later it gets. People living around are easily displeased. Every now and then police have to show up after neighbour’s phone calls to ask the “squatters” to leave.

By the way, the photo is from April 7th, at around 21:00. That was one of the first warmer days in 2009. One can tell the bridge attracted many people…

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Admiral-Brücke | Relaxing | Free
Admiral brücke | Kreuzberg
24 hours daily

An outstanding piece of architecture; an outstanding museum.

Jewish life in Berlin and in Germany. There might be people who only associate that with the Holocaust. But the Jewish Museum proves that two millenniums of Jewish-German history have got heaps of other interesting stories to tell. You get it all displayed from the beginnings to the Middle Ages, up to the modern times, culminating in the Holocaust, having another look at the present. The permanent exhibition consists of 14 sections; the Holocaust is one of these.

So don’t see  this museum singularly as one of the many Holocaust sights you can discover in Berlin but maybe rather as a commemoration to the important influence that Jewish life, culture and thinking had on German (and certainly European) economy, culture and identity.

Integrating the main exhibition, the new building by American star architect Daniel Libeskind is a very interesting exponent of the new Berliner architectural landscape. Libeskind plays with allegories like voids, zigzag footprint, a “garden of exile” and many more interesting details – I could go on (read more about the architecture on Libeskind’s website), but trust me when I say you won’t be disappointed going there.

Another highlight for me next to the architecture and the exhibition is the “Rafael Roth Learning Center”. I could sit for hours in front of one of the 20 computers and read interesting stories. Who would have thought that some Jews even emigrated to Shanghai to flea from Nazi-Germany?

Get more information about special exhibitions and the museum in general at the very well arranged website!

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Jewish Museum Berlin | Art & culture | Admission (regular) € 5.00
Lindenstraße 9-14 | Kreuzberg | +493025993300
Mon 10:00 – 22:00, Tue – Sun 10:00 – 20:00 | last admission 1 hour before closing

All I knew the first time I was heading to this art house was that I was going to an exhibition opening in Kreuzberg. I was already imaging one of the hundreds relatively small galleries Berlin has everywhere. When I got closer I realized I was actually heading toward a building which could pass for a small-quarter-castle with wings and a large garden.

I was charmed. The venue, the new media installations and the after party were a great mix. The art house has also studio spaces (with regular open doors), besides the (around) six exhibitions organized throughout the year with a focus on visual arts.

Now, one should keep in mind that House Bethanien hosts within the very same building both Künstlerhaus Bethanien and Kunstraum Kreuzberg/ Bethanien. The two Bethaniens have quite a few things in common besides the location, and they are both inviting.

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Kunstraum Bethanien | Art & culture
Mariannenplatz 2 | Kreuzberg
12:00 – 19:00 daily

If you are looking for that special ensemble, something a little different,  a one of a kind contemporary piece,  that certain something special for an evening out and about in Berlin town that screams NOTICE ME!!!!  Then you have to pay a visit to ‘Let it Bleed’ in Kreuzberg.This  boutique meets  showroom, offers men and women,  daring and edgy hand tailored unisex clothing and accessories. You can find limited edition screen-printed T-Shirts with punk sensibility, bag designs referencing pop culture past and present, or Glam rock deconstructed asymmetric Lycra stretch dresses with clashing patterns.American and Spanish designers, Juan Chamié and Sylvia Pujol, hold court most days in their boutique on the Wienerstrasse, and on Sundays can be found selling their ware at Mauerpark flea market.  If you see a piece that is either not in your size or you have specific made to measure requests, do not hesitate to ask Juan, who is more than happy to accommodate special orders, as long as they do not clash with his very bold and daring fashion sensibilities/vision.

Once you have an original ‘Let it Bleed’ ensemble, in the infamous words of Ru Paul ‘You better work it girl’

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Let it Bleed | Art & culture, Shopping | Orginal limited edition dress € 150
Wienerstrasse 36 | Kreuzberg | +493081014007
Tue – Sat 11:00 – 21:00

Who ever designed this bar – he must have had a lot of fun. I can imagine if I was to stick all the furniture and other things onto the ceiling I would probably see all the smiling and astounded faces of the future guests.

Well, when I went in there the first time I wished I was that someone as I thought it could have been my idea – what a genius person! Something like that was my first impression of Madame Claude.

The name itself refers to the location’s past as a brothel. But they also call it a “Bar for common people“. That may explain why you’ll get cheap bottled beer and foosball (though the table is slightly battered – but hey, it’s for free!). On top of that there is an extra room further down which they use for either a ping pong table (free, too!) or live music performances (mostly stuff like Brit Pop, Alternative, Electro, Indie Pop / Rock or Folk).

I recommend you to check their Myspace for coming events. Amongst my friends the Madame Claude got famous especially for their music quiz which is on every Wednesday. Recently I found myself more and more attracted to the open mic sessions on Sundays. There might be no one outside on Sunday evenings but seemingly everyone at Madame Claude.

So pay attention to all the details on the ceiling and walls and remember the person who had fun making it!

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Madame Claude | Bars, Music | Beer € 2.30
Lübbener Str. 19 | Kreuzberg | +493084110861
19:00 – open end daily

You’d be forgiven for not even noticing these two inconspicuous clubs deftly hidden on the Skalizterstrasse on Kottbusser Tor in Kreuzberg (fondly referred to as Kotti) above a supermarket and a couple of hundred döner kebab snack bars.

