Sankt Pauli Hamburg – All our local tips

“Have you never been to a private party in Hamburg? Welcome in our 3-Zimmer-Wohnung (3 room apartment).

The first room: here is our quirky living room with the big cosy couch. Just sit down and relax! Oh, first of all you wanna see our nice apartment? Ok, i’ll show you around: we have a second living room, because many friends come for drinks every day. Feel free in our colorful rooms with the awesome lights. Here we go, this is our bedroom – if you want, just lay down on the bed, pssssst: there is a PlayStation (with projector!!) in the bedside cabinet, if you are feeling bored play some games or check out the table soccer (kicker). The small corridor is great for smalltalk.

In our open kitchen beside the cooker and fridge, you will find the bar, where you’ll get all drinks and beer. It is always crowed there like in every private party in Hamburg – the kitchen is the place to be. Feel free and have fun, i have to take great care of all my other guests.

Nice to have you here! Cheers!”

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3-Zimmer-Wohnung | Bars, Relaxing | Beer € 2.50
Talstrasse 22 | Sankt Pauli
From 20:00 daily (in summer from 21:00)

After a long day in university or city daytrip it’s one of the best places to relax. Similar to Zoë Bar (see this article) it is filled with many couches, but they are separate. That makes you feel like you are in a friend’s house.

Good for relaxing with an old friend or serious talks. The wine is awesome there and costs around 3 Euro. An Astra Beer is under 2 Euro. The staff is like the music; veeeeery laid-back and easy-going. It’s perfect for a little break between day and night. In summer they’ll open the big windows again and so you’ve the feeling of sitting outside on a couch!

The atmosphere is a bit oriental, maybe because it is located in a former Turkish culture center. Not as crowded as it is in the Schanze or in the Kiez (St. Pauli). Alternative and simple, thus great!

PS: thanks for the comment (which was unfortunately deleted), just to let you know: Bar Roosen installed security cameras.

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Bar Roosen | Bars, Coffee & tea, Relaxing | Wine € 3.00
Paul-Roosen-Str. 28 | Sankt Pauli | +494076975926
Mon – Thu 12:00 – 02:00, Fri – Sun 12:00 – open end

You wanna see the real Kiez-party szene and the touristy stuff isnt your style? Try the Hamburger Berg, a sidestreet from Reeperbahn. Barhopping here is one of my favourite things to do on weekends. The street is lined with little bars, where every small dance floor provides a different taste of music. So just go around and find your style. Of course on weekends you shouldn’t be a claustrophobic person who needs a lot of space to develop a personal way of dancing.

Sooner or later, the barbarabar is the one, where I always end on my Bergtour. I like the music, that is always fun and the bar is crowded with good looking, dancing people that are forced to have body contact because of the limited space. Therefore it is also an insiders´ tip for singles to meet some nice candidates from the other sex.

For the non-dancers they provide a kicker (table football). But be aware, that the boys and girls playing here are quite good. On Wednesdays you can show off your talent and participate in a table football-tournament. On Tuesdays they are playing Hörspiele (audio plays), that seems to be fun as the photo shows and on sundays they have “Einquadratmeterlivemusic (one square-meter live music) for newcomer bands.

So barbarabar is a “must” on a weekend St Pauli tour, but also during the rest of the week for sure worth a visit.

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Barbarabar | Bars, Music
Hamburger Berg 11 | Sankt Pauli | +4916090361519
Tue – Sun from 20:00

Blauer Peter (blue peter) is a phrase from seaman’s language. It comes from the blue-white signal flag, which means the ship sets sail in the next 24 hours and let the seaman on their shore leave know, they have to come back to the ship and let the local pubs know they needed to make out their invoices. The Blauer Peter (meanwhile number IV) has a long pub tradition in the Kiez (Reeperbahn-area).

Good start for a Kiez-tour, prices are cheap (Astra beer for 1,50 Euro), rock and punk music, sometimes a DJ, but this is not a place to listen to high-quality music. The staff is monosyllabic, but quaint. The pub is raunchy and uncomfortable, but a nice place to go after a FC Sankt Pauli soccer game. Oh, and by the way, officially over 18 years only! It was the first pub in Hamburg I’ve seen.

