Kompas Berlin

26/07/2016

Daffke, Herrfurthplatz 7, 12049.

With its unassuming exterior, Daffke could pass even the most eagle-eyed daytime visitor to Schillerkiez’s picturesque Herrfurthplatz by.
Yet, as soon as the clock strikes 7pm, those in the know start to gather for a drink or two and the bar evolves into a hive of activity.
Visitors are attracted by the reasonable prices (€2,50 for a large beer), electric atmosphere and – most importantly – the vintage pool table.
It doesn’t get much better than Daffke if you’re looking for a place to wile away the evening hours with mates in achingly cool surroundings.
Our tip? Make sure you get there before the nearby Tempelhofer Feld closes at around 10pm if you want to be sure of a table.

U8 Boddinstraße.

Price - 9
Atmosphere - 8
Quality - 8
Overall - 8

11/06/2016

Tip: if you don't want to wait in long lines to see the dome of the Reichstag, don't worry, there is another way: go for afternoon tea. You can book afternoon tea in advance online which has a much shorter waiting list than trying to book just the dome. The restaurant is located at the top of the Reichstag giving you a birds eye view over Berlin as you enjoy your food and coffee. After afternoon tea you get the audio guide and can walk up the dome.

31/05/2016

Vagabund Taproom, Antwerpener Straße 3, 13353

Craft beer is taking Berlin by storm with new boutique breweries popping up left, right and centre. And boy, are we happy about it! 🍺🍻
One of the older hands on the scene is the Vagabund Taproom. Set up and run by a charming team of American expats, this Wedding establishment is the place to go to get your fix of beery goodness.
From the kooky Leipzig Gose beer to the good old English staple of Pale Ale, the selection at the Taproom is brilliant – and remarkably reasonably priced to boot. Even better, perhaps, is the fact that most of the beers that are on tap are brewed locally at the Vagabund Brauerei, the sister brewery that also offers brew courses (€125 for a whole day).

U6 Seestraße.

Price - 9
Quality - 9
Atmosphere - 9
Overall - 9

28/05/2016

Built in 1957 in the heart of Berlin, the newly built Zoo Palast quickly became the main cinemas of the city and the home of the Berlinale. Here big movie premieres were celebrated with numerous national and international stars like James Stewart, Sophia Loren, Jodie Foster and Tom Hanks. The unique ambience of the cinema with its impressive oval ceiling that looked like a starry sky by spot lights and simultaneously lit up the room, avid movie stars and film buffs alike.
The large hall with its 773 comfortable chairs has a Dolby ATMOS class facility. It is optimized with 40 channels for the house. The maximum capacity is 155,000 watts.
The speakers were partly designed specifically for this space.The result: each of the 89 speakers is oriented so that in fact the visitors can enjoy in every seat a great sound.
Cinema’s 2-5 hold between 150 and 273 guests including wheelchair spaces and box seats. The club cinema’s A and B hold up to 39 guests and is the perfect place for a private party – club cinema B even has its own bar beside the screen. The club cinemas are designed as if they were libraries with bookshelves and books lining the walls.

ADDRESS
ZOO Berlin PALACE
Hardenbergstraße 29A
10623 Berlin
Cash opening times:
daily 10:30 to 23:30
S Bahn: Zoologischer Garten

23/05/2016

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22/05/2016

Kulturbrauerei, Schönhauser Allee 36, 10435 Berlin

A familiar sight on those Prenzlauer Berg cobbles, the Kulturbrauerei’s Liebe (Love) installation is a magnet for tourists, Instagrammers and tipsy clubbers alike. Often moved around but always there, the sign perfectly reflects the friendly, chilled atmosphere of this multi-purpose courtyard – whether that’s during Sunday’s Street Food auf Achse market or one of Soda Club’s craziest High Fidelity party nights. Clamber onto one of the hollow metal letters and become part of the artwork while other visitors snap your inventive poses. Who needs Amsterdam? -HB

21/05/2016

Cafe am Neuen See is the perfect day out in the sun. They have an inside coffee house and an outdoor bar. They have a selection of beers, wines, grilled and crispy pizzas. The cafe is situated right next to a lake which you can rent a boat for. The cafe is surrounded by trees and the lake - the perfect atmosphere for a relaxing afternoon. Visitors can sit in the beer garden until after sunset while enjoying draft beer, Bavarian and Italian specialties: homemade pretzels and meatloaf. The restaurant offers all year round in a quit area of fresh seasonal and regional dishes. They even offer a varied breakfast according to your wishes.

