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Dance bars

Tanzbars in Berlin: The best bars for dancing until dawn

Berlin's dance bars are a low-key, budget-friendly way to let loose at the weekend.

Complete with a disco ball, moody lighting and a hot and sweaty dance floor, Kreuzberg’s Bohnengold has everything you want in a Tanzbar. Photo: S.Schweizer/Bohnengold

Not quite a club, not quite a bar. There isn’t really a word for Tanzbar in English, but in Berlin there are plenty of venues where eventually the chairs are pushed aside and the bar becomes a dance floor.

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Here’s where you can dance the night away almost seven days a week, without having to queue or pay €20 Eintritt

Süß war Gestern

Photo: Karsten Schmidt

An ever-changing roster of DJs play almost every day at Süß war Gestern (‘Cute was yesterday’) in the heart of Friedrichshain. Mostly a mixture of electronic downtempo and funky beats – it’s always super danceable here. Once the bar fills up, the comfy sofas and armchairs are pushed aside to create a dance floor. Admission to the bar is free, but a donation of one to three euros for the DJ is usually requested.

  • Süß war Gestern Wühlischstr. 43, Friedrichshain, details.

Filmkunst Bar Fitzcarraldo 

Photo: Filmkunst Bar Fitzcarraldo

Fitzcarraldo defies definition. Is it a film archive? Is it a bar? Is it art? Who knows. In any case, it is undeniably fun to dance between the DVD shelves. During the week it’s more dignified. You can enjoy a beer at the bar and browse the extensive DVD library. Occasionally they even screen arthouse films. But come the weekend, the narrow, inconspicuous staircase leads to a sauna-like dance cave, which practically guarantees two kilos of weight loss due to heavy sweating. 

  • Filmkunstbar Fitzcarraldo Reichenberger Str. 133, Kreuzberg, details.

August Fengler

Photo: Henry Lose

A wooden counter, lots of colourful fairy lights and plump red sofas: the former August Fengler bowling room is now a bar with a dance floor. “Cosy rocking instead of big disco numbers” is how they describe themselves on the website. We think that’s a bit of an understatement – if you wind up here, you’ll see just how wild things can get. From Thursday to Sunday there is everything from live music to DJs, and from Monday to Wednesday you can also play table tennis or fußball with a beer or wine in hand. 

  • August Fengler Lychener Str. 11, Prenzlauer Berg, details.

Bohnengold 

Photo: S.Schweizer/Bohnengold

Bohnengold on Reichenberger Straße is a classic among dance bars. Unplastered walls and dim lighting are part of the charm here. In the side room there’s a fußball table and pinball machine and a narrow staircase leads straight to the underground dance floor. From techno to house and rock to jazz, every kind of music gets some play time here. The bouncers at this dance bar have a knack for being personable but firm. In the end, the oxygen can be a bit scarce, but the mood more than makes up for it!

  • Bohnengold Reichenberger Str. 153, Kreuzberg, details.

KumpelNest 3000

Photo: Imago/Charles Yunck

Kumpelnest 3000 is not officially a dance bar. The cult pub in the Tiergarten district on the border of Schöneberg doesn’t have an official dance floor, but at some point a dance party always seems to spontaneously emerge. The name says it all (Kumpel = Buddy, Nest = nest, 3000 = the approximate number of people inside per square metre). It’s usually packed and smoky, like a night among good buddies inside in your own living room, but someone turned the heating (and the good vibes) up to 3000º.

  • Kumpelnest 3000 Lützowstr. 23, Tiergarten, details.

Zu mir oder zu dir?

A typical night at Zu dir oder zu mir in Prenzlauer Berg. Photo: Imago/David Heerde

If you’ve ever been lucky enough to have a sexy German ask you this question, you’ll know it means “My place, or yours?”. In this case though, it’s the name of the bar itself, and it’s actually better to stay in these red-lit rooms on the comfortable armchairs and sofas and soak up their charming retro character. Unlike cafés like Oberholz, which have undergone a yuppie transformation in recent years, ‘Zu mir oder zu dir’ feels like travelling back 20 years into the past. Everything is more relaxed, less obtrusive. There is regular live DJing, so expect some dancing as soon as the mood changes from cosy to lively.

  • Zu mir oder zu dir Lychener Str. 15, Prenzlauer Berg, details.

Mein Haus am See and Cosmic Kaspar

Photo: Sarah Humeniuk

The Haus am See programme spans the entire day. Coffee and pastries are available from 10am, the first beer can be opened in the afternoon (or for breakfast, your choice, no judgement here) and in the evening drinks are paired with a DJ or live music. Admittedly, due to the central location on Rosenthaler Platz and lots of positive Google reviews, it’s become somewhat touristy. But that makes it pretty easy to meet new people! And when the bar’s revolving dance floor Cosmic Kaspar opens, nothing stands in the way of a whirlwind night of fun.

  • Mein Haus am See and Cosmic Kaspar Rosenthaler Platz, Brunnenstr. 197-199, Mitte, details (Mein Haus am See), details (Cosmic Kaspar).

Monarch Bar

Photo: Imago/Pop Eye

Did you really spend your 20s in Berlin if you never made it to Monarch? That’s doubtful. The bar, which is on the same level as the ‘underground’ trains at Kottbusser Tor, has a low-key, unpretentious ambience. The drinks are decent and the clientele is relaxed. The styles of music vary between country and electropop, so you never know what’s in store for you. Our advice? Just go with it! 

  • Monarch Bar Skalitzer Str. 134, Kreuzberg, details.

Promenaden Eck

‘Disco, disco, party, party’ is the motto at Promenaden Eck. Photo: Promenaden Eck

Alongside Tempelhofer Feld, Schillerkiez is home to quite a few rustic pubs with a 1960s/1970s flair, and Promenaden Eck certainly isn’t short on this nostalgic charm (plus some pretty intense dancing). Those not ready to bust a move can first warm up at the table tennis table or with some solid mojitos or whiskey sours. Promenaden Eck’s regular DJ lineup are spinning tracks ranging from hip hop to electro, to classics from the 80s and 00s.

  • Promenadeneck Schillerpromenade 11, Neukölln, details.

Schokoladen

Photo: Imago/Sven Lambert

Schokoladen used to be a factory that made (you guessed it) chocolate. Today, it’s an alternative cultural centre where, in addition to exquisite drinks, there is also live music of all kinds. From reggae to power pop, and ska to indie, everything is here. Schokoladen sees itself as an integrative place for everyone who wants to experience culture (and a great night out).

  • Schokoladen Ackerstr. 169, Mitte, closed Mon, details.

Sharlie Cheen Bar

Photo: Sharlie Cheen Bar

Sharlie Cheen doesn’t claim to be a dance bar, but the music here is so good that people at least always swaying in their chairs. The bartenders – dressed in black of course – serve high-quality liquor every day of the week, and the glasses are always filled to the brim. With a retro-chic ambience and ornate decorations, the bar has a spacious indoor area in addition to its great drinks and a street terrace.

  • Sharlie Cheen Bar Brunnenstr. 196, Mitte, details.

Soulcat

Photo: Wowbagger T

Much of Soulcat is tone-on-tone: the walls, the chairs, the light, everything is coloured a rich Bordeaux red. This chic retro colour scheme, along with the candle-lit bar and ‘Vinyl only‘ policy makes for an evening of toe-tapping good fun. In addition to R’n’B and rock, soul is also played regularly – as the name somehow suggests. What else is going on in the bar is best described by the chalk board at the entrance: “Music bar… best Mexikaner shot in town…and sometimes soccer.”

  • Soulcat Music Bar Pannierstr. 53, Neukölln, details.