15 cool East Berlin spots to stay warm this winter
Brrrrrrr! Now that it’s cold, windy and wet we’re all looking for some great indoor hangouts to meet friends and keep us entertained too. We asked our friends at Oooh, Berlin to pick out 15 places from their free Berlin district guides we hope you’ll love.
Babylon Kino - Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz 30, Mitte
Stuck with nothing to do late on a Saturday night? Fear not: at Babylon Kino in Mitte you can watch an original silent movie for FREE every Saturday at midnight. And if that wasn’t good enough already, the films are also accompanied by a real live organ, which makes for an incredible atmosphere. Sorted!
Ballhaus Berlin, Chausseestr. 102, Mitte
Ballhaus Berlin boasts table phones you can use to call other guests. Image: ooohberlin
Fancy a bit of live jazz in an old-school environment? Every Monday evening at 9pm the fantastic Omniversal Earkestra plays in Ballhaus Berlin for only €5. Lose yourself in their amazing jazzy tunes - and while you’re there, don’t forget to enjoy using table phones to chat or flirt with some of the other listeners – it’s super fun!
BRYK – Rykestr. 18, Prenzlauer Berg
What on Earth could be lurking in this cocktail glass? Photo: Bryk Bar
You won’t find a Mojito or Sex on the Beach anywhere on BRYK’s cocktail menu, but you can try unique & intriguing cocktails with even more interesting names like “Batman tries to iron his cape while being on heroin” or “Who is next in line to get a shot of liquid cheese?”, which pair beautifully with their meatballs, popcorn & wonderfully charming service.
Café Kraft – Schivelbeiner Str. 23, Prenzlauer Berg
Cafe Kraft looks good as well as offering great coffee. Photo: ooohberlin
This little coffee haven is not only perfect to sip heavenly espressos & beautiful flat whites, but also has some of the nicest baristas around. Every Sunday the lovely guys open a new espresso to try, ensuring you keep returning to debate with them which one you prefer. And if you prefer a sneaky takeaway coffee, check out the hilarious stamps on the cups!
Exit – Klosterstr. 62, Mitte
Want to meet up with your friends but not sure what to do in the cold? How about you play the ultimate live-escape game together? As a team you can immerse yourself into one of their four exciting real-life “escape experiences” and work together to figure out all the clues before the timer runs out (Online booking required).
FRENC – Niederbarnimstr. 16, Friedrichshain
Photos: Frenc/ooohberlin
The craft beer scene is starting to boom in Berlin. In addition to their upcoming self-brewed IPA beer, the two friendly, upbeat owners of FRENC invite you to enjoy some of the best craft beers alongside their tasty galettes in their cosy & intimate bar.
Goldhahn & Sampson – Dunckerstr. 9, Prenzlauer Berg
Why not learn to cook something new this winter? The wonderful Goldhahn & Sampson food boutique offer a huge variety of themed cooking classes from Knödel Masterclasses, French Bistro Classics, Whisky Workshops, and Bento Japanese Lunch Boxes to Vietnamese Street Food. Just browse their website or visit them in store to find out what your next cooking style could be!
Happy Baristas – Neue Bahnhofstr. 32, Friedrichshain
Photos: ooohberlin
This beautiful, modern coffee shop with stunning wall art (and even an open shower for the warmer months!) is a great hangout when it's cold. Enjoy unbelievably divine cakes, fantastic coffee and tea, plus a superb weekend brunch too. And yes, their baristas are actually super happy people.
HOME – Neue Bahnhofstr. 23, Friedrichshain
Photo: Home World Beer Bar
Every other Wednesday this Friedrichshain hangout complete with its homely British pub atmosphere invites you take part in a seriously cool pub quiz (done in English and German), with fun rounds such as guessing ingredients in a drink they provide you with, or recognizing popular songs when played backwards. Booking recommended.
Kaschk – Linienstr. 40, Mitte
Playing shuffleboard in Kaschk bar. Photo: Kaschk
Looking for a fun, but relaxed night out? At Kaschk you can not only sample boards of Scandinavian and local craft beers, but also challenge your friends to a game of Shuffleboard – a game in which you push pucks down a very long wooden table, trying to score higher than your friends. If you arrive a bit earlier in the day, the team here also make great coffees.
