Top Bars in Germany

Little Link ★ 4.8

Little Link on Maastrichter Strasse in Cologne's Belgisches Viertel is an award-winning cocktail bar; named Germany's most innovative bar for seasonal drinks.

Le Lion Bar de Paris ★ 4.8

Le Lion Bar de Paris on Rathausstrasse in Hamburg's Altstadt is Joerg Meyer's classic cocktail room since 2007 and the cradle of the 2008 Gin Basil Smash.

TipRing the buzzer at Rathausstrasse 3; dress code smart. The Gin Basil Smash is the house pour.

Schwarze Traube ★ 4.7

Schwarze Traube on Muskauer Strasse in Kreuzberg has run a no-menu bespoke cocktail room since 2012; tell the bartender a spirit and a profile and they build.

TipNo menu. Tell the bartender a spirit and a taste profile. Ring the bell, reservations by email; small room, 18 covers.

Velvet ★ 4.7

Velvet on Ganghoferstrasse in Neukoelln is a hyperseasonal cocktail room from a small team that resets the menu every week around foraged Berlin plants.

TipThe menu rewrites weekly so ask the bartender what is on this week, and skip Tuesday (lab day).

ONA MOR ★ 4.7

ONA MOR on Roonstrasse in Cologne's Kwartier Latäng is listed on Cologne Tourism for craft cocktails and DJ nights in a lively neighbourhood bar room.

Toddy Tapper ★ 4.7

Toddy Tapper on Schillingstrasse in Cologne's Agnesviertel is a South Asian-inspired cocktail bar mixing drinks with coconut toddy and tamarind infusions.

Schumann's Bar am Hofgarten ★ 4.7

Charles Schumann's Schumann's Bar on Munich's Odeonsplatz is the city's classic American bar; the room transitions from restaurant to cocktail hour around.

TipClosed Saturdays; the smaller Camparino next door and the upstairs Fleurs du Mal are quieter rooms.

Zephyr Bar ★ 4.7

Zephyr Bar in Munich's Glockenbach since 2011 runs Lukas Motejzik's experimental cocktail programme; the room won Mixology Bar Team of the Year 2025.

TipWalk in early or be queued; the bar's house creations rotate seasonally.

Buck and Breck ★ 4.6

Buck and Breck on Berlin's Brunnenstrasse has run an unmarked speakeasy cocktail bar since 2010; 14 seats around a single bar, classic and pre-Prohibition.

TipUnmarked door, ring the bell. Reservations only via email; the bar opens at 19:00 with two seatings.

Victoria Bar ★ 4.6

Victoria Bar on Berlin's Potsdamer Strasse in Tiergarten has been the city's reference classic-cocktails bar since 2001; the long brass-and-leather room.

TipWalk-ups for the bar from 18:30; the back banquettes need a phone call. Closed-door cocktail school runs Monday afternoons.

Beckett's Kopf ★ 4.6

Beckett's Kopf on Berlin's Pappelallee in Prenzlauer Berg has run a no-menu classic cocktail bar since 2004; the room is named after Samuel Beckett's head.

TipNo menu. Tell the bartender what you like; the Old Fashioned and the Negroni are the room's defaults.

Rum Trader ★ 4.6

Rum Trader on Fasanenstrasse is the oldest cocktail bar in Berlin, behind an unmarked black door trimmed in gold off Charlottenburg's Fasanenstrasse.

TipRing the bell, dress up a touch, and let Scholl steer the round. Cash only, closed Sundays and Mondays.

Seiberts Classic Bar ★ 4.6

Seiberts Classic Bar on Friesenwall in Cologne is one of the city's classic hotel bars, featured in the 150 Bars book with an elegant cocktail list.

Rosebud Bar ★ 4.6

Rosebud Bar on Heinsbergstrasse in Cologne's Kwartier Latäng has operated since 1991; a neighbourhood bar with a curated cocktail list and reliable crowd.

Christiansen's Fine Drinks and Cocktails ★ 4.6

Christiansen's Fine Drinks on Pinnasberg in Hamburg's St Pauli has poured classic cocktails since 1997, with over 850 spirits including 250 whiskies.

TipClosed Sundays. Weekend nights run until 04:00; weekday nights close at 02:00.

Bar Gabányi ★ 4.6

Bar Gabányi on Munich's Beethovenplatz is Stefan Gabanyi's speakeasy-style cocktail room since 2012; a deep whisky collection and live piano on weekend.