PS: Forget the toilets – naaaaasty!

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Blauer Peter | Bars | Astra Beer € 1.50
Hamburger Berg 19 | Sankt Pauli | +49403194685
Tue – Sat from 20:00

Looking for a coffee and a great piece of cake after a stroll along the harbour? Here you go!

Cafe Geyer is a neat cafe on the Hein-Köllisch square, just a five-minute walk to the Elbe river. If you come late on a Sunday afternoon you might get disappointed as on busy and sunny days some others guys already had the same idea and ate away all those delicious cakes. So why not start with a solid breakfast, stay for some hours reading a newspaper (though they are mainly in German) and change to a cake later. Guarded by the friendly waiters and waitresses.

The places at the huge windows attract lots of people – as you might enjoy to see what’s going on in St.Pauli – kids playing football, young lads hanging around, neighbours taking their dogs for a stroll through snow-white Hamburg.

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Cafe Geyer | Coffee & tea, Snacks | Cake € 2.00
Hein-Köllisch-Platz 4 | Sankt Pauli | +494074203616
10:00 – 01:00 daily

The Cobra Bar is different, genuine, real – or simply put: a must see while in Hamburg! Enter this great bar through the armor-plated door and immerse yourself into the dark and gloomy atmosphere. As you pass the foosball table by the door, you’ll notice the comfy couches to your left and a well-equipped bar in front of you.

Don’t feel intimidated by the large red-eyed cobra standing guard though. Stylish art deco wallpaper, black curtains, tacky framed paintings, and chandeliers perfect the look of this cozy yet grungy setting.

This venue attracts in interesting mix of people. Although the majority of them favor black attire, leather jackets, and studded belts, you’ll also see the ‘average’ guys and gals enjoying themselves. Tattooed and pierced bartenders are happy to serve you anything from their great variety of drinks. Beware of the mixed drinks: depending on the bartender, you may end up with a vodka-sour mix ratio of 50%! If that’s not your thing, you should try a shot of their specialty drink “Mexikaner” instead. But watch out – it’s hot!

Rotating DJs create interesting sound effects that are very danceable on the small dance floor behind the bar. The typical music mix can be summed up as Rock, Punk, Metal, Ska, and Indie. It gets rather crowded on weekends, and the place is usually packed by 1am. All in all, Cobra Bar is a great place to continue or conclude a long night on the Kiez!

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Cobra Bar | Bars | mixed drink € 5.00
Friedrichstrasse 29 | Sankt Pauli
Mon – Sat 21:00 – open end

The air is filled with the shouting and yelling of vendors, clusters of people are crowding around stands and trucks, empty cardboard boxes are flying, bags are stuffed with fish, baskets are filled to the rim with produce and sold for as little as € 20.

Hamburg’s fish market is legendary and simply a must for every visitor. Since 1703 merchants have been trading everything you can imagine. Today the choice of products ranges from a wide selection of seafood and meat, exotic fruits and veggies, pastries, household items, Hamburg souvenirs to live animals including guinea pigs, bunnies, geese and chicken.

A unique feature of this market is that many items are sold and traded in bulk, often directly from the truck. Things get very hectic and exciting for both merchants and customers when closing time is announced over the loud speaker – gotta make that last deal!

In addition to the early birds, many night owls come here to conclude a long night on Reeperbahn with a fish sandwich and some coffee. The brunch at the historic “Fischauktionshalle” (fish auction hall) with live music (Jazz, Country, Western, German classics) is special highlight!

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Fischmarkt | Art & culture, Shopping
Fischmarkt 2 | Sankt Pauli
Oct – Mar: Sun 07:00 – 09:30, Apr – Sep: Sun 05:00 – 09:30

Spring arrived in Hamburg!!! Best time for Frau Hedi!

You want it all crazy and freaking out, here we go:

This tiny barge has the funniest program I’ve ever seen from “Le Superdisco Française” to “Scandinavian Pop Party” to “Australian Spring Celebration” to “Russian Datscha Party”. Left of all footbridges at Landungsbrücken 10, there you’ll find “Frau Hedi” every hour (check out the events before).

