If you only eat seasonal and fresh fish, you should be familiar with the Fish Klub: founded in 2017 by Margaux Friocourt, the club sold seasonal fish and seafood from the coast of Brittany and the Atlantic Ocean, caught and imported using sustainable fishing methods. But now the Fish Klub is also known for its legendary residencies, where you can look forward not only to seafood prepared to perfection, but the complete package: Good drinks, cool locations and a menu that will truly make anyone happy. After Fish Klub visited Lütt for several weeks, the journey now continues towards Rosenthaler Platz – to be more precise: to St. Oberholz. Together they started their very own project at the beginning of September 2023 – The Canteen – and will offer you the perfect location for casual evenings with cocktails and bar snacks for the next few months. In addition to classics like moules frites and oysters, there are also new additions: fritto misto and carpaccio go vegetarian here, and they do it damn well – along with the most delicious dips. A night out is only casual if you don’t have to compromise: here you can order as much or as little as you like, you can share or order your own shrimp roll (which you definitely don’t want to share), you can drink wine or cocktails or both, and even for those who don’t drink alcohol, they offer more than just the usual standbys. It’s loud, it’s crowded and it can be quite annoying – yes, it’s Rosi. But that’s what’s so great about visiting The Canteen for the first time: it’s loud because people are looking forward to the evening, it’s crowded because the food tastes so good and, it can be quite a pain that not every evening can be so beautifully informal.
Text: Robyn Steffen / Photos: Robyn Steffen & St. Oberholz
Fish Klub x St. Oberholz: The Canteen, Rosenthaler Str.72A, 10119 Berlin–Mitte; map
Tue–Sat from 18h. No reservations.
@fishklub_berlin
@st.oberholz
Good (and bad) ideas start over takeaway food late in the evening. Blaue Stunde is the former – co-owners Michal and Eric, who were eating burgers in -1-degree weather when they first had the idea for what is now this day bar cornering Tempelhof. Their first thought was to sell mulled wine from a cargo bike, but when the opportunity came to apply for ideas for the red-and-white tiled shack at Berlin’s much-loved former airfield, they put their heads together once again: Eric and Michal co-own Blaue Stunde with Tobi. The three met through the electronic music world, curating festivals, DJing, and organizing food. Having lived locally for quite some time, they knew well that nothing says summer like a sundowner at Tempelhof, so they formulated a perfect location to have just that. (read more)What used to be an electrical signal building for the airport is now a cafe/bar/bistro. Inspired by Italian day bars, you can stop by for a coffee and snack in the morning or spend the afternoon lounging with your aperitivo. Choose from a short and reliable menu. For drinks: spritz, schorle, coffee, beers, the classics. For food: snack on (the most delicious) olives, nuts, waffles, and rosti for something a little heartier. There’s an ice cream cart with a selection of flavors from Zagara for scoops or affogatos and plenty of scattered seating in the sun, sporting white tables and on-theme cobalt blue chairs. There’s music curated to fit the mood, like ambient world jazz or a selection by manager Katzi from record label Malka Tuti. Blaue Stunde is where, as the name suggests, you’ll find yourself until Blue Hour settles in, and it’s time to go home.
Text & Photos: Savannah van der Niet
Blaue Stunde, Oderstr. 22, 12051 Berlin–Neukölln; map
Mon–Fri 11–22h, Sat & Sun 10–22h
@blauestundeberlin
The Korean Anju Bar Dotori is one of my latest favorites, not only because the wine and food are great, but also because Chi and Dax are the most welcoming hosts around. You may already know Chi from Personal Chef Berlin catering and her kimchi workshops, Dax from the supper clubs and pop-ups the two have been hosting together since last year. Far from crowded restaurant corners, past a music bar that promises the best of punk and rock in Weißensee, you probably only come this way purposefully. Dax stands at the blue counter and pours us natural wine and soju – Chi brings filled plates from the kitchen, because: “In Korea, you don’t drink without anju on the table!”. Anju are small dishes that you share with friends and family at the table alongside your drinks – similar to tapas. Korean pancakes with kimchi and scallions, Dotori Jelly, a traditional jelly made from acorn flour, along with sides like kimchi, roasted seaweed and a bowl of rice – at Dotori, the two have put together a “menu for two” of their anju favorites.
