Schwarzes Café

Schwarzes Café is a Berlin institution synonymous with the glamorous West. It draws an eclectic crowd now, as it did in the '80s when David Bowie and Iggy Pop were regulars. You’ll have to wait to be seated and might even be turned away on a Friday or Saturday night, but this is Berlin—were you even here if you weren’t rejected from somewhere? Once you’re through the neon parrot entrance, head up the staircase and grab a table in the impressive first-floor room, with its dominating disco ball, ornate ceiling, and small balcony that smokers squeeze onto. Don’t bother leafing through the extensive menu—order a gin basil smash, since theirs is the best in the city. 

Until recently, this was a 24-hour spot, though it’s still considered a late-night hangout, and you can order food at any time, even in the early hours. No visit to Schwarzes Café is complete without a trip to the toilets, where you’ll find a lip-shaped basin and potentially awkward heart-shaped hatch separating the two cubicles. It’s cash only, so make sure you bring enough for a few rounds and a 2am breakfast.