Opening times:

Restaurant - daily from 9am
Beer garden:
Monday - Friday from 11am
Saturday - Sunday from 10am

Lichtensteinallee 2
10787 Berlin
Germany
S Bahn: tiergarten

20/05/2016

Körtestraße 12, 10967 Berlin

Hunched over and dismissive, her bored gaze out over Körtestraße seems almost like a challenge to the Kreuzbergers walking to and fro below. This unhappy angel fell to earth in summer 2014 and since then she’s silently looked out over this trendy East Berlin street. What’s Angie’s problem? We guess only the guys at Xi Design know that.
“Urban design at its finest” is Xi’s motto. All their works are handmade, sprayed manually onto facades and walls wherever they’re requested – just like Angie was, by the Roggenbruck family at Körtestraße 12.
Describing themselves as one of Berlin’s strongest trend-orientated communications firms, Xi Design create works that “capture the ongoing attention and fantasies of the beholder.” You’re meant to have room to breathe when you look at a Xi masterpiece. Room to make up your own mind about what’s going on. And we’re definitely still trying to figure out what’s going on with Angie… -HB

See Angie being created at youtube.com/watch?v=0Q-l29a6I0Q

16/05/2016

One of our team has been out in Bangkok, presenting the company at the World Final of the Global Student Entrepreneurs Award. Recognised as one of the best entrepreneurs in the UK, he represented the country as he took on competitors from 50 countries across the world. It doesn't stop there though! We're currently ranked in the top 50 of 5000 entrants in the Virgin award where we hope to pitch to Richard Branson! We need your support though! Please help us by going to www.bit.ly/vmbvoom and allow us to keep doing what we doing; creating your pocket guide to the world's urban jungles.

15/05/2016

Torstrasse 125, 10119 Berlin

Just across from our old favourite Sankt Oberholz, „My House on the Lake” is another Rosenthaler Platz watering hole that works just as well for a cosy afternoon coffee as it does for head-spinning cocktails and live DJ tunes.
Day or night, this retro-looking lounge is a place to relax, enjoy life and be seen by all the right people. Like, literally: the funky tiered seating means you’ll probably end up being on display whether you like it or not.
At around €6.50-10 the cocktail menu’s both extensive and varied – and from the rhubarb-based “Gin & Juice” and spicy ginger “Moscow Mule” to an intriguing-sounding “Cherry Smash” you’re guaranteed mouthwatering flavor combinations and utmost sophistication (they’re a stickler for rules here: our request for more gin with our juice earned an apologetic “no”.)
The best news, though? It’s open 24/7. So when the rest of the city shuts down (-pft, as if. This is Berlin) you’re guaranteed a spot on the sofa at Mein Haus am See. You might have to get a couple of people to budge up, though… -HB

http://www.mein-haus-am-see.club/

08/05/2016

KunstHof Berlin, Oranienburger Str. 27, 10117 Berlin

Feeling artsy? Here’s a spot to check out while the rain stays away.
KunstHof Berlin - just off Oranienstraße - is one of Berlin’s few preserved living and trading courtyards. Dating back to the late 18th Century, it’s a picturesque cobbled courtyard stuffed full of creative gems.
Grab some bite-sized art from a vending machine (something we checked out back in March), sip tea on traditional cushions in the Tajiki tea house (or cocktails in Que Pasa – whichever floats your boat!) and pick up some handcrafted goodies in one of the courtyard’s independent craft shops. We found ourselves fawning over Berlin artist Katja Wiedermann’s floral creations in Berlin Décor.
Also worth checking out is the Berlin ART CRU Gallery – the first gallery in the city to specifically promote works by artists with disabilities.
Taking a stroll down Oranienstraße? Definitely don’t let KunstHof pass you by. -HB

http://www.kunsthof-berlin.de/

07/05/2016

Within walking distance of the East Side Gallery, Matrix club and Berghain, Tiki Heart cafe is perfectly located in the heart of Kreuzberg. Tiki Heart also has a shop down the stairs which is stuffed with 1950's memorabilia. The main attraction of the Tiki Heart Cafe is their game-changing burgers, the meat is made with whisky and is a must try for meat lovers. You will not be disappointed. The interior is unique for even a Berlin Cafe. Totem Poles, Aztec carvings and Elvis pictures are just a couple of the many strange yet wonderful ornaments hanging from the walls daubed in the sun splashed colours of the South Pacific. Customers can pick up a stool at the cocktail bar or sit back and relax into a wicker peacock throne at a table.
Breakfast is offered until 5pm and they even have their own 'bikers breakfast'.

Address: Wiener Straße 20
10999 Berlin
Germany

U-Bahn: Görlitzer