In addition, there are other dishes depending on the season: Dakgalbi, Korean Fried Chicken, Gimbap – the list goes on. And then there’s this insanely great wine list: here, wine doesn’t just taste mineral or dry, but is also “fun & glouglou,” “uplifting,” or just “really spectacular.” For non-wine drinkers, there’s also craft beer and lemonades. And of course: lots of soju. Dotori feels new, familiar, open and light. It’s the little things – as is often the case – that make this place so special: the wine list with its fun yet fitting descriptions, the two tipsy acorns on the menu that give you an inkling of how the evening might end, and the interior design you’ll want in your own home. If you’re looking for an alternative to your usual aperitivo evenings – far from crowded restaurant corners – then I highly recommend Dotori.
Text & Photos: Robyn Steffen
Dotori, Gustav-Adolf-Str.159, 13086 Berlin–Weißensee; map
Thur–Sat 17h30–23h
@dotori.berlin
The afternoons and evenings at Unkompress, a refined little listening bar in Kreuzberg, are always divided into 15–20 minute intervals. Why? Because, as vinyl fans (and anyone of a certain age) will know, 15-20 minutes is roughly the length of one side of an LP. The bar falls silent for a moment as owner Kevin Rodriguez takes a break from serving NYC-style drip coffee and Oaxacan mezcal to turn over the record. This combination – classy drinks and even classier sounds – first originated in Japan, where listening bars have been an institution since the 1950s. More recently, they began trending in New York, which prompted Kevin, a music collector and audiophile from New Jersey, to open one in Berlin in February 2023. The rules here are simple: one (vinyl) album at a time, BPM no faster than 115 and a genre slant towards jazz, soul and (laid back) disco.
The musical specifics of Unkompress might pass you by if you’re just here for a post-work tipple with friends, and that’s totally ok. There is plenty on the menu (natural red wine from Tenerife, Brooklyn Lager from…Brooklyn) to keep everyone amused. Fun too is the interior, which goes heavy on the wood and light on the sharp edges. All the furniture is rounded – a nod, perhaps, to the smooth waveforms of analog sound. Kevin will happily tell you about said sound, and how his custom 300B valve amp from Japan does such a good job of reproducing it. After that, it’s time to get comfy. And believe us: with a seat by the window, a liberal pour of organic fizz and Sade’s sexy-smooth “Diamond Life” filling your Spotify-weary ears, you’ll certainly want to stick around for the B-Side…
Text: Benji Haughton / Photos: Unkompress
Unkompress, Fichtestr.23, 10967 Berlin–Kreuzberg; map
Wed–Sat 14h–late
@unkompress
It wasn’t so long ago that one of the city’s boldest buildings was surrounded by fencing: immediately shrouding the entire Kulturforum. What a loss. Fortunately that’s over now, and it’s about to get even better: every Thursday and Friday, restaurateur, artist and bar owner Johannes Gruber invites visitors to the Sundowner Bar on the terrace of the Neue Nationalgalerie. From the mobile bar, designed and specially built by sculptor and UdK professor Karsten Konrad, Johannes and his colleagues serve drinks as casually as they have for many years in their Kreuzberg bar Mysliwska, another pearl of urban nightlife. From the terrace, you can sit with the vastness of the Kulturforum in front of you, the daring architecture of Mies van der Rohe behind you, or vice versa… it doesn’t get much better than that. To make your time even enjoyable, combine your time there with a walk through the museum’s permanent collection and become inspired by encounters with great paintings. An afternoon like this helps us remember why we want to live here and not somewhere else. The Sundowner Bar: the ideal place for a vacation in your own city.
Uwe Buhrdorf is the owner of the small, fine event agency Die Wellenmaschine (The Wave Machine) and moves skillfully between brand, corporate and culture events. He is also an event organiser.
Text: Uwe Buhrdorf / Photos: David von Becker, Thomas Bruns & Cottonbro / Credit: Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
Sundowner-Bar on the terrace of the Neue Netionalgalerie, Potsdamer Str.50, 10785 Berlin–Tiergarten; map
The bar is at the back of the gallery building. Every Thurs & Fri 18–21h30.
@neuenationalgalerie
@staatlichemuseenzuberlin