Pay the entrance ( € 6.00 – € 10.00) and have an awesome (and every hour different) way around the harbour with crazy music and dancing.

Around 01:00 the party relocates from the barge to the “Frau Hedis Landgang”, a pub in the Schanze (see this article).

It’s always great fun for me! One of my best insider’s tips!

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Frau Hedi | Art & culture, Music | Entrance from € 6.00
Sankt-Pauli-Landungsbrücken 10 | Sankt Pauli
Fri – Sun from 17:00

A corner shop stuffed with records, CD’s, hi and low-fi audio, super 8 movies and cameras, books, cartoons, corny posters and and and. So it’s the place where the heart of the true lover of music and old-style stuff beats a little faster.

Though it seems a bit disorganized you can be sure that the friendly and dedicated guys who are running the shop will help you to find EVERYTHING which is available concerning music, whetheryou are fond of Jazz and Avantgarde, or into Hip Hop or Indie-music.

There is a mail&order website called hafenschlammrekords and you will be thrilled about what they offer. But if you come to the shop you will forget about time and space – and later find yourself stumbling onto the scruffy street in St. Pauli with at least one vinyl in a bag, a smile on the face and a little spark in your eyes.

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Freiheit & Roosen | Music, Shopping | Records around € 15.00
Paul Roosen strasse 41 | Sankt Pauli | +494023549339
Mon – Fri 12:00 – 20:00, Sat 12:00 – 18:00

“Hasenschaukel” is a true gem among the St. Pauli bars! Located on a side street away from all the hustle and bustle on Reeperbahn, local ‘characters’ and tourists alike enjoy the quaint atmosphere at the ‘bunny swing’.

The interior is a blend of art nouveau and gothic style combined with playful decorations such as dolls for lights, a fake fireplace, and a display cabinet with knitted bunny-shaped egg-warmers! The booths in the main room add a touch of American diner, but without the atmosphere. The former ‘Golden Backroom’ now serves as a smoking room.

Everything in this venue reflects a loving and thoughtful attention to detail providing a cozy atmosphere and intimate setting for the various acoustic shows put on by independent international artists. In addition, rotating DJs spin music such as Beat, Glamrock, and German classics.

The menu offers a great selection of daily vegetarian specials – handcrafted by the owner – such as quiches, enchiladas, and pasta, to name but a few. Specials on shots and long drinks, locally brewed beers, and the house special ‘Störtebeker‘  are available on a regular basis.

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Hasenschaukel | Bars, Music | Beer € 2.60
Silbersackstr. 17 | Sankt Pauli | +494018012721
Wed – Sat 19:00 – open end

Behind big red walls is the most sinful street of Hamburg. Around 250 women work there, sitting in shop windows, waiting for any male walking the only 60 m street. It’s probably the most polarizing street ever.

Here the history in short: In horrible times of National Socialism there was a prohibition on stripteases and prostitution. But in St. Pauli they couldn’t eliminate the typical business. So it was only allowed in one narrow street – Herbertstraße. To let nobody see what is officially forbidden, the head of Nazi district built barriers on both ends in 1933. Since 70’s there have been big signs forbidding women and teenagers under 18 years to enter.

So that’s why I collected all quotes from male friends, after waiting for them on the other side: „Women in shop-windows flirt with me.”, „In my imagination this street was bigger.”, „Why the women do that?”, „I saw a nurse had hardly got a stitch on.”, „Clear offers everywhere.”, „This way is much shorter, than the long way around!”, „How long did you wait for me?”

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Herbertstraße | Art & culture
Herbertstrasse | Sankt Pauli
24 hours daily

Coffee or clothes!?? You can have it both. Kaffee Stark provides you with tea, coffee, juices, cakes and tasty toasts, soups or sandwiches.

And in the room in the back there’s the clothes store to-keh which will give you hope that one day the sun will come back to Hamburg (to give you a chance to wear that stuff).

