Yorckschloesschen has run on Yorckstrasse for over 120 years and books jazz, blues, soul, swing and funk Wednesday through Saturday in a smoky old-Berlin saloon with a beer garden.
Tip: Live music Wednesday through Saturday; the kitchen runs until 22:00 weekdays and later on event nights. Cash at the door.
Address: Yorckstrasse 15, 10965 Berlin
Lido reopened in 2006 in a 1950s former cinema on the corner of Cuvry and Schlesische Strasse, booking indie, rock and pop concerts followed by DJ sets near U Schlesisches Tor.
Tip: Standing room only; the floor is flat so arrive early for sightlines. After-show club nights run until early morning.
Astra Kulturhaus on the RAW site in Friedrichshain has run mid-size concerts since 2009, with a programme that covers indie, rock, electro and experimental shows plus DJ-set party nights.
Tip: S-Bahn to Warschauer Strasse is five minutes away; tickets via Eventim for named tours. Coat check is fast.
Festsaal Kreuzberg is a former ballroom on the Arena complex by the Spree, hosting indie, electronic and experimental concerts in a raw industrial hall with a 1,000-capacity standing floor.
Tip: Despite the name the room sits in Treptow, not Kreuzberg; U Schlesisches Tor or S Treptower Park are both walkable.
Privatclub fills the old Schlesisches-Tor post office basement with newcomer bookings, alternative DJ nights and small touring shows on Skalitzer Strasse between Goerlitzer Park and the Spree.
Tip: Capacity is small (around 300); buy ahead for buzz acts. The bar runs cash plus card.
Klunkerkranich runs since 2013 on the top parking deck of the Neukoelln Arcaden mall, with a wraparound view across south Berlin, a small stage, food carts and DJs through the warm months.
Tip: Take the library/post lift to the 5th floor of the mall, then climb one flight. Bad weather closes the deck; check the program first.
Monkey Bar sits on the tenth floor of the 25hours Hotel Bikini with a 250-square-metre room and a terrace overlooking Berlin Zoo, the Gedaechtniskirche and the Tiergarten canopy.
Tip: Queues build after 19:00; weeknight afternoons get the terrace. The signature cocktail is the Berliner Luft.