Potsdamer Platz
This new quarter, forged from ground once bisected by the Berlin Wall, is a showcase of fabulous contemporary architecture and home to big cinemas and shopping. Culture lovers should not skip the Kulturforum museums, especially the Gemäldegalerie, which sits right next to the world-class Berliner Philharmonie. It hugs the leafy Tiergarten whose rambling paths, hidden monuments and beer gardens make for a perfect sightseeing break.
Whiz up to the Panoramapunkt for coffee and bird’s-eye views of Berlin’s landmarks, then saunter over to the Gemäldegalerie for a rendezvous with Rembrandt and Co. Head back to Potsdamer Platz for lunch at Ki-Nova and a closer look at the Sony Center before delving first into the darkness of the Nazi era at the Topographie des Terrors and then the Cold War at Checkpoint Charlie. Cheer up with craft beer at BRLO Brwhouse before treating your ears to classical sounds of the Berliner Philharmoniker or your palate to progressive Thai at Kin Dee.
Getting There & Around
g The 200 comes through en route from Bahnhof Zoologischer Garten and Alexanderplatz; M41 links the Hauptbahnhof with Kreuzberg and Neukölln via Potsdamer Platz; and the M29 connects with Checkpoint Charlie.
b S1 and S2 link Potsdamer Platz with Unter den Linden and the Scheunenviertel.
X U2 stops at Potsdamer Platz and Mendelssohn-Bartholdy-Park.
Top SightGemäldegalerie
The Gemäldegalerie (Gallery of Old Masters) ranks among the world’s finest and most comprehensive collections of European art from the 13th to the 18th centuries. Expect to feast your eyes on masterpieces by Titian, Goya, Botticelli, Holbein, Gainsborough, Canaletto, Hals, Rubens, Vermeer and many other Old Masters. The gallery also hosts high-profile visiting exhibits featuring works from the great artists of this period.
MAP GOOGLE MAP
www.smb.museum/gg
Matthäikirchplatz
adult/concession/under 18 €10/5/free
h10am-6pm Tue, Wed & Fri, to 8pm Thu, 11am-6pm Sat & Sun
bPotsdamer Platz, XPotsdamer Platz
Fountain of Youth (1546)
ROOM III
Lucas Cranach the Elder’s poignant painting illustrates humankind’s yearning for eternal youth. Old crones plunge into a pool of water and emerge as dashing hotties – this fountain would surely put plastic surgeons out of business. The transition is reflected in the landscape, which is stark and craggy on the left, and lush and fertile on the right.
Portrait of Hieronymus Holzschuher (1526)
ROOM 2
Hieronymus Holzschuher was a Nuremberg patrician, a career politician and a strong supporter of the Reformation. He was also a friend of one of the greatest German Renaissance painters, Albrecht Dürer. In this portrait, which shows its sitter at age 57, the artist brilliantly lasers in on Holzschuher’s features with utmost precision, down to the furrows, wrinkles and thinning hair.
Portrait of a Young Lady (1470)
ROOM 4
Berlin’s own ‘Mona Lisa’ may not be as famous as the real thing but she’s quite intriguing nonetheless. Who is this woman with the almond-shaped eyes and porcelain skin who gazes straight at us with a blend of sadness and skepticism? This famous portrait is a key work by Petrus Christus and his only one depicting a woman.
Dutch Proverbs (1559)
ROOM 7
In this moralistic yet humorous painting, Dutch Renaissance painter Pieter Bruegel the Elder illustrates more than 100 proverbs and idioms in a single seaside village scene. While some emphasise the absurdity of human behaviour, others unmask its imprudence and sinfulness. Some sayings are still in use today, among them ‘swimming against the tide’ and ‘armed to the teeth’.
Malle Babbe (1633)
ROOM 13
Frans Hals ingeniously captures the character and vitality of his subject, ‘Crazy Barbara’, with free-wielding brushstrokes. Hals met the woman with the almost demonic laugh in the workhouse for the mentally ill where his son Pieter was also a resident. The tin mug and owl are symbols of Babbe’s fondness for tipple.
