Das Klo ★ 3.5
€€charlottenburgMon-Sat 19:01 to late, closed Sun
Das Klo near Ku'damm has run a toilet-themed novelty pub since 1971 with toilets as seats, urinal-bottle beers, test-tube shots and animatronic puppets.
Tip: Tourist trap that locals respect; arrive after dinner for the full effect. Group bookings welcomed.
Cafe Cinema ★ 3.9
€mitteDaily 12:00-04:00
Cafe Cinema beside the Hackesche Hoefe runs as a dim, smoky room with old film posters, mismatched antique furniture and a clientele that holds the place.
Tip: Cash easier than card; the back room is quieter. Stays open until 04:00 most nights.
Diener Tattersall ★ 4.1
€charlottenburgMon-Sat 18:00 to late, closed Sun
Diener on Grolmanstrasse runs as the West Berlin artists' pub, with around 500 portrait photos of actors and writers on the wood-panelled walls.
Tip: Open from 18:00; closed Sundays. Knockwurst with sauerkraut and a beer is the order.
Berghain ★ 4.9
€€friedrichshainKlubnacht Sat 23:59 to Mon 12:00 approx, Halle and Saeule additional nights
Berghain occupies a former Vattenfall power plant in Friedrichshain and remains the canonical Berlin techno club, with Sven Marquardt's door and Klubnacht.
Tip: No phones inside, no logo'd clothes, no big groups. Klubnacht queue moves all weekend; small groups in black after 04:00 fare better than 23:00 lines.
Tresor ★ 4.6
€€mitteWed 23:00 to late, Fri 23:00 to late, Sat 23:00 to Sun afternoon
Tresor moved from its original Leipziger Platz vault to the Kraftwerk powerhouse on Koepenicker Strasse in 2007 and still books the harder end of Berlin.
Tip: The Globus floor upstairs runs broader house; the cavernous Tresor floor downstairs is where the kick-drum lives. Cash only at the bar.
KitKatClub ★ 4.3
€€mitteFri 23:00 to Sat afternoon, Sat 23:00 to Sun afternoon, Mon 23:00 to Tue morning
KitKatClub shares an industrial building with Sage Club on Koepenicker Strasse and runs an enforced fetish dress code, with tech-house and trance nights.
Tip: Dress code is enforced at the door (leather, latex, lingerie or skin); jeans and street wear are turned away. Lockers and changing rooms at the entrance.