There’s a street on the edge of Kreuzberg that was once home to the city’s finest bars, best-stocked Spätis and lots of places to let your hair down. Its name – one which has tongue-tied many a non-native speaker – is Schlesische Straße. One of its most legendary bars was Barbie Deinhoff’s, a colorful, loud, wild and queer place run by performance artist Lena Braun. Known all over town for its “Two for One Tuesdays”, Barbie sadly didn’t survive Covid. That’s since been corrected with the 2022 opening of Stueck in the very same location. Though the interior and style of the new bar seem very different, owner Romy Gaines hasn’t forgotten the history of the place. While the dark walls, rubber-covered steel stools and large photographs by Giulia Daley are a far cry from the camp predecessor, Two for One Tuesday stays. The ethos remains queer, too: Thursdays are reserved for women, trans and non-binary guests and the bar staff are almost all women.
The high-end drinks menu is dominated by cocktails, which come from the Kreuzberg drinks lab around the corner and are served on tap. Much thought is invested in the combinations, which focus on infusions and (soy)milk “washed” drinks. In addition to signature classics like the “Hippie Cucumber” – whose pink base is a hibiscus-infused gin – there’s a cocktail of the month, which in September is the “Popcorn” (bourbon, popcorn, lemon and caramel, in keeping with the changing season). It’s an extravagant tipple that has a sense of fun camp. Drink a couple of them and you’ll soon be convinced that this new place is a gem too.
Text: Hilka Dirks / Photos: Giulia Daley
Stueck, Schlesische Str.16, 10997 Berlin–Kreuzberg; map
Mon–Sat from 19h