You find this special combination in a nice area of St. Pauli, halfway between Schanze/Schulterblatt and Reeperbahn. The room itself is beautiful – high ceiling, huge windows, an old wooden floor, and an area on a higher level with some little staircase. There you will enjoy sofas with thick and soft cushions, tempting you to make yourself very very comfortable. You will find plenty of magazines and newspapers if your friends left you alone for shopping in the rooms of to-keh.

It’s a pleasure to see how friendly the guys are who are working there. Yes, it’s a bit of a hippie-style: all these cushions, mums and daddies drinking their coffee, kids

playing on the sofa, young lads eating their carrot soup, girls flicking through an art magazine… but is there anything better than feeling easy on an afternoon in autumn in a big city??

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Kaffee Stark | Coffee & tea, Shopping, Snacks | Rhubarb juice € 1.60
Wohlwillstrasse 18 | Sankt Pauli | +494067382060
10:00 – 23:00 daily

Now it really happened: Frau Goetz said goodbye to all the busy lizzies and gave over her little shop to the new owners: Ina and Nanni. Their shop is called “Kunst Kiosk” and as the name says, sells art in every variation for the every day need.

And if you didn’t discover such a need yet, just go there and it will develop for sure: For example when you see the great black and white prints that they make in their own workshop. And the “ohhh how sweet” effect is for sure catching up on you, when you have a look at the “smussels”, small animal-like cuddle pillows.

Similar to Frau Goetz, Ina and Nanni have a heart for newcomer designers: They still give them the possibility to present their design products in the shop (for the nostalgic ones this also includes some Frau Goetz products)

So have a look at the new, but never the less still cutie shop and dont forget to also check out their monthly art exhibitions.

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Kunst Kiosk | Shopping
Paul-Roosen-Straße 5 | Sankt Pauli | +494037429522
Mon – Sat 11:00 – 20:00

This small place for art is set in a very nice old building downtown St. Pauli and the store used to be a bakery and even a liquor store once which you can tell from the old tiles in the rooms.

They regularly show small exhibitions from German and foreign artists. The gallery is an easy-going and “non-posh” setting for small but interesting art. So don’t expect any fancy gallery but dedicated makers who want to give space for young and talented artists. On the website you can check-out the dates for Vernissage and Finissage, if you wanna mingle with the crowd.

The current exhibition in March is called “Secret volume” by the the artist Judith Mall. New thing to be found: on Wednesday evening (fortnightly from 10th March) there is a special movie on display. Some of them will be in original  -so check it out!

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Kunst- und Kulturverein LINDA eV | Art & culture | Free
Hein-Hoyer-Str. 13 | Sankt Pauli | +494021999292
Sun 15:00 – 19:00

Visiting the Lehmitz is a great way to start off the night on Reeperbahn! This shabby-looking bar with its eclectic mix of patrons, and live entertainment is legendary! In a place where looks are not important, the ambience is created by the crowd and the bands.

You’ll find bikers, punks, bums, and ‘the average guy’ alike (average age mid- to upper 30s) clustered around the u-shaped bar under a large mural of Daisy Duck. The atmosphere is generally friendly and gets really loud when the band begins to play around 23:00. That’s when you’ll need to hold on to your drinks because the counter becomes the stage! It doesn’t matter whether it’s classic rock or punk – the important thing is that it’s loud!

The Coyote Parties every first Thursday of the month with ‘hotties’ dancing on the counter while serving drinks add another dimension to the art of bartending. Some of you will be happy to hear that smoking is allowed and for those who can’t do without some ‘physical exercise’, you can knock yourself out at the foosball table.

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Lehmitz | Bars, Music | shots € 1.00
Reeperbahn 22 | Sankt Pauli
Mon – Sat 14:00 – 06:00, Sun 14:00 – 00:00

“We love you, we love you, we love you, and where you play we follow, we follow, we follow, ’cause we support Sankt Pauli – Sankt Pauli, Sankt Pauli, and that’s the way we like it – we like it, we like it, Ooooohhhhhh – Oooohhhhhh”

There is no big wow-effect if you come in the stadium and you won’t think: jeeesus, this is huuuuge! No, the Millerntor is simple and cult. Here I lived through cheers to black despair, from being stunned till my eyes were filled with tears. The fans are unique! The football players step in the arena supported by AC/DC’s “Hells Bells”, the people sing and dance everywhere and show the brown and white colours of their flags.