La Buvette – Rhinower Str. 10, Prenzlauer Berg
Live the French life in Berlin. After just a mere few minutes in La Buvette you’ll have forgotten you’re in Berlin and believe you’re in a cosy winebar in deepest France. The selection of wines is superb, the service charmingly French and the small food menu a wonderful delight – perfect for escaping any snow, wind or rain outside.
Nalu Diner – Dunckerstr. 80a , Prenzlauer Berg
Photo: Nalu Diner
Nalu Diner is a proper American diner (none of those tourist-gimmicks or over-the-top clichés here) where the menu is full to bursting with feel-good comfort food. There are gorgeous sloppy joes, pancakes, burgers, milkshakes and anything else you might expect from a diner… although you'll probably be surprised at the quality. Quit your winter diet – as you’ll definitely be coming back to work your way through the whole menu.
Shakespeare & Sons – Warschauerstr. 74, Friedrichshain
You should definitely spend an afternoon browsing books and eating the best bagels of your life in Shakespeare & Sons. The owners curate a wonderful selection of books to buy (with the majority in English too) and boil their bagels the traditional way - which really makes all the difference.
Spielzeugmuseum – Choriner Str. 35, Prenzlauer Berg
Photo: ooohberlin
Pssst! Here’s a secret! In the basement of this very traditional toy shop you can visit a hidden museum with thousands of old toys from the GDR. In order to see this bizarre wonderland for just €1, simply ask one of the charming owners of Onkel Phillip very nicely if it’s possible to take a peek, and they may hand you a remote control before sliding open the tiny cupboard door, leading down to an surreal basement of forgotten toys.
St. Mauli – Gryphiusstr. 10, Friedrichshain
Photo: bullahuth.de
Not sure what to have for dinner in this cold? How about you enjoy eating Maultaschen while listening to DJ’s at St. Mauli. The Swabian dough pockets served in this cool new eatery are not just cooked by the owner’s mother (giving the saying “wie bei Mutti” a real meaning) and therefore extremely delicious, but on weekends your food is also accompanied by some great tunes from live DJs too!.
Want to read more Oooh, Berlin! tips?
Check out their free Bezirkspläne on their website at Ooohberlin.com
Comments
See Also
Babylon Kino - Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz 30, Mitte
Stuck with nothing to do late on a Saturday night? Fear not: at Babylon Kino in Mitte you can watch an original silent movie for FREE every Saturday at midnight. And if that wasn’t good enough already, the films are also accompanied by a real live organ, which makes for an incredible atmosphere. Sorted!
Ballhaus Berlin, Chausseestr. 102, Mitte
Ballhaus Berlin boasts table phones you can use to call other guests. Image: ooohberlin
Fancy a bit of live jazz in an old-school environment? Every Monday evening at 9pm the fantastic Omniversal Earkestra plays in Ballhaus Berlin for only €5. Lose yourself in their amazing jazzy tunes - and while you’re there, don’t forget to enjoy using table phones to chat or flirt with some of the other listeners – it’s super fun!
BRYK – Rykestr. 18, Prenzlauer Berg
What on Earth could be lurking in this cocktail glass? Photo: Bryk Bar
You won’t find a Mojito or Sex on the Beach anywhere on BRYK’s cocktail menu, but you can try unique & intriguing cocktails with even more interesting names like “Batman tries to iron his cape while being on heroin” or “Who is next in line to get a shot of liquid cheese?”, which pair beautifully with their meatballs, popcorn & wonderfully charming service.
Café Kraft – Schivelbeiner Str. 23, Prenzlauer Berg
Cafe Kraft looks good as well as offering great coffee. Photo: ooohberlin
This little coffee haven is not only perfect to sip heavenly espressos & beautiful flat whites, but also has some of the nicest baristas around. Every Sunday the lovely guys open a new espresso to try, ensuring you keep returning to debate with them which one you prefer. And if you prefer a sneaky takeaway coffee, check out the hilarious stamps on the cups!
Exit – Klosterstr. 62, Mitte
Want to meet up with your friends but not sure what to do in the cold? How about you play the ultimate live-escape game together? As a team you can immerse yourself into one of their four exciting real-life “escape experiences” and work together to figure out all the clues before the timer runs out (Online booking required).
