The Liberate operates under the slogan ‘Liberating Lives’… and provided you deem it liberating to splurge on a €15 champagne cocktail, this is the place for you.
From the velvet-plush couches to the spectacular Italian crystal chandeliers, every part of this sybaritic cocoon seems to encapsulate the spirit of escape. Floor-to-ceiling window shutters faithfully shield patrons from witnessing the cynical scenery of 21st-century Berlin outside. The high-roller paradise even indulges in Ossi chic with a light fixture from the former Palast Der Republik: a relic of working-class utopia, now comfortably at home in this heaven of new-wave Mitte.
In the vestibule, the black walls and gilded decor evoke Hollywood’s golden age. Further into the bar area, upbeat disco music blares and a sea of shiny fabric, hardwood and metallic leather merges with the LCD TVs that adorn the wall.
An orgiastic array of premium liquor bottles lines the bar shelves and the bartenders are only too happy to suggest a concoction based on your preferences. Ask for ‘girly’ and you’ll be proffered a Curamaja Split (€10.50), served with an elaborate decoration resembling a fruit platter. It’s delicious. Savour rather than swig!
And with the end supposedly nigh, The Liberate could well be the ultimate venue for Berlin’s non-Forbes Listers to blow their last pay cheque. Patrons can party like the sun won’t rise again tomorrow with a magnum of vintage Don Perignon, priced just shy of €500, or try signature cocktails such as the Lib Gold, a grandiose blend of (real) champagne, Tanqueray and St. Germain for €12.50.
Just remember that old saying: we’re here for a good time, not a long time.
Liberate | Kleine Präsidentenstraße 4, Mitte, U-Bhf Weinmeiterstraße, Sun-Thu 19-3:00, Fri-Sat 19-5:00