Mennonite Minister Cornelius Claesz Anslo (1641)
ROOM X
A masterpiece in the gallery’s prized Rembrandt collection, this large-scale canvas shows the cloth merchant and Mennonite preacher Anslo in conversation with his wife. The huge open Bible and his gesturing hand sticking out in almost 3D style from the centre of the painting are meant to emphasise the strength of his religious convictions.
Woman with a Pearl Necklace (1662-64)
ROOM 18
No, it’s not the Girl with a Pearl Earring of book and movie fame, but it’s still one of Jan Vermeer’s most famous paintings: a young woman studies herself in the mirror while fastening a pearl necklace. A top dog among Dutch Realist painters, Vermeer mesmerises viewers by beautifully capturing this intimate moment with characteristic soft brushstrokes.
Portrait of John Wilkinson (1775)
ROOM 20
Works by Thomas Gainsborough are rarely seen outside the UK, which is what makes this portrait of British industrialist John Wilkinson so special. Nicknamed ‘Iron Mad Wilkinson’ for pioneering the making and use of cast iron, here he is – somewhat ironically – shown in a natural setting, almost blending in with his surroundings.
Il Campo di Rialto (1758-63)
ROOM XII
Giovanni Antonio Canal, aka Canaletto, studied painting in the workshop of his theatre-set-designer father. Here he depicts the Campo di Rialto, the arcaded main market square of his hometown, Venice, with stunning precision and perspective. Note the goldsmith shops on the left, the wig-wearing merchants in the centre and the stores selling paintings and furniture on the right.
Amor Victorius (1602-03)
ROOM XIV
That’s quite a cheeky fellow peering down on viewers, isn’t it? Wearing nothing but a mischievous grin and a pair of black angel wings, with a fistful of arrows, this Amor means business. In this famous painting, Caravaggio shows off his amazing talent at depicting objects with near-photographic realism achieved by his ingeniously theatrical use of light and shadow.
Leda with the Swan (1532)
ROOM XV
Judging by her blissed-out expression, Leda is having a fine time with that swan who, according to Greek mythology, is none other than Zeus himself. The erotically charged nature of this painting by Italian Renaissance artist Correggio apparently so incensed its one-time owner Louis of Orléans that he cut off Leda’s head with a knife. It was later restored.
Madonna with Child & Singing Angels (1477)
ROOM XVIII
Renaissance artist Sandro Botticelli’s circular painting (a format called a tondo) is a symmetrical composition showing Mary at the centre flanked by two sets of four wingless angels. It’s an intimate moment that shows the Virgin tenderly embracing – perhaps even about to breastfeed – her child. The white lilies are symbols of her purity.
Top SightPotsdamer Platz
The rebirth of the historic Potsdamer Platz was Europe’s biggest building project of the 1990s, a showcase of urban renewal masterminded by such top international architects as Renzo Piano and Helmut Jahn. An entire city quarter sprouted on terrain once bifurcated by the Berlin Wall and today houses offices, theatres and cinemas, hotels, apartments and museums.
MAP GOOGLE MAP
Alte Potsdamer Strasse
g200, bPotsdamer Platz, XPotsdamer Platz
Sony Center
Designed by Helmut Jahn, the visually dramatic Sony Center (Potsdamer Strasse) is fronted by a 26-floor, glass-and-steel tower that integrates architectural relics from the pre-war Potsdamer Platz. A tentlike glass roof with supporting beams radiating like bicycle spokes canopies a central cafe-ringed plaza.
Museum für Film und Fernsehen
From silent movies to sci-fi, Germany’s long and illustrious film history gets the star treatment at the Museum für Film und Fernsehen (
%030-300 9030; www.deutsche-kinemathek.de; Potsdamer Strasse 2; adult/concession €8/5, free 4-8pm Thu; h10am-6pm Wed & Fri-Mon, to 8pm Thu). Major themes include pioneers and early divas, silent-era classics such as Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, Leni Riefenstahl’s groundbreaking Nazi-era documentary Olympia, German exiles in Hollywood and diva extraordinaire Marlene Dietrich.
