Munich
Even if you don't like beer, every visitor to Munich should make a pilgrimage to the mothership of all beer halls, if only once. Within this major tourist…
Must-see nightlife in Germany
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Friedrichshain
Only world-class spin-masters heat up this hedonistic bass-junkie hellhole inside a labyrinthine ex-powerplant. Hard-edged minimal techno dominates the ex…
Berlin
Yesteryear is now at this early-20th-century dance hall where groovers and grannies hoof it across the parquet without even a touch of irony. There are…
Munich
Depending on the wind direction, the bitter-sweet aroma of hops envelops you as you approach this traditional beer hall inside the Augustiner brewery. The…
St Pauli & Reeperbahn
In a 19th-century bootleggers' jail, this tiny bar-club is run by members of the legendary ex-punk band Die Goldenen Zitronen and is an essential stop on…
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Berlin
Liquid maestro Gonçalo de Sousa Monteiro and his baseball-cap wearing team treat grown-up patrons to libational flights of fancy in their clandestine…
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Frankfurt & Southern Rhineland
Named for Sherlock Holmes' fictional home, this fabulous Victorian-era-themed bar with crackling open fireplaces bills itself as a 'criminal tea room and…
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Stuttgart
Competition is stiff but for our money this might just be Stuttgart's coolest new-wave craft microbrewery and bar. The bartenders really know their stuff,…
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Cologne
The brainchild of artist Odo Rumpf, this subculture playground is creative lab, beer garden, concert venue, club, art centre, alfresco cinema and urban…
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Düsseldorf
At one of Germany's most progressive dance clubs, the music skews heavily towards non-mainstream electronic and improvisational acts, which makes for a…
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Stuttgart
Jazz creates a mellow mood at this slinky little cocktail bar, with barrel-vaulted ceilings, stone walls and dim lighting. The mixologists seem to put a…
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Friedrichshain
At this gritty multifloor party pen with lots of nooks and crannies, a steady line-up of top DJs feeds a diverse bunch of revellers with dance-worthy…
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City West & Charlottenburg
Christian Gentemann's liquid playground at the art deco Hotel am Steinplatz was crowned 'Hotel Bar of the Year' in 2016 and 2017, and for good reason The…
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Baden-Baden
You can sure smell the coffee as you approach Kaffeesack, tucked away in Baden-Baden's backstreets. Born in Germany to Italian parents, Maurizio is the…
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Prenzlauer Berg
Berlin’s oldest beer garden has seen beer-soaked days and nights since 1837 and is still a charismatic spot for guzzling a custom-brewed Prater pilsner …
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Frankfurt am Main
Noise levels aren't a problem at this spectacular club, which occupies an 1808 villa surrounded by manicured gardens with fountains, ponds and lounges…
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Moselle Valley
Wine bars don't come cuter than this crooked half-timbered building (the Moselle's oldest, dating from 1416), which resembles a giant bird house: its…
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Cologne
A large, leafy park has one of Cologne's best places for a drink: a community-run beer garden. Tables sprawl under huge old trees, while simple snacks…
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Düsseldorf
Local colour by the bucketful (despite the high tourist contingent) is what awaits at this cavernous Altbier brewpub. The suds flow so quickly from giant…
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Kreuzberg
Mixologist Atalay Aktas was Germany’s Best Bartender of 2013 and hasn't missed a step since. He and his staff still create their magic potions in this…
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Friedrichshain
For dolce vita right on socialist-era Karl-Marx-Allee, head to this charmingly nostalgic Italian wine bar ensconced in a former stamp shop. The original…
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St Pauli & Reeperbahn
The uniqueness of this Reeperbahn classic begins from the moment you pass through the long laneway and between the legs of the large 'receptionist'…
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Hamburg
Hamburg's original beach bar is a must for primo beer, burgers and people-watching. All ages and classes gather, mingle and wriggle their toes in the sand…
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Munich
Thomas Mann and Hermann Hesse used to knock 'em back at this well-scuffed and wood-panelled thirst parlour. A bookish ambience still pervades, making this…
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Munich
This one's hard to ignore because of its English Garden location and pedigree as Munich's oldest beer garden (open since 1791). Camera-toting tourists and…
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Munich
Follow the gold-lined passageway off Sonnenstrasse to what some regard as one of the best Elektro-clubs in the world. Nights here are an amazing alchemy…
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St Pauli & Reeperbahn
A real St Pauli icon, Zum Silbersack is one of our favourites in the area. It's the sort of place where you'll find students, junkies, executives,…
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Northern Germany
The dark beer brewery at this 1936-established pub consistently rates among the best in Germany. It’s full of antique brewing equipment, and it opens to…
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Prenzlauer Berg
After 8pm, this living-room-style cafe turns into a wine bar that works on the honour principle: you ‘rent’ a wine glass for €2, then help yourself to as…
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Hamburg
Small and sleek, this 'kitty' (Katze = cat) gets the crowd purring for well-priced cocktails (the best caipirinhas in town) and great music (there's…
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Lübeck
This classic pub inhabits a 16th-century customs post. There's an excellent beer selection. Patrons people-watch from terrace and pavement tables in…
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Regensburg
This time-warped, tightly squeezed blast from the past in Jugendstil tile, cast iron and stained glass has been filling with newspaper-reading caffeine…
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Northern Germany
Fronting onto Marktplatz, Sa Bacca couldn't be a more central pit stop as you explore town. The vaulted brick cellar and extravagantly tiled bar are the…
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St Pauli & Reeperbahn
One of our favourite little perches in St Pauli, this gorgeous cafe does buttery croissants, cakes and other pastries, with fine coffee to nurse as you…
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Munich
Urbane and sophisticated, Schumann's shakes up Munich's nightlife with libational flights of fancy and an impressive range of concoctions. It's also good…
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Munich
One of a gaggle of clubs at Maximiliansplatz 5, this nightspot with its cherry logo is one of Munich's hottest nights out, with the DJs spinning their…
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Oberstdorfer Dampfbierbrauerei
Bavarian Alps
Knock back a few 'steamy ales' at Germany's southernmost brewery, right next to the train station. The brewery runs free tours in German at 11am every…
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Münster
Huge trees soar over the passel of tables at this lovely beer garden right off the Promenade near the Aasee. Unsurprisingly it gets very crowded,…
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Hanover
One of the newest cocktail bars on the Hanover scene, sleek Bukowski's mixes leather couches with exposed brick walls and industrial-style stools. Spirits…
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Cologne
Expect plenty of local colour at this convivial, family-run beer hall attached to a brewery in business since 1858. It serves the popular Mühlen Kölsch…
