A Guide to Bars in Neukölln, Berlin
Last updated: March 7, 2023
I spent my birthday weekend this year going on a bar crawl around Berlin’s diverse and exciting (and sometimes a little grimy) southeast neighborhood Neukölln. It was a great treat, especially after having avoided bars for most of the last year. Similar to the foodie tour in Kreuzberg I did late last summer, I just had so many bars I’ve been meaning to check out in Neukölln, and thought a little self-designed bar crawl would be a great way to spend my birthday weekend.
There’s a little map at the end of this post featuring these bars if you want to design your own Neukölln bar crawl or simply have a nice drink this weekend.
Where I Visited:
Muted Horn
Muted Horn has fantastic choices, and practically every beer pilgrimage to Germany requires a stop here, so we made our way here first. In addition to bottles, there’s also always around twenty beers on tap! This independent bar and bottle shop also offers plenty of long drinks, wine, mead, ciders, and beer cocktails if you’re not a big fan of beer.
I started with their Pastry Sour Ale, which has notes of mango, passion fruit, and coconut. The flavor was quite nice, although I expected it to be more sweet. My second drink was a Canadian pear infused cider. This one was not my favorite, and tasted a bit like kombucha gone wrong, but Dan’s lemon cider called Buddha’s Hand was much better.
What makes this place so special is the combination of unique quality beer at decent prices, kind staff, and extensive menu. The chip bags they sell as a snack were also unexpectedly really good and cheap, albeit a bit random. We sampled a few, but the chorizo one had to be my favorite.
Agata Bar
Update: Agata Bar has sadly closed down as of March 5, 2023.
We made our way to Motif Wein, but since it was quite busy we backtracked a little and arrived at Agata. I had been drawn to their cute green outdoor tables decorated with yellow flowers on our walk to Motif, and knew I wanted to have a drink there next.
This place had the sweetest and funniest bartenders I’ve encountered in Berlin in awhile. (Honestly this entire day we had amazing service!) Their house specials were a list of €5 cocktails, and I enjoyed a tasty and tart cranberry vodka.
Like many bars in Berlin in the warmer months, their outdoor seating was summery and cute, while their inside decor was a lot moodier and atmospheric.
Plus, they had a deal offering free Mexikaner shots (which are delicious by the way) for you and a friend for writing them a review on Google. So of course we took part in that, and ended up ordering another round because they were just that tasty. So fresh too, they had just finished making them. This deal has actually already ended, but I’ve revisited since and they seem to always have some kind of drink deal going on (2 for 1 house cocktail, €5 select cocktails, etc). They’re also home to the least expensive bottle of wine I’ve seen at a bar in Berlin: only €11 for a bottle of Merlot!
Motif Wein
After leaving Agata we managed to quickly snag the last available table at the popular wine bar Motif. I walked inside to get us some drinks and although there was no official menu, the bar-staff promptly offered me samples of a couple wines after asking what I liked.
I ended up going with an orange wine, and although I don’t remember what I ordered, it was lovely, and I’d recommend going for a glass of orange wine, especially if you haven’t had it before. Side note: orange wine is made from white wine grapes, but unlike white wine the grape skin is not removed. The glass I had was really nice, and had an almost savory taste. The glasses are more on the expensive side for Berlin standards, I believe our glasses were €6 each.
Photo via Motif Wein
Ä
After enjoying a nice dinner of tapas at On Engin, we made our way to the final bar of the night Ä. This bar on a snug corner of the neighborhood was the perfect place to end the night. It’s a very dark and cozy bar, mainly lit by candles, and the vibes are grungy and playful. Definitely more of a locals bar.
The prices here are also favorable, with €10 and a couple small coins getting us two draft beers and two glasses of wine. There’s three sections to the bar: indoor smoking, indoor non-smoking, and outdoors. This was the perfect place to end our night after a day of sauntering around Neukölln and appreciating the weekend atmosphere.
Neukölln Favorites:
These weren’t part of the birthday bar crawl festivities, but they all would’ve made a great addition to the night had one of the other ones not worked out.
Truffle Pig Bar
This speakeasy is excellent for a relaxed and swanky night out. Their drinks are all quite unique, and the bartenders are very friendly and ready to find a drink that best suits you. Their tequila and whiskey drinks were a little too strong for me, but I liked their sweeter stuff. I cannot find a picture of their menu online (I guess to keep up that speakeasy charm), but I liked their gin creations the most. There was also a really good drink that paid homage to the ‘Call Me By Your Name,’ book and film, so that’s probably my top recommendation.
Find the bar by entering the main bar and following the path. You might have to break a rule to enter, but it’s all in good fun. The bartenders at the main bar will also help you out upon your request.
Alaska Bar
Home to possibly my favorite vegan food in Berlin. The plant based lachs on dairy-free cream cheese is amazing, and I love their almond ricotta cheese as well. Although I visit here for the food, they have great drinks as well, and I thought their €15 bottle of Cabernet was very reasonable.
Dschungel
This jungle themed bar has some of my favorite cocktails in Berlin, and I remember really liking their spicy margarita.
K-Fetisch
I haven’t been to this bar in ages, but I remember it being a comfy and chill cafébar that mainly serves wine and coffee. Perfect for a relaxed evening.
Geist im Glas
Geist im Glas is good if you like intricate and unique cocktails. Their specialty cocktail menu starts at around €11. They also do a nice brunch!
Photo via Geist im Glas
Still on the List:
Silver Future
This queer bar has been on my list since I studied abroad, and I’m sure I’ll eventually visit.
Mendy und Edeltraut
I’ve been told the owner Max is one of the friendliest bartenders in the city, so it’s of course on my list. Every time I pass by this little bar it seems to be full, but I’ll eventually make my way to this cozy and cute spot in Neukölln.
Klunkerkranich
I really want to visit the rooftop bar Klunkerkranich, but friends tell me it can be a bit of an ordeal. It’s continuing to increase in popularity, but the great view of the city makes it worth the visit, at least once!
Update: I visited, but ended up promptly leaving after seeing the very long line to get in. We still got to enjoy the incredible view from the floor below, and I’ll be sure to try again on a weekday in a couple months.
Bei Schlawinchen
This rowdy bar is a party spot for locals and tourists. I hear the drinks are cheap and the atmosphere is great so it’s definitely on the to-visit list.