Where to actually go in Berlin

Mustafa's Gemüse Kebap

Restaurant · Kreuzberg

The famous vegetable-and-chicken kebab stand. Expect a long queue.

Best for: the Berlin kebab

Best time: lunch or late

Curry 36

Restaurant · Kreuzberg

A no-frills currywurst stand, the city's signature snack.

Best for: a cheap currywurst

Best time: any time

Markthalle Neun

Market · Kreuzberg

A restored market hall; Thursday is Street Food Thursday.

Best for: a street-food dinner

Best time: Thursday evening street food

Burgermeister

Restaurant · Kreuzberg (under the U-Bahn at Schlesisches Tor)

A burger joint in a former public toilet under the elevated train.

Best for: a cheap late burger

Best time: late

Konnopke's Imbiss

Restaurant · Prenzlauer Berg (under the U2)

A currywurst stand running since 1930.

Best for: a classic currywurst

Best time: lunch

Mauerpark

Market · Prenzlauer Berg

Sunday flea market plus open-air karaoke in the park amphitheatre.

Best for: a Sunday afternoon

Best time: Sunday

Reichstag dome

Viewpoint · Mitte

The glass dome on top of the German parliament, with a spiral ramp and a city view. Free.

Best for: a free view, modern history

Booking: Free, but you must register on bundestag.de in advance and bring ID.

Best time: evening

East Side Gallery

Sight · Friedrichshain

The longest surviving stretch of the Berlin Wall, painted by artists. Free and open all the time.

Best for: free history, street art photos

Best time: any time; quieter midweek

Berlin Wall Memorial (Bernauer Strasse)

Museum · Mitte / Wedding

The best place to understand the Wall: a preserved death strip, watchtower and a free documentation centre.

Best for: really understanding the Wall

Best time: morning

Tempelhofer Feld

Garden · Neukölln / Tempelhof

A closed airport turned giant park: cycle or skate down the old runways.

Best for: a free, very Berlin afternoon

Best time: afternoon

Brandenburg Gate and Holocaust Memorial

Sight · Mitte

The famous gate and, a short walk away, the field of concrete stelae of the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe.

Best for: free essential sights

Best time: any time

Museum Island

Museum · Mitte

Five museums on an island in the Spree, including the Pergamon complex and the Neues Museum with Nefertiti.

Best for: museums

Best time: morning

RAW-Gelände

Area · Friedrichshain

An old railway repair yard full of graffiti, bars, a climbing tower and clubs. Alternative and cheap.

Best for: an alternative bar night, after the East Side Gallery

Best time: evening

Berghain

Club · Friedrichshain

The world-famous techno club in a former power plant. Notoriously hard door; no photos inside.

Best for: serious techno fans

Best time: Saturday night into Sunday

Heads up: Most people are turned away. Go in a small group, quietly, with a backup plan nearby.

Weserstraße

Area · Neukölln

A street of cheap, smoky neighbourhood bars where young Berliners actually go out.

Best for: a cheap, local bar crawl

Best time: from about 10 PM

Tresor

Club · Mitte (Köpenicker Straße)

The legendary techno club in an old power station; the basement is the hardest techno in the city.

Best for: classic Berlin techno

Best time: after 1 AM

Sisyphos

Club · Lichtenberg

An open-air-feeling club in a former factory that runs from Friday night into Monday.

Best for: a long weekend party

Price: $ — entry roughly $21–29

Best time: weekend daytime or night

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Club · Friedrichshain (Ostkreuz)

A collective-run club with a big garden, techno and queer-friendly parties.

Best for: a friendlier techno club

Best time: weekend nights

Klunkerkranich

Rooftop · Neukölln (on top of a shopping-centre car park)

A rooftop garden bar with DJs and sunset views over the city.

Best for: a sunset beer

Best time: sunset (seasonal)

Prater Garten

Pub · Prenzlauer Berg

Berlin's oldest beer garden, under chestnut trees.

Best for: a classic beer garden

Best time: afternoon (seasonal)

Monkey Bar

Rooftop · Charlottenburg (Bikini Berlin)

A hotel rooftop bar looking straight into the zoo's monkey enclosure and over west Berlin.

Best for: a dressier sunset drink

Best time: sunset

Buck and Breck

Cocktail bar · Mitte

A speakeasy-style cocktail bar with about 14 seats; ring the bell.

Best for: a special cocktail

Best time: late evening