Lonely Planet

TOP PICKSOnce the sun sinks to the west of the Germancapital, the real fun starts (very often in theformer East). Use this guide to zero in on the bestof Berlin’s ever-varied night-time venues, aswell as a selection of dinner spots and late-opening attractions. Finish with a bar hopfocused on one exciting neighbourhood.``````The Fernsehturm abovethe banks of the SpreeCOMPILED BY RORY GOULDING, WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM ANDREA SCHULTE- PEEVERS.PHOTOGRAPHS: PETER FORSBERG/ALAMY, MARKUS LANGE/MAURITIUS/SUPERSTOCK``````October 2017 Lonely Planet Traveller 117Berlinafter darkOne of Berlin’s best bargains is a self-guided city tour aboard bus 100 or200, whose routes check off most major sights in the city centre. Youcan even get on and off with the same public transport ticket as long asyou continue in the same direction. If you plan to explore all day, aTageskar te (day pass) is your best bet. B us 10 0 travel s from Zoologis-cher Garten (Zoo Station) to Alexanderplatz, passing the Gedächtni-skirche, the Siegessäule in the Tiergarten, the Reichstag, BrandenburgGate and Unter den Linden. Bus 200starts at Bahnhof Zoo, and follows asoutherly route via the Kulturforummuseums and Potsdamer Platz beforehooking up with Unter den Linden.There’s no commentary, but it’s a greatoverview and useful for orientation of thecity. Buses do get crowded, so be wary ofpickpockets. For a seat on the upper deck,board at Bahnhof Zoo or Alexanderplatz.``````S I G H T SFernsehturm ££(tv-turm.de; Panoramastrasse 1a)The TV Tower has soared 368mhigh since 1969 and is as iconicWR%HUOLQDVWKH(LՖHO7RZHULVWRParis. On clear days, views arestunning from the panoramalevel or from the restaurant,which makes one turn per hour.To shorten the wait, buy a timedticket online before your visit –the tower is open until midnight.``````Jüdisches Museum £(jmberlin.de; Lindenstrasse 9–14)One of the city’s latest-openingmuseums (to 10pm Mondays,8pm otherwise), the landmarkJewish Museum designed byDaniel Libeskind chronicles thetrials and triumphs in 2,000years of Jewish life in Germany.``````Reichstag(bundestag.de; Platz der Republik)The most distinctive feature ofthe 1894 Reichstag building,home to the German parliamentagain since 1999, is NormanFoster’s glittering glass dome,with fabulous 360-degree cityviews until midnight. For guaran-teed access, make reservationsonline, otherwise pick up ticketsat the Reichstag Service Centrefor the same or next day. Bring ID.``````AC T I V I T I E SBerlin Craft BeerExperience £££(berlincraftbeerexperience.com;Warschauer Strasse U-Bahn)%HHUDÀFLRQDGR&OLIWRQ.LQFKHQleads insightful three-hour even-ing tours of the Berlin craft beerscene. You’ll visit three locations``````LQ)ULHGULFKVKDLQDQGRU.UHX]-berg. The price includes three toÀYHVXGVDPSOHV``````E AT I N GCafé JacquesINTERNATIONAL ££(00 49 30 694 1048;Maybachufer 14)$IDYRXULWHZLWKRՖGXW\FKHIVand loyal diners, Café JacquesLQIDOOLEO\FKDUPVZLWKÁDWWHULQJcandlelight, arty-elegant décorand fantastic wine. It’s the idealdate spot but, quite frankly, youonly have to be in love with goodfood to appreciate the blackboardmenu, inspired by French andNorth African cuisines. Fish andmeat are always tops and thepasta is homemade. Reservationsare essential.``````Curry 36 GERMAN £(curry36.de; Mehringdamm 36)Day after day, night after night,a motley crowd – cops, cabbies,TXHHQVRFHMRFNH\VVDYY\tourists etc – wait their turn atthis top-ranked currywurst snackshop that’s been frying ’em upsince 1981. Other sausage varietiessuch as bratwurst, wiener andbockwurst are also available,along with traditional potatoand noodle salads.``````Katz OrangeINTERNATIONAL £££(katzorange.com; Bergstrasse 22)With its gourmet, organic farm-to-table menu, stylish countryÁDLUDQGWRSQRWFKFRFNWDLOVWKH‘Orange Cat’ hits a gastro grand``````slam. It will have you purring forsuch perennial faves as Durocpork that’s been slow-roasted for12 hours (nicknamed ‘candy onbone’). The setting in a castle-like former brewery is stunning.``````Rosenthaler Grill undSchlemmerbuffetMIDDLE EASTERN £(Torstrasse 125)$QH[FHOOHQWKRXUGRQHUMRLQWwith outdoor seating and non-stop service for early birds, nightowls and everyone in between.``````SchwarzwaldstubenGERMAN ££(schwarzwaldstuben-berlin.com;Tucholskystrasse 48)In the mood for a Hansel and*UHWHOPRPHQW"7KHQMRLQWKHother ‘lost kids’ for satisfyingslow food from the southwestGerman regions of Baden and6ZDELD7XFNLQWRJXWÀOOLQJSODWWHUVRIVSlW]OHFORVHWRPDF¶Q·FKHHVHPDXOWDVFKHQVWXՖHGravioli-like pasta), giant schnit-]HORUDGDLO\VSHFLDO'LQHDPLGrustic and tongue-in-cheekforest décor or grab a table out-side on the pavement.``````D R I N K I N G://about blank £(aboutparty.net;Markgrafendamm 24c)$WWKLVJULWW\PXOWLÁRRUSDUW\pen with lots of nooks and cran-nies, a steady line-up of top DJsfeeds a diverse bunch of revellersdance-worthy electronic gruel.Intense club nights usually segueLocal knowledge