Paloma and Monarch are situated in coverted former dentist/doctor’s surgeries (yes you heard me right) located in different sections of what is seemingly a residential block.

Due to the lack of any signage anywhere, you may at first be wary as you climb the dark staircase to the first floor, with the distinct stench of urine accompanying you on your way up.  However once you enter the grey doors of Paloma or Monarch you feel like Alice in Wonderland stepping through the looking glass.  Awaiting you on the other side are two pretty cool and rocking clubs/bars.

Both offer a relaxed and intimate atmosphere, decorated with kitschy patterned wallpaper from the 50’s, where you feel like you’ve walked into someone’s living room.  There are banks where you can sit on pillows and lean against the big full length windows, offering a view out across urban detritus of Kotti. Secret tip, try the Ahoi Vodka shots.

Paloma plays mainly Indie and Electro Pop music, whilst Monarch is more versatile, ranging from post punk, garage to vintage disco.

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Monarch and Paloma | Bars, Music | Entry from € 2.00
Skalitzer Straße 134 -135 | Kreuzberg
Wed – Sat 21:00 – till late

Why should I eat Canadian Pizza in Berlin? This is what you might ask the first time you hear about Ron Telesky in Kreuzberg. The answer is easy: This place is different than common Italian pizza restaurants. Here you can get big, thin pizzas with every topping you can imagine: Fresh Pesto, candied walnut, mango, potato, feta sauce and many more. A special thing you should try is the hot maple syrup – but be aware, this is really hot!

The two German owners of Ron Telesky have learned their trade in Canada so they know how to get the Canadian feeling: inside a big moose head on the wall and a mural with a typical lake and mountains on it; outside you can sit either on trunks or in a Canadian canoe while having Dr Pepper Coke and Moosehead Beer. This is real Canadian lumberjack-luxury!

And if you live somewhere near this place you can also use the delivery-service which brings your pizza on a special bike.

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Ron Telesky | Snacks, Restaurants (Canadian pizza) | Piece of pizza € 2.00
Dieffenbachstraße 62 | Kreuzberg | +493061621111
12:00 – 22:00 daily

For those who like it cheap, cheerful and with that dash of trash ambiance, should make their way to West Germany. In the same vein as Paloma and Monarch, West Germany is also a converted former dentist/doctor’s surgery located on the Skalitzer Strasse in Kreuzberg.

In contrast to Paloma and Monarch (check the Paloma and Monarch article) though, West Germany offers a dirtier, grungier and edgier club/bar experience. Space is effectively what it is, as very little has gone into refurbishment, evidenced by the makeshift stage where you can watch Punk/Electro/Psychobilly bands perform, while their amps precariously balance on beer crates and live wires dangle above their heads.

There also a host live acts and artists performing, once a month West Germany hosts the Gay/Lesbian night called ‘Poopsy Club‘. One particularly memorable time, I watched a small Japanese man clad in a white spandex body suite ’sing’ through a vocoder in something I could discern as a hybrid of German/English/Japanese against an techno beat; as his two transgendered assistants entered the stage through a giant papier-mâché vagina…hey but at least drinks were cheap.

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West Germany | Bars, Music | Entrance from € 3.00
Skalitzer Str. 133 | Kreuzberg
Wed – Sat 21:00 – till late

For those that like their music loud, dirty and live should pay a visit to Wild at Heart in Kreuzberg.  First time visitors may think they have inadvertently stumbled into some grotty biker bar, and they would only be half right.  It definitely has that unapologetic rock shabbiness with its dilapidated chairs, questionable restrooms, band posters wall to wall and for some inexplicable reason a Persian carpet nailed to the ceiling.

I have been fortunate enough to experience this gig spot both as a viewer and a performer.  As a regular frequenter there are always cool local and international punk, garage and rock bands playing, and despite its compactness, it still manages to have good clear acoustics.

As a performer I always found the intimacy and cosiness of the stage area really fun when interacting with the very responsive crowd.

As would be expected the bar staff are all rockers with piercings, tattoos and standard issue attitude. Don’t expect fancy cocktails served in pretty glasses, this place is strictly hard liquor and beer, if you’re lucky they may begrudgingly make you a whiskey or vodka sour.

Let’s be honest if you come here you’re in for some old fashioned live music done analog style, fun ambience and you can always spot some real characters who still think it’s 1982.

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Wild at Heart | Bars, Music | Entry from (free after 02:00) € 5.00
Wienerstr. 20 | Kreuzberg | +490306119231
20:00 – till late daily

Zyankali Bar – the name is the program. The dark cellar pub in Kreuzberg looks freaky and creepy but you’ll succumb to its charms quickly. The dark rooms are sparely illuminated by some colorful LED lights. The glassy bar houses some dead spiders and the guy behind the bar is a nice punk. The menu contains a huge offer of cocktails, long drinks and beer.

When you enter the bar in the week you will probably meet only a dog lying on the floor and some guests sitting in a hidden corner. Then it’s a calm place with loud music which can be cozy too. On weekends the bar is mostly full. Every Sunday evening at 20:30 they show movies of selected directors and actors for free.

The music in the bar is mostly alternative like 70’s Rock, World Music and Jazz. They also present Playstation parties (Singstar, Guitar Hero, EyeToy,Buzz) every Thursday and acoustic concerts (twice a month).

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Zyankali Bar | Bars, Music | Beer 0,33l € 2.30
Großbeerenstraße 64 | Kreuzberg | +49302516333
Mon – Sat 19:00 – open end, Sun 20:00 – open end