Panoramapunkt
A lift yo-yoes up the postmodern Kollhoff Tower to the Panoramapunkt (%030-2593 7080; www.panoramapunkt.de; Potsdamer Platz 1; adult/concession €7.50/6, without wait €11.50/9; h10am-8pm Apr-Oct, to 6pm Nov-Mar) viewing platform. From a lofty 100m, you can pinpoint the sights, make a java stop in the 1930s-style cafe, enjoy sunset from the terrace and check out the history exhibit.
Daimler Contemporary Berlin
Ring the bell to be buzzed into the free Daimler Contemporary Berlin (%030-2594 1420; www.art.daimler.com; Alte Potsdamer Strasse 5, Weinhaus Huth, 4th fl; admission free; h11am-6pm), which showcases international abstract, conceptual and minimalist art. It’s on the top floor of the 1912 Weinhaus Huth, one of the first steel-frame buildings in town and the only Potsdamer Platz structure that survived WWII intact.
Top SightJüdisches Museum
In a landmark building by Daniel Libeskind, Berlin’s Jewish Museum has, since 2001, chronicled the trials and triumphs of 2000 years of German history, as seen through the eyes of the Jewish minority. The exhibit smoothly navigates all major periods, from the Middle Ages via the Enlightenment to the community’s current renaissance.
MAP GOOGLE MAP
www.jmberlin.de
Lindenstrasse 9-14
adult/concession €8/3, audioguide €3
h10am-8pm
XHallesches Tor, Kochstrasse
yTop Tips
ATickets are also valid for reduced admission on the same day and the next two days to the Berlinische Galerie, a survey of 150 years of Berlin art, located just 500m away.
ARent the audioguide (€3) for a more in-depth experience.
AFree themed tours (in German) take place at 3pm on Saturday and at 11am and 2pm on Sunday.
ABudget at least two hours to visit the museum, plus extra time to go through the airport-style entrance security checks.
5Take a Break
For a refuelling stop, pop by the museum’s Café Schmus (%030-2579 6751; www.koflerkompanie.com; Lindenstrasse 9, Jüdisches Museum; dishes €5.50-8; h10am-10pm Mon, to 8pm Tue-Sun; XKochstrasse, Hallesches Tor) for modern takes on traditional Jewish cuisine.
The Building
Libeskind’s architectural masterpiece (which he titled Between the Lines) is essentially a 3D metaphor for the tortured history of the Jewish people. Its zigzag shape symbolises a broken Star of David; its silvery titanium-zinc walls are sharply angled; and instead of windows, there are only small gashes piercing the building’s gleaming facade.
The Axes
The museum consists of two buildings. The entrance is via a stately baroque structure that once housed the Prussian supreme court. From here a steep, dark and winding staircase leads down to the Libeskind building and three intersecting walkways (called ‘axes’) that are a visual allegory for the fates of Jews in the 20th century: death, exile and continuity. Only the latter axis leads to the actual exhibits, but it too is a cumbersome journey up a sloping walkway and several steep flights of stairs.
Art Installations
The Jewish Museum is peppered with art installations, including the extraordinary Shalekhet – Fallen Leaves by the late Menashe Kadishma. More than 10,000 open-mouthed faces cut from rusty iron plates lie arbitrarily scattered on the floor in an ocean of silent screams. The haunting effect is exacerbated by the space itself, a cold and claustrophobic ‘void’. Also note Dresden-born artist Via Lewandowsky’s Gallery of the Missing, which consists of five black glass sculptures set up throughout the exhibition floor near these voids. Each contains acoustic descriptions of missing or destroyed objects relating to German-Jewish culture, such as the Encyclopaedia Judaica, whose completion came to an abrupt halt in 1934.
Walking TourA Leisurely Tiergarten Stroll
Berlin’s rulers used to hunt boar and pheasants in the rambling Tiergarten until garden architect Peter Lenné landscaped the grounds in the 18th century. Today it’s one of the world’s largest urban parks, popular for strolling, jogging, picnicking, Frisbee tossing and sunbathing. Walking across the entire park takes at least an hour, but even a shorter stroll has its rewards.