That moment gives me goosebumps. Old-punks and alternatives, students and businessmen come together singing the same songs. Not only is the game important but also the atmosphere. Whether you come just for a beer (of course Astra 3,50 Euro) or jumping and singing with the Ultra Sankt Pauli Fans in the south stand.

If FC Sankt Pauli scored, Blur’s “Song 2″ is the song of the moment. If they lose the game, there is only one sentence in the air: “As a fan of St. Pauli you need to be suffering!” and singing goes on: Ooooooolé, forza Sankt Pauli!

Millerntor Timetable till end of season:

14.03.2010, FC St. Pauli : SC Rot-Weiß Oberhausen28.03.2010, FC St. Pauli : FC Hansa Rostock

Between 09. and 12.04.2010, FC St. Pauli : FC AugsburgBetween 23. and 26.04.2010, FC St. Pauli : TuS Koblenz

Last Season Game: 09.05.2010, FC St. Pauli : SC Paderborn 07

After the season and the hopefully move up from second to first Bundesliga, in June 2010 the FC Sankt Pauli became 100 years old and the plannings are running at full speed.

By the way, in summertime (in the soccer summer break, around middle of June till middle of August): Movienights at Millerntor. It opens at 20:30. Come early and you will get one of the 1500 seas. A new big screen and the all-weather-roof are fantastic! The movie starts at 21:30  (after sunset). The prices are affordable: movie 6 Euro, Astra 3,50 Euro and popcorn 1,50 Euro.

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Millerntor-Stadion | Art & culture, Festivals & events | Entrance for the South Stand € 11.00
Auf dem Heiligengeistfeld | Sankt Pauli | +494031787451
See program

:: SPRING ARRIVES! GET OUT TO THE PARK FICTION! ::

Less tourists, more St. Pauli’er!

Park Fiction is a collective project by active residents from St. Pauli. It’s a green oasis in the middle of Hamburg with a nice view of the harbour with Blohm & Voss‘ dockyard 10 and 11 . This small (only 1500 m2) artificial park is an absolute insider tip.

The lawn was created in waves and equipped with artificial palm-trees. Lots of bike performers and skaters are around. For children, there is a tartan playground with big tulips on the ground and also (very hard to find in Germany) a dog park.

I really love this small recreational park for reading a book and drinking a sparkling rhubarb juice from the Amphore Café (see the Amphore article) beside.

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Park Fiction | Art & culture, Relaxing
Bernhard-Nocht-Strasse | Sankt Pauli
24 hours daily

Located in the red-light district, at the Hans-Albers-Platz, the Pizzeria Alt Hamburg is famous and well known by many people here. If you come late at night, a big bunch of people stand in line in front of the small window.

Simple signs, simple pizza, simple prices = simply good!

With a big fire oven in the background, the staff is always absolutely stressed, even if there’re only 3 people waiting. My favourite pizza is Pizza Napoletaner with anchovy!! Delicious!

You also could sit inside, but nobody does it. No plates, no cutlery – just Pizza in a table napkin.

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Pizzeria Alt Hamburg | Snacks | All Pizza € 2.00
Hans-Albers-Platz 5-6 | Sankt Pauli | +494031796470
12:00 – 04:00 daily

For the more athletic adventurer, Hamburg has something fun in store: discover the city on inline skates! Come out on a Sunday afternoon to join a weekly group skate for a 2-hour tour of some beautiful spots in Hamburg. Regardless of whether you’re just visiting or new in town, this group of fun loving locals is always happy to welcome newbies. The only requirement for participation is that you have some experience and know how to brake!

Meeting point for this year-round activity is the ice rink at Planten un Blomen, and from there you’re off to Fleethof, Jungfernstieg, Mönckebergstrasse, Speicherstadt, Hafencity, Landungsbrücken, and Reeperbahn. The tour usually concludes with a nice dinner at a restaurant in Schanze. A decent, comfortable pace and frequent stops will allow you to keep up with the group, and give you the opportunity to get acquainted with your fellow skaters. I bet you will learn a lot of interesting facts about the various spots.

