11 speakeasies worth the night across Germany, editor-ranked. All Germany guides.
Schwarze Traube ★ 4.7 · Berlin
kreuzberg · Wrangelstrasse 24, 10997 Berlin
Schwarze Traube opened in 2012 on Wrangelstrasse with no menu and no obvious sign; bartenders Atalay Aktas and Yalcin Celik build daily-changing drinks from Markthalle Neun produce for 18 seats.
Tip: Ring the bell; if full nobody enters. No menu, brief the bartender on what you like. Cash plus card.
Schumann's Bar am Hofgarten ★ 4.7 · Munich
altstadt-lehel · Odeonsplatz 6-7, 80539 Munich
Schumann's Bar moved from Maximilianstrasse to Odeonsplatz in 2003 and keeps Charles Schumann's unfussy cocktail discipline intact, with a long counter facing the Hofgarten and a clientele that runs from suits to artists.
Tip: Closed Saturdays. Cocktail names skip the gimmicks; ask the bartender for an off-menu build to your taste.
Buck and Breck ★ 4.6 · Berlin
mitte · Brunnenstrasse 177, 10119 Berlin
Buck and Breck on Brunnenstrasse has run an unmarked Mitte cocktail bar since 2010 with 14 seats around one counter and a classic, pre-Prohibition list led by the cognac-and-champagne house drink.
Tip: Ring the bell at the unmarked black storefront; reservations only via email. Two seatings nightly from 19:00.
Bar Gabányi ★ 4.6 · Munich
altstadt-lehel · Beethovenplatz 2, 80336 Munich
Bar Gabányi opened in 2012 below street level on Beethovenplatz, with Stefan Gabanyi (ex-Schumann's) running a classical American cocktail programme, a deep whisky selection and occasional jazz and chamber-music nights.
Tip: Wednesday and Thursday from 18:00, weekend doors at 20:00; book for chamber-music sets. The whisky list rewards a slow read.
Goldene Bar ★ 4.6 · Munich
altstadt-lehel · Prinzregentenstrasse 1, 80538 Munich
Goldene Bar sits at the back of the Haus der Kunst overlooking the English Garden, with 1937 gilded walls, a wide terrace and Klaus St. Rainer's cocktail programme that won German Bartender of the Year for the room.
Tip: Closed Tuesdays. Daytime cafe service from 11:00; the terrace opens through the warm months and is the seat to chase.
Zephyr Bar ★ 4.5 · Munich
glockenbachviertel · Baaderstrasse 68, 80469 Munich
Zephyr Bar runs a deliberately stripped Glockenbach room on Baaderstrasse with fresh produce stacked behind the counter, house builds like the Chai and Peach Smash and a loud crowd that keeps the seats full late.
Tip: Walk-in only; arrive before 21:00 on Friday and Saturday. Closed Sundays.
Galander Kreuzberg ★ 4.4 · Berlin
kreuzberg · Grossbeerenstrasse 54, 10965 Berlin
Galander on Grossbeerenstrasse occupies an 1889 corner pub that Dominik Galander reopened in 2009 in 1920s style, with leather stools at a dark wooden counter and a deep spirits selection.
Tip: Walk-up only; arrive before 21:00 on Friday and Saturday. Bartender will build to your taste; mention sweet or dry.
Pusser's New York Bar ★ 4.4 · Munich
altstadt-lehel · Falkenturmstrasse 9, 80331 Munich
Pusser's New York Bar opened on Falkenturmstrasse in 1974 as Munich's first dedicated cocktail bar, with mahogany walls, naval memorabilia, a jazz pianist downstairs and the British-Virgin-Islands Painkiller as the house drink.
Tip: The Pianobar downstairs runs Thursday to Saturday from 19:30. Smart-casual dress; the bar rewards a slow conversation.
Wuergeengel ★ 4.3 · Berlin
kreuzberg · Dresdener Strasse 122, 10999 Berlin
Wuergeengel near Kottbusser Tor occupies a former pharmacy with a glass-tiled ceiling and apothecary shelves; the bar runs classic-cocktail service alongside new house recipes and a small wine list.
Tip: No reservations; arrive before 21:00 on weekends. The connected restaurant Gorgonzola Club next door takes overflow.
Negroni Bar ★ 4.3 · Munich
haidhausen · Sedanstrasse 9, 81667 Munich
Negroni opened in 1998 on Sedanstrasse in Haidhausen as a classic American bar, with a tight cocktail list, an Italian-inspired weekly menu and a sun terrace that runs through the warm months.
Tip: Walk-in; bartenders mix off-menu on request. The weekly Italian small-plates list pairs to the cocktails.
The Boilerman Bar ★ 4.2 · Munich
westend · Bahnhofplatz 1, 80335 Munich
Boilerman Bar runs inside the 25hours Hotel The Royal Bavarian at Bahnhofplatz, focused on highballs poured from a tight spirits programme, with a no-reservations door and a loose, walk-in railway-station crowd.
Tip: Highballs are the order; the bartender will adjust soda-to-spirit on request. First-come first-served, no bookings.