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Berlin

Traditional beer gardens

We know it's a German given, but who can pass up an afternoon in a beer garden? The following are our five favorite beer gardens in Berlin.

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Prater. Photo by Malgosia Masrarz

Prater

Tourists, hipsters, local families and old-school Ossis rub elbows at Berlin’s oldest Biergarten. Prater is maximised for outdoor drinking comfort: lots of shade, plentiful seating and no bathroom lines. Have a bratwurst while you sip a Prater Pils or a colourful Berliner Weiße with a shot of syrup, or move to the restaurant for more copious traditional German grub.

Kastanienallee 7-9, Prenzlauer Berg, U-Bhf Eber- swalder Str., daily 12-close


Café Am Neuen See

The noisily atmospheric Bavarian-style Biergarten, complete with fairy lights and boating lake, is a Berlin summer staple. Situated in a sylvan enclave of the Tiergarten just across from the zoo, it’s the place to lounge over pints of König Ludwig Hefeweizen (€3.90) with or without strawberry cake, Leberkäse or oven-baked pizzas.

Lichtensteinallee 2, Tiergarten, U-Bhf Hansaplatz, Daily 9 – 24:00


Restaurant Grunewaldturm

The Biergarten attached to the 19th century tower in Grunewald treats you to Bavarian classics – Traunstein beers and apple spritzer on tap, as well as a simple self-service selection of grilled sausages, coffee and cakes. Expect a unique view over the Havel river and live jazz on the weekends. Best enjoyed during the day, in a deckchair, before the foxes come out of their lairs and punters catch the last bus home.

Havelchaussee 61, Grunewald, S-Bhf Berlin Nikolassee, daily 10-close


Burg Am See

Opening onto a bustling park and boasting a flotilla of fresh blue umbrellas for summer, the Turkish-owned beer and tea garden is a vibrant outdoor venue where Kreuzberg, Neukölln and Treptow meet on the Landwehrkanal. With affordable beer and a menu that covers most cravings (including pizza, burgers and cake), it is the perfect place to quaff and scoff.

Ratiborstr. 14c, Kreuzberg, U-Bhf Görlizer Bahnhof, daily 10-22


Schleusenkrug

Nestled on the banks of the Landwehrkanal in Tiergarten park, West Berlin’s traditional open-air hangout has kept its spit-and-sawdust image conferred by trains passing in and out of nearby Bahnhof Zoo, injecting old Berlin’s shabby charm with a hint of itchy feet syndrome. Flammkuchen (€8.50) or falafel on hummus (€8.50) for the body; for the soul, occasional live music on Saturday – and herons gliding in to perch on the lock gates.

Müller-Breslau- Str. 1, Tiergarten, S-Bhf Tiergarten, daily 10-24