FRENC – Niederbarnimstr. 16, Friedrichshain
Photos: Frenc/ooohberlin
The craft beer scene is starting to boom in Berlin. In addition to their upcoming self-brewed IPA beer, the two friendly, upbeat owners of FRENC invite you to enjoy some of the best craft beers alongside their tasty galettes in their cosy & intimate bar.
Goldhahn & Sampson – Dunckerstr. 9, Prenzlauer Berg
Why not learn to cook something new this winter? The wonderful Goldhahn & Sampson food boutique offer a huge variety of themed cooking classes from Knödel Masterclasses, French Bistro Classics, Whisky Workshops, and Bento Japanese Lunch Boxes to Vietnamese Street Food. Just browse their website or visit them in store to find out what your next cooking style could be!
Happy Baristas – Neue Bahnhofstr. 32, Friedrichshain
Photos: ooohberlin
This beautiful, modern coffee shop with stunning wall art (and even an open shower for the warmer months!) is a great hangout when it's cold. Enjoy unbelievably divine cakes, fantastic coffee and tea, plus a superb weekend brunch too. And yes, their baristas are actually super happy people.
HOME – Neue Bahnhofstr. 23, Friedrichshain
Photo: Home World Beer Bar
Every other Wednesday this Friedrichshain hangout complete with its homely British pub atmosphere invites you take part in a seriously cool pub quiz (done in English and German), with fun rounds such as guessing ingredients in a drink they provide you with, or recognizing popular songs when played backwards. Booking recommended.
Kaschk – Linienstr. 40, Mitte
Playing shuffleboard in Kaschk bar. Photo: Kaschk
Looking for a fun, but relaxed night out? At Kaschk you can not only sample boards of Scandinavian and local craft beers, but also challenge your friends to a game of Shuffleboard – a game in which you push pucks down a very long wooden table, trying to score higher than your friends. If you arrive a bit earlier in the day, the team here also make great coffees.
La Buvette – Rhinower Str. 10, Prenzlauer Berg
Live the French life in Berlin. After just a mere few minutes in La Buvette you’ll have forgotten you’re in Berlin and believe you’re in a cosy winebar in deepest France. The selection of wines is superb, the service charmingly French and the small food menu a wonderful delight – perfect for escaping any snow, wind or rain outside.
Nalu Diner – Dunckerstr. 80a , Prenzlauer Berg
Photo: Nalu Diner
Nalu Diner is a proper American diner (none of those tourist-gimmicks or over-the-top clichés here) where the menu is full to bursting with feel-good comfort food. There are gorgeous sloppy joes, pancakes, burgers, milkshakes and anything else you might expect from a diner… although you'll probably be surprised at the quality. Quit your winter diet – as you’ll definitely be coming back to work your way through the whole menu.
Shakespeare & Sons – Warschauerstr. 74, Friedrichshain
You should definitely spend an afternoon browsing books and eating the best bagels of your life in Shakespeare & Sons. The owners curate a wonderful selection of books to buy (with the majority in English too) and boil their bagels the traditional way - which really makes all the difference.
Spielzeugmuseum – Choriner Str. 35, Prenzlauer Berg
Photo: ooohberlin
Pssst! Here’s a secret! In the basement of this very traditional toy shop you can visit a hidden museum with thousands of old toys from the GDR. In order to see this bizarre wonderland for just €1, simply ask one of the charming owners of Onkel Phillip very nicely if it’s possible to take a peek, and they may hand you a remote control before sliding open the tiny cupboard door, leading down to an surreal basement of forgotten toys.
St. Mauli – Gryphiusstr. 10, Friedrichshain
Photo: bullahuth.de
Not sure what to have for dinner in this cold? How about you enjoy eating Maultaschen while listening to DJ’s at St. Mauli. The Swabian dough pockets served in this cool new eatery are not just cooked by the owner’s mother (giving the saying “wie bei Mutti” a real meaning) and therefore extremely delicious, but on weekends your food is also accompanied by some great tunes from live DJs too!.
Want to read more Oooh, Berlin! tips?
Check out their free Bezirkspläne on their website at Ooohberlin.com
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.