Walk Facts
Start Brandenburg Gate X Brandenburger Tor, b Brandenburger Tor
End Potsdamer Platz, X Potsdamer Platz, b Potsdamer Platz
Length 4km; two hours
1 Strasse des 17 Juni
The broad boulevard bisecting Tiergarten was named Street of 17 June in honour of the victims of the bloodily quashed 1953 workers’ uprising in East Berlin. Back in the 16th century, the road linked two royal palaces; it was doubled in width and turned into a triumphal road under Hitler.
2 Sowjetisches Ehrenmal
Berlin lay in ruins when the imposing Soviet War Memorial was dedicated in November 1945. It is one of three in the city that honours the 80,000 Soviet soldiers who died in the Battle of Berlin, including the 2000 buried behind its colonnades. The memorial’s entrance is flanked by two Russian T-34 tanks, said to have been the first to enter the city.
3 Schloss Bellevue
A succession of German presidents have made their home in snowy-white Bellevue Palace on the edge of the Tiergarten. The neoclassical pile was originally a pad for the youngest brother of King Frederick the Great. It became a school under Kaiser Wilhelm II and a museum of ethnology under the Nazis. It’s closed to the public.
4 Teehaus im Englischen Garten
In a hidden corner of Tiergarten, this reed-thatched teahouse (%030-3948 0400; www.teehaus-tiergarten.com; Altonaer Strasse 2; mains €9-19.50; hnoon-11pm Tue-Sat, from 10am Sun; g100, bBellevue, XHansaplatz) is an idyllic spot, especially in summer when the beer garden gets packed. Free concerts on Sundays.
5 Siegessäule
Engulfed by roundabout traffic, the 1873 Victory Column was erected to celebrate Prussian military victories and is now a prominent symbol of Berlin’s gay community. The gilded woman on top represents the goddess of victory and is featured prominently in the Wim Wenders movie Wings of Desire. The column originally stood in front of the Reichstag until the Nazis moved it here in 1938. Climb to the top to appreciate the park’s dimensions.
6 Rousseauinsel
One of Tiergarten’s most idyllic spots is the Rousseauinsel, a teensy island in a placid pond that’s a memorial to 18th-century French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau. It was designed to resemble his actual burial site on an island near Paris. Look for the stone pillar.
7 Luiseninsel
Another enchanting place, Luiseninsel is a tranquil gated garden brimming with statues and resplendent with seasonal flower beds. It was created after Napoleon’s occupying troops left town in 1808 in celebration of the return from exile of the royal couple King Friedrich Wilhelm III and Queen Luise.
Walking TourWalking the Wall
Construction of the Berlin Wall began shortly after midnight on 13 August 1961. For the next 28 years this grim barrier divided a city and its people, becoming the most visible symbol of the Cold War. By now the city’s halves have visually merged so perfectly that it takes a keen eye to tell East from West. To give you a sense of the division, this walk follows the most central section of the Berlin Wall.
Walk Facts
Start Checkpoint Charlie; X Kochstrasse/Checkpoint Charlie
End Parlament der Baume; X Bundestag
Length 3km; two hours
1 Checkpoint Charlie
As the third Allied checkpoint, Checkpoint Charlie got its name from the third letter in the NATO phonetic alphabet. Weeks after the Wall was built, US and Soviet tanks faced off here in one of the tensest moments of the Cold War.
2 Niederkirchner Strasse
Along Niederkirchner Strasse looms a 200m-long section of the original outer border wall. Scarred by souvenir hunters, it’s now protected by a fence.The border strip was very narrow here, with the inner wall abutting such buildings as the former Nazi Air Force Ministry on the corner of Niederkirchner Strasse and Wilhelmstrasse.
3 Border Watchtower
Imagine what it was like to be a Berlin Wall border guard when climbing up the iron ladder of one of the few remaining watchtowers. The octagonal observation perch of this 1969 model was particularly cramped and later replaced by larger square towers. After a thorough restoration by a nonprofit group, the tower is now open to the public.
