Berlin

“One of Berlin's most beautiful dining rooms, perched above Fotografiska. Elegant and lively, with the added pleasure of wandering through the exhibitions after dinner if time allows.”

“One of my favourite recent discoveries in Berlin. Beautifully designed, refined without feeling formal, and especially strong for fish, seafood and Japanese-inspired dishes.”

“A beautiful contemporary bistro with the warmth of a Parisian neighbourhood restaurant. Thoughtful small plates and an atmosphere that makes you want to linger.”

“Beautiful room, excellent food and a warm, understated atmosphere.”

“A Berlin institution. Nice terrace in summer, very good food, and yes — dress nicely if you want the right table. And there is Friday nights clubbing!”

“A one-of-a-kind Italian address in Berlin. Old-school, steady, and still useful.”

“A favourite. Great food, great location, and the kind of room that understands the city.”

“The former Cookies club, now a restaurant and bar. Enter through the heavy door and let the evening change register.”

“Sophisticated without feeling formal. Beautifully executed Italian cooking in an elegant dining room.”

“A bar where artists go in Mitte, especially on Wednesdays. Very Berlin, without trying too hard.”

“You either love it or hate it. Perhaps Berlin’s most extreme and exceptional bar. I personally love it.”

“Art-filled, beautifully composed, and close to the city without feeling generic.”

“In the west, by Tiergarten. Elegant, design-led, and calmer than Mitte.”

“Great location, hotel and service. Classic luxury in the centre of Berlin.”

“A former telegraph office turned elegant hotel: historic, monumental, and very Berlin in its layers.”

“Great location, rooms, décor, food — you name it. A reliable Berlin base if you want the Soho House world and a pool.”

“Picasso, Klee, Matisse and Giacometti in Charlottenburg. A quieter Berlin museum rhythm.”

“A private collection in a bunker. You have to book online in advance, and it is absolutely worth seeing.”

“A private collection shown inside living and working spaces. Visits are usually by guided Saturday tour — book ahead.”

“One of Berlin’s essential contemporary art addresses, especially when the city feels like it is thinking in public.”

“A former railway station turned contemporary art museum. Big, industrial, and very Berlin.”

“Mies van der Rohe, glass, steel, and twentieth-century art. A building as much as a museum.”

“Modern art, photography and architecture with a Berlin focus. A good Kreuzberg art stop.”

“A private collection inside a former telecommunications bunker. Dark, ceremonial, and very atmospheric.”

“Focused on time-based media, audio and video work. Strong if your eye wants moving images rather than objects.”

“One of the hardest but coolest clubs: strict door, techno, legend. In Berlin, this is culture as much as nightlife.”

“The old note was Apartment at Hotel Amano, where art people used to go after Bar Drei. Treat this as a nightlife memory to verify locally.”

“Take the S1 toward Potsdam to Schlachtensee. Transparent water, swimming, and a Berlin escape about twenty minutes from the centre.”

“The stylish beer garden by the lake in Tiergarten. Rent a rowing boat and let the city soften.”

“Berlin’s oldest beer garden. Simple, leafy, and best understood in summer.”

“An old boathouse at water level. Good for a sunny weekend, when the city should be seen from the edge of the canal.”

“Go on Sunday after 3pm for karaoke, barbecue, music, and the full Berlin park ritual.”

“Exclusive designer fashion in Mitte. A polished Berlin shopping address.”