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Berlin gay guide: Where to eat, drink and stay in the German capital

The best places to visit while staying at nhow Berlin hotel.

By Markus Bidaux

Any stay in Berlin is music to our ears, but when we are being hosted by the nhow Berlin hotel in the city’s Friedrichshain district hits just the right note.

We stayed at the nhow and really felt we could walk to our own beat in the classy but casual design hotel, which boasts two professional recording studios, offers regular live performances and lays claim to the world’s only guitar room service.

nhow Berlin’s Lobby Bar (photo: Mattias Hamren)

Our room had was fun and funky with cotton candy pink bedspreads and a psychedelic purple headboard and flooring and the view over the River Spree wasn’t bad either.

There are several restaurants on-site, including the Terrace for al fresco dining next to the river. The gym is equipped with Precor sports equipment, a Finnish sauna, bio sauna, steam bath and an experience shower! And when the weather is right, you can rent a bike to explore the city.

nhow Berlin

What To Do

Fork and Walk Tours Berlin

Our favourite way to discover a destination in through our stomachs. We were taken around a local neighbourhood food tour taking in pastries, coffee, beer, schnapps, currywurst and an East German hot dog. The company also offers a queer tour of the city.

forkandwalktoursberlin.com

Alternative Berlin


Berlin Wall (photo: Philip Koschel for VisitBerlin)

Berlin is home to the world’s most famous street art on the remains of the Berlin Wall. But the city is full of graffiti and five storey murals so Alternative Berlin’s street art tour is perfect to discover the city’s urban art.

alternativeberlin.com

Flea markets

Trinkets at Mauerpar Flea Market

An antique lover’s paradise, Berlin is the ultimate destination for vintage-item hunters. The liveliest by far is Mauerpark, every Sunday from 10am.

Bernauer Str. 63-64, 13355

What to Eat

Osmans Töchter

Meze at Osmans Töchter

Turkish cuisine cooked fresh every day? Yes, please and can we have second helpings? Osman’s Töchter, or “Osman’s Daughters”, serves up hot and cold meze dishes made just like mama did in the old country.

osmanstoechter.de

Max & Moritz

Max & Moritz

You don’t get much more classic than a meal here. Established in 1902 in cool Kreuzberg and heralding a resplendent interior that echoes classic German vibes, with fare to match. The portions won’t leave you hungry.

maxundmoritzberlin.de

Green Rice

The only thing Berlin loves more than a bratwurst is Vietnamese food. We concur and when it comes to simple yet sensational, Green Rice is unbeatable. We’ve scoured the globe for the best pho soup outside Hanoi — and here it is.

The menu is small with just eight or so options, but each is impeccably served. At around €8 a dish, we’re hooked.

Where to go for a gay night out

Roses Bar

Roses Bar

Berlin’s oldest gay bar. The very definition of cosy and kitsch, it’s located in the heart of Kreuzberg and attracts a righteous mix of queers.

Oranienstraße 187, 10999

CockTail d’Amore

Monthly dirty disco night at Griessmuehle, one of our favourite Berlin venues. Kick-starting on a Saturday night, and typically Berlin in its unpolished interiors, the club comes into its own in the summer months as the party rolls into Sunday and spills out into a sprawling forest-like outdoor open-air party.

Sonnenallee 221, 12059 Neukölln

Revolver

 

KitKatClub at Revolver

The circuit sounds fill a warren of rooms across the club as this monthly night takes over the famous KitKatClub for a night that never fails to deliver in hot boys, bodies and big beats.

Köpenicker Strasse 76, 10179

revolverparty.com

Attitude was hosted by nhow Berlin and Visit Berlin