4 Potsdamer Platz
Potsdamer Platz used to be a massive no-man’s land bisected by the Wall and a ‘death strip’ several hundred metres wide. Outside the northern S-Bahn station entrance are a few Berlin Wall segments.
5 Brandenburg Gate
The Brandenburg Gate was where construction of the Wall began. Many heads of state gave speeches in front of it, including former US president Ronald Reagan who, in 1987, uttered the famous words: ‘Mr Gorbachev – tear down this wall!’
6 Art Installations
In the basement of the Marie-Elisabeth-Lüders-Haus (www.bundestag.de; Schiffbauerdamm; admission free; hgalleries 11am-5pm Tue-Sun; bHauptbahnhof, XBundestag, Hauptbahnhof), an art installation by Ben Wagin runs along the original course of the Berlin Wall. It consists of original segments, each painted with a year and the number of people killed at the Wall in that year. Enter from the Spree promenade. If it’s closed, you can easily you can easily sneak a peak through the window of this government building that houses the parliamentary library.
7 Parlament der Bäume
Wagin also masterminded the Parliament of Trees, a quiet garden and environmental art installation. It consists not only of trees but of memorial stones, pictures, text and 58 original pieces of the Wall inscribed with the names of 258 victims.
1Sights
5Eating
3Entertainment
7Shopping
Sights
1Topographie des Terrors MUSEUM
In the spot where the most feared institutions of Nazi Germany (including the Gestapo headquarters and the SS central command) once stood, this compelling exhibit chronicles the stages of terror and persecution, puts a face on the perpetrators and details the impact these brutal institutions had on all of Europe. A second exhibit outside zeroes in on how life changed for Berlin and its people after the Nazis made it their capital. (Topography of Terror; %030-2545 0950; www.topographie.de; Niederkirchner Strasse 8; admission free; h10am-8pm, grounds close at dusk or 8pm at the latest; gM41, bPotsdamer Platz, XPotsdamer Platz)
1Checkpoint Charlie HISTORIC SITE
Checkpoint Charlie was the principal gateway for foreigners and diplomats between the two Berlins from 1961 to 1990. Unfortunately, this potent symbol of the Cold War has degenerated into a tacky tourist trap, though a free open-air exhibit that illustrates milestones in Cold War history is one redeeming aspect. (cnr Zimmerstrasse & Friedrichstrasse; admission free; h24hr; XKochstrasse)
1Gedenkstätte Deutscher Widerstand MEMORIAL
This memorial exhibit on German Nazi resistance occupies the rooms where high-ranking officers led by Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg plotted the assassination attempt on Hitler on 20 July 1944. There’s a memorial in the courtyard where the main conspirators were shot right after the failed coup, a story poignantly retold in the 2008 movie Valkyrie. (German Resistance Memorial Centre; %030-2699 5000; www.gdw-berlin.de; Stauffenbergstrasse 13-14, enter via courtyard; admission free; h9am-6pm Mon-Wed & Fri, to 8pm Thu, 10am-6pm Sat & Sun; gM29, M48, bPotsdamer Platz, XPotsdamer Platz, Kurfürstenstrasse)
Kulturforum Museums
In addition to the famous Gemäldegalerie and Neue National-galerie (which is closed for renovations), the Kulturforum encompasses three other top-rated museums: the Kupferstichkabinett (Museum of Prints & Drawings; MAP; %030-266 424 242; www.smb.museum/kk; Matthäikirchplatz; adult/concession €6/3; h10am-6pm Tue-Fri, 11am-6pm Sat & Sun; gM29, M48, M85, 200, bPotsdamer Platz, XPotsdamer Platz) with prints and drawings dating from the 14th century; the Musikinstrumenten-Museum (Musical Instruments Museum; MAP; %030-2548 1178; www.simpk.de; Tiergartenstrasse 1, enter via Ben-Gurion-Strasse; adult/concession/under 18 €6/3/free; h9am-5pm Tue, Wed & Fri, to 8pm Thu, to 5pm Sat & Sun; g200, bPotsdamer Platz, XPotsdamer Platz) with rare historical instruments; and the Kunstgewerbemuseum (Museum of Decorative Arts; MAP; %030-266 424 242; www.smb.museum; Matthäikirchplatz; adult/concession/under 18 €8/4/free; h10am-6pm Tue-Fri, 11am-6pm Sat & Sun; gM29, M48, M85, 200, bPotsdamer Platz, XPotsdamer Platz), with its prized collection of arts and crafts. A day ticket valid for all Kulturforum museums costs €12.
