Oh holy summer, finally you're here to prove our love for this city - we've never understood why some people would leave for holidays during those fabulous (but few) weeks of sunshine and heat, where Berlin looks and feels gorgeous and everything is just great! We hope this short guide will help you to make your summertime even nicer.
Shopping
Garments offers a high class vintage selection. (Linienstraße 204-205, Mitte)
Happy Shop sells almost exclusively bright-coloured clothing, which you could probably use after those winter months spent stockpiling blacks and greys. (Torstraße 67, Mitte)
Julia and Ben just opened their new store in Mitte, around the corner are countless other Berlin labels like Starstyling, Lala Berlin or DSTM. (Gormannstraße 23, Mitte)
Motto and Pro qm are both beautiful book and magazine stores, one of them in Kreuzberg, the other in Mitte - check both! (Skalitzer Straße 68 (backyard), Kreuzberg; Almstadtstraße 48-50, Mitte)
Lunettes is absolutely convinced everyone deserves some pretty glasses and offers a lot of them. (Torstraße 172, Mitte)
KaDeWe Foodhall - ever tried granny smith apple vinegar? We neither, but we know where we could buy it - here. (Tauentzienstraße 21-24, Wilmersdorf)
Art
Gemäldegalerie is hidden behind hideous architecture, but owns one of the world's most renowned collections of art from the 13th to the 18th century. (Matthäikirchplatz, Tiergarten)
Berlinische Galerie focuses on collecting art works made in Berlin since the 1870s. (Alte Jakobstraße 124-128, Kreuzberg)
Wentrup gallery - there are gazillions of galleries in Berlin, we recommend this one in Kreuzberg, representing artists like Gregor Hildebrandt and Jen Ray. (Tempelhofer Ufer 22, Kreuzberg)
program - attentive readers know this space already since we recently published an extensive interview with its owner Carson Chan. (Invalidenstrasse 115, Mitte)
032c workshop is the exhibition space of the magazine and now you know why you should visit it. (Brunnenstrasse 9, Mitte)
Restaurants
Little Otik offers organic, home-style kitchen in the middle of Kreuzberg - get to know the owners in our interview! (Graefestraße 71, Kreuzberg)
Themroc is a small place for fine food in Mitte, offering a daily changing menu prepared by four different chefs. (Torstraße 183, Mitte)
YamYam is a bright and white restaurant making excellent Korean food. (Alte Schönhauser Straße 6, Mitte)
Musashi is very small but serves very fine japanese Sushi. (Kottbusser Damm 102, Kreuzberg)
Bixels focuses on a famous German food: potatoes, baked and then filled with whatever your heart desires. (Mulackstraße 38, Mitte)
Meierei is the place to eat your hangover-Weisswurst (or any other of their excellent alpine dishes). (Kollwitzstraße 42, Prenzlauer Berg)
Einstein is a local coffeehouse with branches all over Berlin, but their finest café is still their Stammhaus, located in Schöneberg with a beautiful summer garden and nostalgic charme. (Kurfürstenstraße 58, Schöneberg)
Eismanufaktur makes the best ice-cream in Berlin. Our recommendations: Salty Caramel and Pistacchio. (Auguststraße 63, Mitte)
Salon Sucre prepares some delicious french sweets, pastries and cakes - read our interview with the owner to find out more! (Görlitzer Straße 32, Kreuzberg)
Bars
Bar3 lies just behind Volksbühne and is thus a favorite for theater people - other arguments would be the minimalistic interior, the excellent music and the cold Kölsch. (Weydingerstraße 20, Mitte)
Kingsize is not kingsized, but tiny, offering fancy drinks in fancy glasses to the fancy art-crowd. (Friedrichstraße 112b, Mitte)
AltBerlin is located on Mitte's shopping alley Münzstraße, which is busy during the day, but as good as dead during nights - except the bulk of people visiting this old and charming bar. (Münzstrasse 23, Mitte)
Diener is the place to go to experience some Charlottenburg atmosphere and get some great Königsberger Klopse with your beer. (Grolmanstraße 47, Charlottenburg)
Paris Bar is not a bar, but a restaurant with art works by Spoerri and Kippenberger lining the walls - some call it Café de Flore of Berlin. (Kantstraße 152, Charlottenburg)
Biergarten
Heinz Minki is located in the buzzing area between Schlesisches Tor and the canal and proud to own of the prettiest gardens in Berlin. (Vor dem Schlesischen Tor 3, Kreuzberg)
Burg am See lies just next to the Landwehrkanal and is a very classic German Biergarten. (Ratiborstraße 14c, Kreuzberg)
Zenner is opposite of Insel der Jugend in Treptower Park, attracting dozens of couples dancing to classic Berlin music and Schlager on weekends. (Alt-Treptow 14, Treptow)
Café am neuen See in Berlin's central park Tiergarten is usually very crowded on weekends but offers a nice hide-away during the week, especially during the morning. (Lichtensteinallee 2, Tiergarten)
Clärchen's Ballhaus on Auguststraße has the best Berliner Buletten - 'nuff said. (Auguststraße 24, Mitte)
Clubs
It's summer, stay outside!
Outdoors
Go to the market at Maybachufer (every Tuesday and Friday) to buy a lot of fruit, olives, feta and pita bread and make a picnic at the Landwehrkanal. (Maybachufer, Kreuzberg)
Rent a bike and enjoy Berlin's extensive bike lanes.
Make a trip to Liepnitzsee, north of Berlin, swim to the island in the middle of the lake and dry yourself in the sun.
Get out to Treptower Park to get a boat and row around Stralau. (Or get a paddleboat if your legs are stronger than your arms.)
Harvest some urban grown vegetables at Prinzessinengärten and reward yourself with a drink in their beautiful garden. (Prinzenstrasse 35-38, Kreuzberg)
Thaipark is one of Berlin's specialities: every weekend dozens of Thai families gather in Preussenpark to prepare and sell very delicious Thai food - bring a blanket and eat yourself through the day!
Freiluftkino Mitte is hosted by one of the finest cinemas in Berlin, Central, and their picks are always the best bet for an outdoor summer movie night. (Rosenthaler Straße 39, Mitte)
Visit bearpit karaoke at Mauerpark for some light sunday fun and applauding amateur and profi singers enchanting the greatest hits.
Have a beautiful summer!
PS, we finally got a mobile version for your smartphone - an even better way to use this guide!
