7 queer bar tips for Berlin 

© Provocateur Bar

Berlin’s bar scene is considered very tolerant. “Queer-friendly” has become a standard in many venues. But where does the LGBTQIA+ community particularly like to meet for a drink? Our bar tips. 

1. Bar Saint Jean
“Gay Bar with a French Touch” is the motto of the venue at Ziegelstraße 29 in Mitte, which has been run by Frenchman Johann Courbiget since 2013. The regular Friday “Gym Tonic” parties with DJ sets and a focus on electronic music are legendary, and on the other opening days, the basement bar often boasts a lively party atmosphere from midnight at the latest. If you come in earlier in the evening, you can spend a relaxing time at perhaps the most artsy bar counter in the city - it is made up of stacked, heavy wooden planks. Designer Thilo Reich (who also did “The Coven”, see below, and “Restaurant Kramer”) placed a twisted ladder on its backwall. Mixed here are the house cocktail “Le Saint Jean” with Aperol, rum, lime and Islay whisky, the “Last Of The Oaxacans” with mezcal, maraschino and Chartreuse Verte, many classics and half a dozen mule variations.
www.instagram.com/barsaintjean

© Bar Saint Jean

2. Silverfuture
The queer bar on Neukölln’s Weserstraße and in the best neighbourhood when it comes to bar culture: “Wax On!” is right next door, and “Truffle Pig” or “TiER” are not far. “Silverfuture” offers a varied programme: Flinta* speed dating, drag shows, stand-up comedy, small concerts, DJ sets and much more. In addition to beers and wines, the menu also includes a number of drinks such as a classic Negroni, a Campari Spritz and various sours.
www.silverfuture.net

3. Roses
This Kreuzberg bar icon is completely different to the two minimalist bars in Mitte: “Roses” is a dream in pink, plush and kitsch. It does not come as a surprise that regulars and party tourists from Oranienstraße love to stumble in. “All peaceful people are welcome” is the message. Madonnas and other iconic figures, fairy lights, vintage furniture, glittering mirror balls and curtains - the clientele is as colourful as the venue itself. The place is often packed, especially at weekends, when people groove to disco sounds. The simple long drinks come in large classic tumblers, and beer is served straight from the bottle.
www.instagram.com/roses.bar.berlin36.gaybar

4. Bar Zum Schmutzigen Hobby
In former days this little house on the RAW site used to be a fire station, but now - haha - the place is regularly on fire. The “Bar Zum Schmutzigen Hobby” has been Friedrichshain's queer party bar for many years and is popular with both locals and visitors alike. Events take place here from Wednesday to Saturday: games evenings, drag performances, watching Germany’s Next Top Model TV show together when a new season is on and, of course, DJs who create a dance atmosphere inside (with an attached party tent). Beer, wine, sparkling wine on ice or simple drinks are the main drinks served here - and in summer you can also take a seat in the cosy, small beer garden. 
www.zumschmutzigenhobby.de

5. The Coven
Metal mesh panels, cellar lighting, dark walls: an unadulterated industrial look characterises the interior of “The Coven” in Kleine Präsidentenstraße in Mitte, just a few minutes’ walk from “Bar Saint Jean” - Thilo Reich was also at work here. Lush flower arrangements provide an opulent contrast to the minimalist interior. The drinks menu includes the “Coven Garden” with gin, tonic, rhubarb, lime and sage, “Poolside Mezcalita” with mezcal, gin, lemon and agave or “Lychee Martini” (vodka, lychee liqueur, vermouth). The venue, which opened in 2014, is also well-known and popular for its party flair, which is provided by regular DJ sets ranging from electronic to alternative. Especially at weekends, people dance here into the wee hours of the morning - a good PA system and soundproof walls in the bar run by Arman Manukyan ensure that the sound inside is crisp and nobody outside has to feel disturbed. By the way: if you feel like a pub crawl, “Le Jardin” is located directly opposite.
www.thecovenberlin.com

© The Coven

6. Blond
Motzstraße in Berlin’s Schöneberg district is the city’s “queer mile” par excellence, and the annual lesbian and gay city festival is also known by many as the Motzstraßenfest. The density of restaurants, cafés and bars with a large LGBTQ+ clientele is correspondingly high – “Blond” is a good example of this. The party bar has an extensive cocktail menu, ranging from fancy “Blauer Engel” with gin and Blue Curaçao or “Sex On The Blond” with vodka, strawberry liqueur and syrup, lemon and orange juice to sours and all types of collinses. At events featuring pop music, bingo or karaoke the atmosphere here is up-beat.
www.blond.berlin 

7. Provocateur Bar
“Nothing ordinary happens at Provocateur” is more than just a motto: because the bar at  Hotel Provocateur in Brandenburgische Straße, furnished in burlesque style, attracts more than just hotel guests. At weekends, in particular, the crowd here is often a colourful crowd, with businesspeople mingling with the shrill figures of the night and the atmosphere around the large bar and in the cosy lounges is pretty up-beat. The drinks at the multi-award-winning bar (including “Hotel Bar of the Year” at the Mixology Awards 2019 and 2024 and “Bar Team of the Year” 2019) range from classics to punches, and if you fancy some bar food, the in-house restaurant “Golden Phoenix” serves delicious snacks such as beef buns, Korean dumplings or a club sandwich.
www.provocateur-hotel.com/provocateur-bar  

© Provocateur Bar