Top 10 Friedrichshain: Hip Places for Gays, Lesbians, and the Queer Community

Before the evening starts, it's a good idea to have a bite to eat, at, for example, Milja and Schäfa. There are many tapas-like dishes on the menu. In addition, Milja und Schäfa offers a great wine list and seasonal cocktail menu, along with a few classic drinks. I like the cosy and pleasant atmosphere, which is created by, among other things, the great interior design.

Milja und Schäfa
Sonntagsstraße 1, 10245 Berlin-Friedrichshain
S Ostkreuz
Website of Milja und Schäfa

Just a few houses away, the pub Sieben is a great place to have your first drinks. With candlelight and a wine spritzer, an Aperol spritz or a beer, it's a really nice place to chat. The crowd is young and fills the pub, even during the week.

Sieben
Sonntagsstraße 7, 10245 Berlin-Friedrichshain
S Ostkreuz

If you are in the mood for high-quality long drinks, you should visit the Goldfisch Bar. It has moved into Grünberger Straße, very close to Boxhagener Platz, the heart of the neighbourhood. Not only do many small streets converge on the 'Boxi', but the market and flea market situated there also make it a popular meeting place. Many people from the neighbourhood are regulars at the Goldfisch Bar. This is down to the good drinks, the great value for money, and the relaxed atmosphere with good (often loud) music.

Goldfisch Bar
Grünberger Straße 67, 10245 Berlin-Friedrichshain
U Frankfurter Tor
Instagram channel of Goldfisch Bar

A drink that always tastes good is guaranteed by the Booze Bar. It is a must for all cocktail enthusiasts because the proprietors make many of their own syrups. If you like, you can try out your special requests here or get new ideas from the extremely competent bartenders. The sleek, linear interior with a long bar and small tables around it, is reminiscent of a classic cocktail bar. The walls are plastered in one colour and also feature walls of exposed clinker bricks.

Booze Bar
Boxhagener Straße 105, 10245 Berlin-Friedrichshain
U Frankfurter Tor
Facebook page of the Booze Bar

From thongs to boxer shorts to jock straps, the Capture Bar features an assortment of male underwear on the wall. This art installation proclaims that this is an authentic gay bar with its focus on gay men. However, people of non-conforming sexual and gender orientation are also welcome to drop in. The crowd is, as you might expect, friendly and queer, and the clientele often live in the neighbourhood. It usually gets crowded after 9 pm.

Capture Bar
Wühlischstraße 32, 10245 Berlin-Friedrichshain
S + U Warschauer Straße
Facebook page of Capture Bar

Had enough of beer and cocktails? Then try out the wine bar, Place Clichy! The welcoming queer staff always has an idea for a glass of wine perfectly suited to the occasion. Since the prices are also very affordable, this is a great place to discover completely new wines. Many people from the neighbourhood come here for a stimulating chat.

Place Clichy
Simon-Dach-Straße 22, 10245 Berlin-Friedrichshain
S + U Warschauer Straße
Facebook page of Place Clichy

In addition to being both a club and an event location, the Cassiopeia also has a great garden that is open from March to the end of October. Trees, shrubs, flowers, and graffiti create the atmosphere, and you are welcome to sit on the tree containers. Unlike many beer gardens, there are also really comfortable chairs with backrests. The summer garden is the ideal place to linger a bit over an Aperol in the afternoon and early evening. That's what people of all ages and orientations like to do here. There are also events, from pub quizzes to karaoke to stand-up comedy, everything is on offer. Every now and then there are explicitly queer events on the programme. Details can be found on the website.

Cassiopeia Sommergarten
Revaler Straße 99, 10245 Berlin-Friedrichshain
S + U Warschauer Straße
Website of the Cassiopeia

The "Primitiv Bar" was once known for one thing in particular: Shots! Whether vodka or absinthe, there was hardly a brand that the bar didn't stock. In the meantime, however, the team has also learned to love more complex cocktails. White Russian and Gin Basil Smash give the people behind the bar great pleasure simply by preparing them. The team also creates its own cocktail menu for burlesque shows that take place from time to time on the small stage in the bar. And the guests? They like it and also enjoy getting an espresso martini. This is usually accompanied by music that I would describe as a form of Mexicana. The "Primitiv Bar" is very popular with many young queer people, even if it has no rainbow flag above the entrance door to attract attention.

Primitiv Bar
Simon-Dach-Straße 28, 10245 Berlin-Friedrichshain
S + U Warschauer Straße
Facebook page of Primitiv Bar

Fitcher's Vogel is reminiscent of a typical student bar. There are two table-football tables in the bar and a smoking room. The ambience is rustic and the place is ideal for pre-drinks. Its location on the busy and popular Warschauer Straße speaks for itself. Many queers work in the bar and there is always a rainbow flag on the front of the door.

Fitcher‘s Vogel
Warschauer Straße 26, 10243 Berlin-Friedrichshain
S + U Warschauer Straße
Website of Fitcher's Vogel

We recently renovated and reopened Große Freiheit 114. The idea behind it was to create a bar for everyone. The fact that we see ourselves as sex-positive is made clear by the neon lettering inscribed on the wall: 'Orgasm is a Human Right'. In keeping with our name, there is also a darkroom in the back, which is open to everyone. We also organise events on a regular basis: authors present new books, DJs on their decks, sometimes there are performances by drag queens. There are many great drinks on the menu, and we have kept our prices to a bare minimum. To start the night, I would recommend a Basil Bum’s Fizz: gin, basil, lime, and lemon guarantee a refreshing drink every time!

Große Freiheit 114
Boxhagener Straße 114, 10245 Berlin-Friedrichshain
S + U Frankfurter Tor
Instagram channel of Große Freiheit 114

Danjel Zarte, the restaurateur of the Große Freiheit 114 bar, tells the Place2be.Berlin podcast what it's like to run a darkroom pub and what you should look out for as a guest in the darkroom (in German language).

And this is how you get there: The Queer City Pass gives you a ticket for public transport - and on top of that a great discount with lots of partner companies!

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You can find a complete overview of all events for every single da on the event pages of SIEGESSÄULE, Berlin's famous queer city magazine.