The annual highlight of this recreational skate is the celebration of both the beginning and the end of the skating season (spring and fall). This tradition involves skating around town in costumes, which always attracts quite a lot of attention. So what are you waiting for?!

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Stadttour Hamburg | Art & culture, Relaxing | Free
Holstenwall 26 | Sankt Pauli
Sun 15:00 (in the summer, after daylight savings time,16:00)

Let’s descend to the bottom of the Elbe river! The old Elbe tunnel, opened in 1911, is one of the oldest still operating tunnels in Europe. Open to traffic and pedestrians, it connects the inner city of Hamburg at Landungsbrücken (north entrance) with the shipyards at Steinwerder (south entrance). The south side of the Elbe river offers a spectacular view of Hamburg’s cityscape that is most impressive when it’s lit at night.

If you feel daring, you’ll walk down the staircase, which takes you 24 m below the surface. If you’d rather save your energy, hop onto one of the elevators instead.  The best time to explore during the week is after 20:00, or on weekends when the tunnel is closed to traffic. Take in the full scope of the decorative elements, and admire the glazed ceramic reliefs depicting maritime motifs on the walls of the 426 m long tiled tubes.

Recently, this historic landmark has inspired various annual projects: For the past 8 years, 100 Marathon Club Deutschland e.V. has been organizing the Elbtunnel marathon every last Sunday in January. Since 2007, ElbArt has been inviting local artists to exhibit their work in the tunnel in the summertime. One day, a friend and I encountered two musicians playing with the acoustics of the structure reverberating sounds of their instruments. That was amazing!

As the tunnel is currently undergoing renovation, look for signs pointing you in the right direction of the elevators. When you get to the south side, pass the toll booth, and turn left (make a u-turn at that building) to walk down a little paved path to the Elbe.

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The old Elbe tunnel | Art & culture, Relaxing | Free
Landungsbrücken 7 | Sankt Pauli | +4940428474742
24 hours daily for pedestrians & cyclists

The Toast Bar is one of my favorite places in Hamburg. It is a very cosy spot, furnished very basically with big windows in the front. The regular guests are the neighbors.

Beside a wide range of (costumer friendly priced) drinks, they always have free peanuts everywhere. You are expected to throw the shells on the ground. The music is varied, but good (sometimes mixed by the barkeeper, sometimes by a DJ), the people are between twenty- and thirty-something.

Beside Astra and Jever, you can buy original bavarian Augustiner-beer or the famous-south-German beer Tannenzäpfle. It’s always a good choice to meet some friends – during the week or weekends – any day!

In summer a bunch of people are always standing outside!

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Toast Bar | Bars | Astra Beer € 1.80
Wohlwillstr. 54 | Sankt Pauli | +494043182339
20:00 – open end daily

“Dear Zoë,

how do you feel today?

I’d like to say to you, how stunning you are. You are perfect to meet friends or strangers or both and it’s like they already know each other. Always you welcomed me with open arms, no matter if I was stressed out or absolutely relaxed, there was a place for me and a smile on your face.

Your drinks are cheap and groovy. Your cosy couches and the yellow-red lamp shades in the back rooms are reminiscent of my grandmother´s warm living room. About the secrets and mystics in your vault, we have to talk next time once more. The rooms are a bit shabby and rustic – but it’s honest! Let’s face it: You are the real Zoë, the authentic Zoë!

All my Love, Kyra.

PS: By the way: good choice to provide rooms with movies like “Gegen die Wand” or “Absolute Giganten“.

PSPS: I was seriously pissed seeing that you raised all prices all of a sudden without even talking to anyone. You’re on the samy level as all the other places now. Please tell me why!”

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Zoë Bar | Bars, Cinemas, Coffee & tea, Relaxing | redwine € 2.60
Clemens-Schultz-Str. 96 | Sankt Pauli | +494031792323
From 20:00 daily