Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [108]
Also recommended:
2BE (Map; www.2be-club.de; Heidestrasse 73, Mitte; Fri & Sat) The ‘place to be’ for bootylicious hip hop, R&B and dancehall.
Kaffee Burger (Map; 2804 6495; www.kaffeeburger.de, in German; Torstrasse 60; daily) Fun-for-all party pen and home to the famous Russendisko (Russian Disco).
Tresor (Map; 6953 7713; Köpenicker Strasse 70, Mitte; from midnight Wed, Fri & Sat) The techno pioneer is back in the dark industrial maze of a former power station.
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Live Music
ROCK & POP
Lido (Map; 6956 6840; Cuvrystrasse 7, Kreuzberg) A 1950s cinema has been recycled into a rock-indie-electro-pop mecca with mosh-pit electricity and a crowd that cares more about the music than about looking good.
Dot Club (Map; 7676 6267; Falckenstein-strasse 47, Kreuzberg) If you want to catch tomorrow’s bands today, head to this newish club, which does triple-duty as concert hall, recording studio and restaurant. It also does party nights and jam sessions, all amid superb acoustics and decor teetering somewhere between kitsch and cult.
Magnet (Map; 4400 8140; Greifswalder Strasse 212-213, Prenzlauer Berg) Small, cheap and dingy, this indie bastion is known for bookers with an astronomer’s vision to detect stars in the making. LCD Soundsystem and The Presets had early performances here. After the show, the rambling, multi-floor venue morphs into a dance club with DJs hopscotching from punk to pop to electro.
SO36 (Mapp110-11; 6140 1306; Oranienstrasse 190, Kreuzberg) Check in your attitude at the door of scruffy ‘Esso’ where the Dead Kennedys and the Toten Hosen were playing gigs when many of today’s patrons were still in diapers. Overall, though, who goes when depends on what’s on that night: a solidarity concert, a lesbigay theme party, a night flea market: anything goes at SO36.
Wild at Heart (Map; 611 9231; Wiener Strasse 20, Kreuzberg) Named for a David Lynch road movie, this one-room kitsch-cool dive hammers home punk, rock, ska and rockabilly. Touring bands, including such top acts as Girlschool and Dick Dale, bring in the tattooed set several times weekly.
JAZZ
A-Trane (Map; 313 2550; www.a-trane.de, in German; Bleibtreustrasse 1, Charlottenburg; 9pm-2am Mon-Thu, open till late Fri & Sat) Herbie Hancock and Diana Krall have anointed the stage of this intimate jazz club but mostly it’s emerging talent bringing their A-game to the A-Trane. Entry is free on Monday when local boy Andreas Schmidt is playing, and after 12.30am on Saturday for the late-night jam session.
B-flat (Map; 283 3123; www.b-flat-berlin.de; Rosenthaler Strasse 13, Mitte; from 8pm) Cool cats of all ages come out to this intimate venue where you’ll be quite literally sitting within spitting distance of the performers. The emphasis is on acoustic music; mostly jazz, world beats, Afro-Brazilian and other soundscapes. Wednesday’s free jam session often brings down the house.
Yorckschlösschen (Map; 215 8070; www.yorckschloesschen.de; Yorckstrasse 15, Kreuzberg; from 5pm Mon-Sat, from 10am Sun) This knick-knack-laden watering hole has plied an all-ages, all comers crowd of jazz and blues lovers with tunes and booze for over a century. There’s live music on Wednesday and weekends, pub grub till 1am, a pool table out back and a garden in summer.
CLASSICAL & OPERA
Berliner Philharmonie (Map; 2548 8999; www.berliner-philharmoniker.de; Herbert-von-Karajan-Strasse 1, Tiergarten; tickets €7-150) The Philharmonie is arguably the finest place in town to hear classical music, thanks to its supreme acoustics. It’s home base for the legendary Berliner Philharmoniker, currently led by Sir Simon Rattle. Bonus: free lunchtime concerts Tuesdays at 1pm (September to June).
Konzerthaus Berlin (Map; 203 090; www.konzerthaus.de; Gendarmenmarkt 2, Mitte; tickets €10-100) Another supreme music venue, the Schinkel-designed Konzerthaus has the