The Best Gay Bars in Berlin: Looking for the best gay bars in Berlin? From the longstanding gay bars in Schöneberg, to some of the most notorious cruising bars in the world, the guide covers the best gay bars in Berlin for whatever style of night out you are looking for.
Berlin’s gay scene is insane (in a good way) by most countries’ standards! There are gay bars in Berlin with something for everyone and everyone is welcome, it it after all one of the top gay cities in Germany.
It’s worth pointing out that Berlin is well known for its positive and ‘matter of fact’ attitude when it comes to getting intimate so don’t be surprised to find a those type of spaces as standard in most gay bars and gay clubs in Berlin.
I have split this post into two parts: the first half focused on the more typical gays bar in Berlin before moving on to the gay cruising bars in Berlin – this is probably the route your night will take after all!
I have a full gay guide to Berlin you should also check out as well as a list of the best gay and gay friendly hotels in Berlin so you can plan to stay near some of these gay bars,
Here are some of my favourite gay bars in Berlin to visit.
In a rush? Here is my shortlist of the best gay bars in Berlin:
- Prinzknecht – best for socialising.
- Hafen – relaxed, local vibe and a good place to start.
- Lab-oratory – best for those looking for a wild experience .
- Berghain – best to rave all weekend long.
Gay Area of Berlin
You could feasibly say the entire city, however the ‘official’ gay area of Berlin is Schöneberg whose LGBT community dates back to the 1920s! Of course, this is where many of the gay bars in Berlin can be found.
However, unlike most cities, you will still find a gay scene elsewhere including Kreuzberg/Friedrichshain and Prenzlauer Berg/Berlin Mitte.
Best Gay Bars in Berlin
Prinzknecht
This is one of the best gay bars in berlin to start your night, especially since they often have 2-4-1 drinks specials.
The crowd here is quite mixed but tends to be slightly older. They do play a huge variety of music and we somehow managed to get them to play back to back Ariana followed by Cher which seem a bit out of place but made us happy!
The main thing about this bar for us was that it was fun, friendly and gave off good vibes. There is also a dimly lit area downstairs that you can check out.
Address: Fuggerstraße 33, 10777 Berlin, Germany
Hafan
This bar is a little bit more casual to ease you in to the gay scene here in Berlin. Another good option to for the start of you gay night out in Berlin.
It is in the heart of Schöneberg and is a popular gay bar with regular events, parties and quiz shows.
Address: Motzstraße 19, 10777 Berlin, Germany
Blond
The gay bar in Berlin describes itself as a Coffeebar during the daytime and a cocktail bar during the nighttime with over 80 cocktails available.
They have music, events and a comfy ‘retro gay’ atmosphere. If you want something low-key and fun, check out Blond.
Address: Eisenacher Str.3a, 10777 Berlin, Germany
Heile Welt
This is one of the more relaxed gays bars in Berlin and is deemed more of a ‘gay cafe bar’.
Great for pre-drinks before you head out.
Address: Motzstraße 5, 10777 Berlin, Germany
More Gay Bars in Berlin…
Start with the bars above and if you need more then there are many more to choose from including Redgold1, Pinocchio, TABASCO, Dreizehn, Tramp’s, and K6.
Gay Cruising Bars in Berlin
I thought a these styles of bars would be incredibly intimidating but because of the open culture here, it felt very relaxed and normal!
If you are from a ‘prudish’ country like me set your worries aside and check one out!
It’s a life experience and of course you don’t have to do anything – all these bars and clubs still have a completely separate bar and drinking area where you can just sit and chat to the locals, who are all extremely friendly!
Lab-oratory
Go big or go home right?
Lab is considered to be one of the largest cruising clubs in the world – especially during big events like Berlin Pride and Snax.
My first experience here was for Berlin Pride. For Berlin Pride, Thursday (double check the dress code) is the night that is most popular and whilst the doors open at 10pm, people are queuing from 8pm onwards.
Layout wise, there are many different areas and levels as well as a bar area.
You will find Lab-oratory underneath the well-known Berghain Club and to access it you must walk to the left past the queue for people wanting to get into Berghain and find the door for Lab-oratory.
On entry, the rules are to change your outfit to match the theme (some nights have themes you need to stick to, please check – no seriously, check), your clothes will be taken away and a number written on your shoulder for your bar tab.
Entry can be paid by card, bar tab has to be paid by cash.
Boyberry
This replaced Toms Bar which used to be very popular. The Boyberry chain comes from Spain and is typically aimed at a younger audience.
It had a surprisingly diverse crowd which was good to see! The upstairs is a well-lit, very social bar to sit and chat. Downstairs they have lots of much darker areas to explore and have your fun.
Club Connection
Currently listed as temporaily closed, so if you are in the area then I suggest you double check.
This is a large cruising club/bar which starts with a bar and dancefloor before moving down to the lower levels where all the action happens.
This is one for a Friday when they have drinks offers on.
Mutschmanns
Mutschmanns is very busy on a Wednesday, attracting a very mixed crowd. For a small cover charge you get entry and 2 drinks vouchers.
Like most of the bars, upstairs is mainly for sitting and chatting and downstairs for everything else.
Berghain
Of course I have to include Berghain, the most infamous techno club in the world.
Whilst is not be a gay club per se, it was originally a gay space and still remains very queer and open minded.
Known for being incrdibly difficult to get into, see my video on TikTok where I explain exactly what my thoughts and observations are on who the club is for and who is getting in.
The focus here is for its techno music, but it really is an anything goes venue with plenty of cruising going on – please go for the right reasons, it felt like such a safe space to be free to be you and do as you please, if its not the kind of night you’d normally go to they will ‘sense’ it and say no.
Timing wise, it opens at midnight on Saturday night, I suggest you arrive at 0900am Sunday morning and spend the day there – best time in my opinion as this is when the locals go.
More gay cruising bars in Berlin….
This is just the tip of the iceberg! I also highly recommend you go to the queer night at Kit Kat Club called piepshow – read more about that in my complete gay guide to Berlin.
Gay Bars in Berlin for First-Time Visitors
I appreciate that some of the gay bars and nightlife in Berlin can be quite intimidating for first time visitors.
If you are new to this type of scene, I recommend focusing your time on the gay bars in Schöneberg such as Prinzknecht and Hafan. These are good entry level bars where you might meet people who can then take you to some of the more wild places, if that is what you fancy!
For more gay cities in Germany, make sure to read my Gay Cologne Travel Guide and my Gay Hamburg Travel Guide.
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