1Martin-Gropius-Bau GALLERY
With its mosaics, terracotta reliefs and airy atrium, this Italian Renaissance–style exhibit space named for its architect (Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius’ great-uncle) is a celebrated venue for high-calibre art and cultural exhibits. Whether it’s a David Bowie retrospective, the latest works of Ai Weiwei or an ethnological exhibit on the mysteries of Angkor Wat, it’s bound to be well curated and utterly fascinating. (%030-254 860; www.gropiusbau.de; Niederkirchner Strasse 7; cost varies, usually €10-12, under 16 free; h10am-7pm Wed-Mon; gM41, bPotsdamer Platz, XPotsdamer Platz)
1Berlinische Galerie GALLERY
This gallery in a converted glass warehouse is a superb spot for taking stock of Berlin’s art scene since 1870. Temporary exhibits occupy the ground floor, from where two floating staircases lead upstairs to selections from the permanent collection, which is especially strong when it comes to Dada, New Objectivity, Eastern European avant-garde, and art created since reunification in 1990. (Berlin Museum of Modern Art, Photography & Architecture; %030-7890 2600; www.berlinischegalerie.de; Alte Jakobstrasse 124-128; adult/concession/child under 18 €8/5/free; h10am-6pm Wed-Mon; XHallesches Tor, Kochstrasse)
The Berlin Wall
It’s more than a tad ironic that Berlin’s most popular tourist attraction is one that no longer exists. For 28 years the Berlin Wall, the most potent symbol of the Cold War, divided not only a city but the world.
The Beginning
Shortly after midnight on 13 August 1961, East German soldiers and police began rolling out miles of barbed wire that would soon be replaced with prefabricated concrete slabs. The Wall was a desperate measure launched by the German Democratic Republic (GDR) government to stop the sustained brain and brawn drain the country had experienced since its 1949 founding. Some 3.6 million people had already headed to western Germany, putting the GDR on the brink of economic and political collapse.
The Physical Border
Euphemistically called the ‘Anti-Fascist Protection Barrier’, the Berlin Wall was continually reinforced and refined. It eventually grew into a complex border-security system consisting of two walls enclosing a ‘death strip’ riddled with trenches, floodlights, attack dogs, electrified alarm fences and watchtowers staffed by guards with shoot-to-kill orders. Nearly 100,000 GDR citizens tried to escape, many using spectacular contraptions like homemade hot-air balloons or U-boats. There are no exact numbers, but it is believed that hundreds died in the process.
The End
The Wall’s demise came as unexpectedly as its creation. Once again the GDR was losing its people in droves, this time via Hungary, which had opened its borders with Austria. Major demonstrations in East Berlin came to a head in early November 1989 when half a million people gathered on Alexanderplatz. Something had to give. It did on 9 November, when a GDR spokesperson mistakenly announced during a press conference on live TV that all travel restrictions to the West would be lifted immediately. Amid scenes of wild partying, the two Berlins came together again. Today, only about 2km of the hated barrier still stands, most famously the 1.3km-long East Side Gallery. In addition, a double row of cobblestones embedded in the pavement and 32 information panels guide visitors along 5.7km of the Wall’s course through central Berlin.
