Berlin for Gay Night Owls and Queer Late Risers

New York is not the only city that never sleeps, Berlin also has a great deal to offer night owls and late risers. Here are five great locations and activities for all those whose day only begins when others are already heading home from work.

Neue Nationalgalerie – Definitely Instagram-worthy

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's building is famous as an icon of modern architecture. Located not far from Potsdamer Platz, this art gallery has a lot more to offer besides its impressive architecture. With top-class modern and contemporary art, the Neue Nationalgalerie attracts a diverse audience. The building is absolutely Instagrammable: both inside and out, the hipness factor is guaranteed. Of particular interest for the late risers is that every Thursday, admission is free from 4 pm. Art can be savoured in peace and quiet until 8 pm. The museum's sculpture garden is wonderful for taking a breather, and the gift shop is also worth seeing. And if you get hungry from all the inspiration, snacks and drinks are available in the Neue Nationalgalerie's café.

Neue Nationalgalerie
Potsdamer Str. 50, 10785 Berlin
Metro Kurfürstenstraße
Website Neue Nationalgalerie

Schwarzes Café in Charlottenburg – Breakfast 24/7

Whenever you're in the mood for a decent breakfast in the late afternoon after a long night, you'll find it on Charlottenburg's most famous street, namely Kantstraße. This street is also known as Berlin's Chinatown due to its numerous Asian restaurants. The Schwarzes Café, by contrast, has an extensive continental menu. Especially the breakfast menu fulfills all Berlin-style wishes, from a Breton breakfast with hot chocolate and croissant, to an English breakfast. If you prefer other hearty options, you can order sandwiches, spaghetti in all variations, schnitzel, or beer. The hardcore clientele will get their money's worth with Absinthe. The Schwarzes Café is open 24/7. A highlight is the setting, complete with its diversity of diners at any time of day - just the thing for late risers to catch up on people-watching!

Schwarzes Café
Kantstr. 148, 10623 Berlin
Metro Uhlandstraße
Website Schwarzes Cafe

Multisexual Karaoke at Monster Ronsons Ichiban Karaoke

Monster Ronson's Ichiban karaoke bar on the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg border is the natural habitat of late risers, and it’s also a queer hotspot. Both fans and critics of the art of pop balladry will have a great time here. Mondays in particular are for multisexual box hopping! This means that all karaoke booths are available – a true insider tip for queers with time on their hands and for people who are traveling alone. Here you can easily meet other queers in Berlin. On the other days of the week there are open stages, performances, and drag shows. The audience is international, but locals also feel at home here. Cultural exchange through the youthful sins of bad taste in music has worked since the dawn of humankind!

Monster Ronsons Ichiban Karaoke
Warschauer Str. 34, 10243 Berlin
Metro Warschauer Straße
Website Monster Ronson Ichiban Karaoke

Spieleabend in der AHA – the Die is Cast!

Activists from the queer scene have been meeting here in the Allgemeine Homosexuelle Arbeitsgemeinschaft - known as AHA - since 1976. The association's premises serve as a platform for a wide range of activities, from hosting political working groups, drag shows, networking meetings, sex parties, to game nights. Every Tuesday from 7 p.m. is game night, which is ideal if you're up late. Drinks and nuts are available at the bar. Regardless of whether it's real classics like Settlers of Catan or unknown gems, there's something for everyone in the extraordinarily extensive game collection. The audience is mixed, and in summer you can even play dice outside in the beer garden until 11 pm.

AHA Berlin
Monumentenstr. 13, 10829 Berlin
Metro Kleistpark
Website AHA Berlin

Dussmann – Late Night Shopping for Culture Junkies

games, DVDs, vinyl, decorations, vegan rubber animals and band T-shirts are available to buy. The Dussmann Kulturkaufhaus in the heart of the city on Friedrichstraße is open until midnight during the week and until 8 pm on Sunday. In the huge Bookshop Plus, you can even make your own records. In addition to an impressive collection of German and English books and comics, Dussmann also has a well-stocked Spanish and French literature collection. In addition, there is a modest but solidly respectable queer section and a great music department: you can listen to old-school analogue music, either on CD, or even vinyl. The comic and DVD section is also worth a mention.

Should the internet crash on a Wednesday night, the queer DVD section will come to the rescue. Please note, however, the in-house Café Ursprung closes at 7 pm.

Dussmann
Friedrichstr. 90, 10117 Berlin
Metro Friedrichstraße
Website Dussmann