Thursday 18 October 2012

Neukölln Bar Crawl

Some areas of Neukölln are a bit rough and not particularly interesting, however there are several pockets of hipster approved establishments. Along the leafy street of Westerstraße there are the kind of dingy, dimly lit and eclectic bars you would hope to find in a district that has not yet been gentrified.


Fuch's and Elster
Westerstraße 207, Neukölln
U7/U8 Hermanplatz
Daily 4pm til late
Fuch's and Elster is a small, mismatched bar that also houses electronic and acoustic live acts on some nights. On normal nights you can sit in the comfortable, thrifted arm chairs by the window and watch the world wander past. Unusually for Berlin, smoking is not allowed inside, however there are a number of stools and low tables on the door step, often occupied by the coolest Neukölln people. Sit among them, smoke your rollies and plan your band name and first song titles with your visiting hipster friends.



Gaston
Weichelstraße 18, Neukölln
U7/U8 Hermanplatz
Dailt 3pm til late
www.gaston-berlin.de
Depending on what time you start this bar crawl, you're likely to build up an appetite and need to line your stomach for the night of drinking ahead. While there are many imbisses in the area, you'd be missing out if you didn't sample the tapas at Gaston on the corner of Westerstraße and Weichelstraße. With black and white kitchen tiles on the floor, rickety bar stools and dogs curled up in the corner this restaurant makes for a energetic but homely place to stop for a meal. Grab a bottle of wine and talk excitedly about your time at Pamplona and Spanish festivals this summer as you eat some of the best tapas this side of France. In fact, the tapas is so good you'll be wanting to get a tattoo of it to commemorate it's deliciousness.


Ratzeputz
Westerstraße 182, Neukölln
U7/U8 Hermanplatz
Daily 7pm til late
www.ratzeputz-berlin.de
Keep heading down the street away from Hermanplatz and you'll find yourself in front of a plain looking bar with an oversized couch out the front. Alice in Wonderland tendencies aside, Ratzeputz is a quiet and chilled bar with a slightly outdated feel. Beware, even the most timid of hipsters would recognise all the songs in this bar's rotation. Unfortunately the wine sold here tastes worse than merely drinking crushed grapes, so stick to a beer or cocktail instead while you discretely hum along to your indie favourites.



Ä
Westerstraße 40, Neukölln
U7 Rathaus Neukölln
Daily 5pm til late
www.ae-neukolln.de
If boutique bars that have pretentious names are your thing then Ä is for you. While a little more widely known about that the others on Westerstraße, Ä is still not included on “alternative” pub crawls. The long and narrow bar is filled with armchairs, couches and raggedy standard lamps. The music is eclectic with just the right mix of classics, favourites and ironic tunes. Like many places in Berlin there is a free kicker table and a good way to expend any excess energy you may have before stumbling home in the small hours of the morning.


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