Buck and Breck is a tiny, sophisticated one-room bar, that makes up for in style what it lacks in size. Walk past the police station and ring the bell to gain access to this modern speakeasy. (With contemporary Mitte polish – discreet, understated and Mer...

Miniloft guests often ask me where they can see Berlin cabaret, in the raucous tradition of the Weimar Republic. Cabaret as Brecht knew it is a thing of the past. (Although Brecht's Dreigroschenoper and Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny are frequently staged at theatres like Berliner Ensemble - Brecht's own theatre - and Deutsches Theater. If you speak German, these theatres are a must.) Mer...

Head down to Heimathafen Neukölln for Christmas cabaret, Berlin style. The three 'Rixdorf Pearls' break out the tinsel and fill the beautiful old ballroom with festive irreverence. With a healthy sprinkling of kitsch in their holiday cheer, they entertain with classic songs and a certain disregard for political Mer...

It's impossible to have a drink at Kosmetiksalon Babette without marvelling the glamorous architecture of the bar. The 1960's Soviet-Era glass box is on the main drag of Karl Marx Allee (hence KMA 36) the former official parade route of East Berlin. Once a GDR cosmetic salon, the bar sets itself apart from the monolithic concrete apartment blocks as a jewel of modern Mer...

The area north of Miniloft is changing fast, and now there's a great club just a hop, skip and a jump away. We're so happy that one of the last dilapidated, unrenovated buildings on Chauseestraße has been bought by some art-and-party oriented folks, instead of unscrupulous investors looking to make shoddy apartments and lots of Mer...

If the roundabout at Kottbusser Tor is the dirty, seething heart of creative Kreuzberg, the legendary club West Germany is a beating pulse. A small, grungy, venue up a grim staircase through an unmarked entrance, its show schedule may be irregular but they go for quality over quantity, with select concerts (mostly in the rock and experimental noise direction) and art Mer...

Hackbarth has dusky gold walls set off by marine blue tiles, and the rounded bar is trimmed in bright brass. Perhaps this is why the patrons all seem so lovely, the mood so warm and relaxed? If you squint you could swear you were in an Edward Hopper Mer...

One of the many joys of Berlin summer nights is the open air movie cinemas that dot the city, called Freiluftkinos. Freiluftkino Kreuzberg is a favorite among expats due to their original-version programming and smart selection of box-office hits and art-house fare. Settle back into comfy lawn chairs with a beer and a snuggly blanket, in a lovely courtyard in the former Mer...

Kunstfabrik Schlot has been the go-to jazz spot in East Berlin since right after the fall of the wall. Hidden in a back courtyard, it's the perfect night out from the Miniloft apartments, just around the corner. Monday and Thursday evenings there's even free Mer...

Celebrate the crisp days and glorious colors of fall by dancing the night away in the beloved Clärchens Ballhaus, at the "Großer Herbstball". The ballroom extravaganza rings in the glories of the cold seasons (which are, of course, the best time to dance at Clärchens). Mer...

Where once there was only Popkomm, now there is Berlin Music Week, as the music industry consolidates to create a vast 7-day program for music lovers and industry Mer...

Berlin's beloved minimal techno is great and all, but it can be a bit, well, soulless. If you're feeling the urge to move your hips and really get down and dance, to actual songs, Soul Explosion is the answer: raw, hard funk from obscure original singles, accompanied by video projections with a psychedelic mix of dance scenes and Blaxploitation Mer...

Take advantage of Berlin's beautiful "Weiße Nächte" (short northern summer nights - literally white nights) in the lovely Monbijoupark, perched on the banks of the Spree River across from the handsome Bode Mer...

In the burgeoning art zone north of Hauptbahnhof the folks behind Rodeo Club have opened a new restaurant/bar/terrace, and Resort is already being touted as the hot new place for Mer...

For a stylish evening, head down the road from the Minilofts to Cookies. Famous for being one of the most exclusive clubs in Berlin (granted, in an extremely relaxed city), to get past the door man at Cookies you might actually have to glam up a bit, or at least look like a Mer...

Volksbühne Theater, recently reopened to new glory after a lengthy renovation, towers impressively over Mer...

In Heinz Minki's walled garden, sip a brew and munch on crunchy, tasty pizza under century-old fruit trees bedecked with Mer...

After sampling the wares of the Turkish Market, warm up with a drink at Ankerklause, a quirky, hip nautical-themed bar perched on the bridge over the Mer...