Photo by German Palomeque
Despite rumours that Lichtenberg might be the next big thing, the drinking options there are mostly limited to shady Eckkneipen or, well, nothing. So for now, Zum Schwalbenschwanz stands out. Opened in early September by the crew behind the indie-hippie Wilde Möhre festival, the new bar is easy to spot on an otherwise deserted intersection of residential roads, with small groups of people clustered outside talking and smoking. Inside, it extends over two rooms with all the shabby-chic comforts of Kreuzkölln, including kicker tables, mismatched chairs, €3.50 tap beer and a programme of film screenings, acoustic concerts, readings and pub quizzes. If this is a harbinger of gentrification, it’s at least a considerate one: before setting up shop, Schwalbenschwanz’s founders sent round almost 1000 postcards seeking approval from area residents, 400 of whom apparently wrote back expressing their enthusiasm for the bar. You’ll see who they are on any given weekend night, mostly youngish “new” Lichtenbergers and the friends they’ve dragged beyond Friedrichshain, drinking and chatting in multiple languages till the rather un-Berlin closing time of 2am. If you haven’t been priced out of the Ring yourself yet, consider making the trek – you won’t feel out of place.