Eating
5Kin Dee THAI €€€
One of most buzzed-about new restaurants on Potsdamer Strasse is Dalad Kambhu’s lair Kin Dee, where she fearlessly catapults classic Thai dishes into the 21st century, and even adapts them by using locally grown ingredients. One constant is her signature homemade spice pastes that beautifully underline the aromatic dimensions of each dish. (%030-215 5294; www.kindeeberlin.com; Lützowstrasse 81; tasting menu €45; h6-10pm Tue-Sat; 
W; XKurfürstenstrasse)
5Ki-Nova INTERNATIONAL €€
The name of this lunchtime favourite hints at the concept: ‘ki’ is Japanese for energy and ‘nova’ Latin for new. ‘New energy’ in this case translates into health-focused yet comforting bites starring global and regional superfoods from kale to cranberries. The contempo interior radiates urban warmth with heavy plank tables, black tiled bar, movie stills and floor-to-ceiling windows. (%030-2546 4860; www.ki-nova.de; Potsdamer Strasse 2; mains €9-17; h11.30am-11pm Mon-Fri, 1-11pm Sat, 1-9pm Sun; W
v; g200, XPotsdamer Platz, bPotsdamer Platz)
5Nobelhart & Schmutzig INTERNATIONAL €€€
‘Brutally local’ is the motto at the Michelin-starred restaurant of star sommelier Billy Wagner. All ingredients hail – without exception – from producers in and around Berlin and the nearby Baltic Sea – hence, no pepper or lemons. The seating and service quite literally break down boundaries, as guests are seated along the kitchen counter to observe staff fussing over their 10-course dinner. (%030-2594 0610; www.nobelhartundschmutzig.com; Friedrichstrasse 218; 10-course menu Tue & Wed €95, Thu-Sat €120; h6.30pm-midnight Tue-Sat; XKochstrasse)
5Panama INTERNATIONAL €€
On balmy nights, a glass of rosé and a grazing session in the courtyard of this art-crowd darling will likely transport you, maybe not quite to Panama, but certainly away from Berlin’s urban velocity. Elevating standards on up-and-coming Potsdamer Strasse, the produce-focused small-plate menu – divided into raw, leaves, grains, meat and fish – is innovative and sometimes brilliantly experimental. (%030-983 208 435; www.oh-panama.com; Potsdamer Strasse 91; dishes €9-19; h6-11pm Wed-Sat; W; XKurfürstenstrasse)
5Mabuhay INDONESIAN €
Tucked into a concrete courtyard, this hole-in-the-wall scores a one for looks and a 10 for the food. Usually packed (especially at lunchtime), it delivers Indonesian food with as much authenticity as possible. The heat meter has been adjusted for German tastes, but the spicing of such dishes as gado gado or curry rendang is still feisty and satisfying. (%030-265 1867; www.mabuhay.juisyfood.com; Köthener Strasse 28; mains €6-13; hnoon-3pm Mon-Fri, 5-9.30pm Mon-Sat; v; XMendelssohn-Bartholdy-Park)
5Caffe e Gelato ICE CREAM €
Traditional Italian-style ice cream gets a 21st-century twist at this huge cafe on the upper floor of the Potsdamer Platz Arkaden (MAP; %030-255 9270; www.potsdamerplatz.de/potsdamer-platz-arkaden; Alte Potsdamer Strasse 7; h10am-9pm Mon-Sat; W; bPotsdamer Platz, XPotsdamer Platz) mall. Among the homemade creamy concoctions are organic and sugar-, gluten- and lactose-free varieties in unusual flavours, including yoghurt-walnut-fig and almond crunch. (%030-2529 7832; www.caffe-e-gelato.de; Alte Potsdamer Strasse 7, Potsdamer Platz Arkaden; scoops €1.60-2.20; h10am-10.30pm Mon-Thu, to 11pm Fri, to 11.30pm Sat, 10.30am-10.30pm Sun; XPotsdamer Platz, bPotsdamer Platz)
5Joseph-Roth-Diele GERMAN €
Named for an Austrian Jewish writer, this wood-panelled salon time warps you back to the 1920s, when Roth used to live next door. Walls decorated with bookshelves and quotations from his works draw a literary, chatty crowd, especially at lunchtime when two daily changing €5 specials (one vegetarian) supplement the hearty menu of German classics. Pay at the counter. (%030-2636 9884; www.joseph-roth-diele.de; Potsdamer Strasse 75; mains €7-13; h10am-11pm Mon-Thu, to midnight Fri; XKurfürstenstrasse)