TipOpen Wed-Sun only; the latest opening is Friday and Saturday at 05:00.

Lamm Bar ★ 4.5

Lamm Bar on Berlin's Wisbyer Strasse at the northern edge of Prenzlauer Berg runs a craft cocktail bar local mixologists recommend to each other.

TipOpen Mon-Sat 18:00-00:00 and Sun 17:30-23:30. Reservations for groups up to 15 until 20:00; otherwise walk-up to the bar.

Monkey Bar Cologne ★ 4.5

Monkey Bar in Cologne's Friesenviertel at Im Klapperhof mixes cocktails and hosts DJ nights; a reliable Belgian Quarter evening starting point.

Brauerei Paeffgen ★ 4.5

Brauerei Paeffgen bar on Friesenstrasse is the city's oldest independent Brauhaus; hand-brewed Kölsch served by kobes from the historic chestnut garden.

Bar Tausend ★ 4.4

Bar Tausend on Berlin's Schiffbauerdamm runs an unmarked door under the train tracks at Friedrichstrasse station; the bar runs late, the cantina kitchen.

TipUnmarked door under the train tracks, the entrance is a side gate. The bar from 20:30 runs cocktails until 04:00.

Bar Bonvivant ★ 4.4

Bar Bonvivant on Berlin's Goltzstrasse in Schoeneberg runs the city's reference vermouth bar with 50 bottles on the back wall; the cocktail list.

TipThe walk-up bar takes early-evening crowds; the back booth seats four and books online a week ahead.

The Curtain Club ★ 4.4

The Curtain Club at the Ritz-Carlton on Potsdamer Platz runs an elegant cocktail room behind heavy drapes off the hotel lobby, the carte built around.

TipHotel bar, smart-casual at minimum. Daily 18:00-01:00; the live-music nights pack the room early.

Stagger Lee ★ 4.4

Stagger Lee on Berlin's Nollendorfstrasse in Schoeneberg runs a 1920s American whiskey bar with 200 bourbons, the music is bluegrass and country.

TipClosed Sunday and Monday. The bourbon tasting flight of three is the order to start.

Reingold ★ 4.4

Reingold on Novalisstrasse in Mitte is a low-lit 1920s cocktail lounge favoured by Berlin's media and advertising crowd, classic-era drinks set to recorded.

TipRing the bell, dress up a touch. Quieter mid-week before 22:00; the room fills late on weekends.

Gaffel am Dom ★ 4.4

Gaffel am Dom at Cologne's main station forecourt pours Gaffel Kölsch from 10-litre table taps facing the Cathedral; Friday sing-alongs from 22:30.

The Tiny Cup ★ 4.4

The Tiny Cup mixes cocktails below Seven Swans in Frankfurt's narrowest house on the Mainkai, the starred kitchen's after-hours sibling and equal in craft.

TipSqueeze in before or after a Seven Swans booking; the seasonal menu leans on the same permaculture farm as the restaurant.

naïv ★ 4.4

naïv is Frankfurt's craft beer bar of record on Fahrgasse, with rotating taps and a house lager poured nightly until 01:00 to a walk-in crowd.

TipNo evening reservations by policy; the taps change weekly, and the bottle shop at number 8 handles the take-home cravings.

YALDY ★ 4.4

YALDY doubles as the Bahnhofsviertel's most relaxed cocktail room in Frankfurt, Bib Gourmand snacks backing the drinks until 02:00 at weekends.

TipOrder food early and drink late; the kitchen's shared plates outclass every other bar menu on the street.

The Boilerman Bar Altes Hafenamt ★ 4.4

The Boilerman Bar at the 25hours Hotel Altes Hafenamt in Hamburg's HafenCity runs a rum and highball programme, with the entrance on Ueberseeboulevard near U.

TipBar manager Jonas Buchsein leads the highball list, on the team since 2022 and bar manager since the late-2025 refresh. Walk-in seats available most nights.

The Chug Club ★ 4.4

The Chug Club on Taubenstrasse in Hamburg's St Pauli is Betty Kupsa's agave-spirit shrine, with stained-glass windows, a church-like back bar and a long list.

TipOpen Mon to Thu and Sun 18:00-01:00, Fri and Sat 18:00-02:00. Masterclass nights run on the Chug Club's events calendar.