Drinking
6BRLO Brwhouse CRAFT BEER
The house-crafted suds flow freely at this shooting star among Berlin’s craft breweries. Production, taproom and restaurant are all housed in 38 shipping containers fronted by a big beer garden with sand box and views of Gleisdreieckpark. Shareable dishes are mostly vegetable-centric, although missing out on the meat prepared to succulent perfection in a smoker would be a shame. (%0151 7437 4235; www.brlo-brwhouse.de; Schöneberger Strasse 16; mains from €18; hrestaurant 5pm-midnight Tue-Fri, noon-midnight Sat & Sun, beer garden noon-midnight Apr-Sep; W
c; XGleisdreieck)
6Fragrances COCKTAIL BAR
Another baby by Berlin cocktail maven Arnd Heissen, Fragrances claims to be the world’s first ‘perfume bar’, a libation station where Heissen mixes potable potions mimicking famous scents. The black-mirrored space in the Ritz-Carlton is like a 3D menu where adventurous drinkers sniff out their favourite from among a row of perfume bottles, then settle back into flocked couches for stylish imbibing. (%030-337 775 403; www.ritzcarlton.com; Potsdamer Platz 3, Ritz-Carlton; hfrom 7pm Wed-Sat; W; g200, bPotsdamer Platz, XPotsdamer Platz)
6Tiger Bar BAR
Tiger Bar is a stylish and slightly trippy jewel for curious imbibers. Sustainability is key for bar manager Phum Sila-Trakoon, which is why discarded banana peels from the affiliated Panama restaurant kitchen may well end up as syrup in his bar. Cocktails range from classic to ‘out-there’ like Paloma’s Fall, a tequila-based potion with grapefruit, buttermilk and sea salt. (%030-983 208 435; www.oh-panama.com/en/tigerbar; Potsdamer Strasse 191; h8pm-midnight or later Tue-Sat; XKurfürstenstrasse)
6Solar Lounge BAR
Watch the city light up from this 17th-floor glass-walled sky lounge above a posh restaurant. With its dim lighting, soft black leather couches and breathtaking panorama, it’s a great spot for sunset drinks or a date night. Getting there aboard an exterior glass lift is half the fun. The entrance is behind the Pit Stop auto shop. (%0163 765 2700; www.solar-berlin.de; Stresemannstrasse 76; h6pm-2am Sun-Thu, to 3am Fri & Sat; bAnhalter Bahnhof)
6Kumpelnest 3000 BAR
A former brothel, this trashy batcave is kitsch enough to feature in a 1940s Shanghai noir thriller. Famous for its debauched all-nighters, it attracts a varied crowd, including the odd celebrity. (%030-261 6918; www.kumpelnest3000.com; Lützowstrasse 23; h7pm-5am or later; XKurfürstenstrasse)
Entertainment
3Berliner Philharmoniker CLASSICAL MUSIC
One of the world’s most famous orchestras, the Berliner Philharmoniker, is based at the tent-like Philharmonie, designed by Hans Scharoun in the 1950s and built in the 1960s. In 2019, Sir Simon Rattle, who’s been chief conductor since 2002, will pass on the baton to the Russia-born Kirill Petrenko. Tickets can be booked online. (%tickets 030-2548 8999; www.berliner-philharmoniker.de; Herbert-von-Karajan-Strasse 1; tickets €21-290; gM29, M48, M85, 200, bPotsdamer Platz, XPotsdamer Platz)
Shopping
7LP12 Mall of Berlin MALL
This sparkling retail quarter is tailor-made for black-belt mall rats. More than 270 shops vie for your euros, including flagships by Karl Lagerfeld, Hugo Boss, Liebeskind, Marc Cain, Muji and other high-end brands alongside the usual high-street chains like Mango and H&M. Free mobile-phone recharge stations in the basement and on the 2nd floor. (www.mallofberlin.de; Leipziger Platz 12; h10am-9pm Mon-Sat; W; g200, XPotsdamer Platz, bPotsdamer Platz)
