Early Birds and Night Owls: Berlin Is Always Awake

Whether an early riser or a late owl, Berlin keeps up with your circadian rhythm, offering appeasing activities no matter the hour.

Here are six suggestions for both night owls and early birds looking for a break from the Berlin Film Festival.

Early Riser: Run through Tiergarten

Mitte

With 14 miles of gravel running trails, Tiergarten is Berlin’s haven for runners of all types and a great way to see many of Berlin’s important landmarks, such as the  Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, Bellevue Palace Congress Hall, the Chancellor’s Office, the remnants of the Berlin Wall and the Soviet War Memorial. You will discover gardens, ponds, and even the zoo on this jaunt.

For the Night Owl: Coda

Friedelstraße 47

From Chef René Frank, Coda is a 15-course, two-star Michelin “dessert” restaurant meant to be a complete fine-dining experience. Here, dessert is the protagonist, and within this scene, you will discover complex yet harmonious flavors in concert, savory, salty, bitter and umami, as well as visionary reinterpretations and deconstructions. Expect seasonal, ecologically sustainable base ingredients that all influence natural sweetness. This is a far cry from tiramisu and cheesecake. Conventional menu distinctions such as starter, main course and dessert are nonexistent. Pastry techniques create dishes such as golden beet gummy bears, caviar popsicles, raclette waffles with kimchi and yogurt and brioche with gouda and turnip caramel. Each course comes with a pairing drink that complements the flavors; there are also wine flights and a personalized selection of sips from the Coda wine list.

Early Riser: Spree River

The 8.9-mile route along the Spree River takes about three and a half hours to complete and is popular with cyclists and walkers. If you hit it just right, this is a beautiful place to watch the sunrise over Berlin while taking in some of its best sights, set against the backdrop of its network of canals.

For the Night Owl: Liquidrom 

10 Möckernstraße

It’s hard to believe something as extraordinary as the Liquidrom exists, and what’s doubly difficult to comprehend is that it isn’t everywhere. Imagine floating in a saltwater pool for two hours while listening to techno in a structure that looks like it landed out of a science fiction novel. Located in what once was a massive World War II-era train station, you’ll find three types of saunas and baths and a large saltwater floating pool with multi-colored lights and underwater music. Check online for the musical programming and DJ schedule, including Float with Lights, Electro Vibes and Chill House Beats. 

Early Riser: Bonanza Coffee

Alte Schönhauser Str. 15

Created for serious coffee drinkers, Berlin caters to those who like their juice from beakers served by chemists rather than baristas. A mecca for third-wave coffee aficionados, every order comes with a standard double shot. The temptation will be to take the beans home and you should, as Berlin—with the help of places like Bonanza—has gained serious coffee culture cred from bean-snobs throughout the world.

For the Night Owl: Bar at Château Royal 

Neustädtische Kirchstrasse 3

Over the past decade, Berlin underwent a hotel boom, and Château Royal is the main character in that conversation. For those who thirst for the quintessential hotel bar for late-night meet-ups, the bar at Château Royal has your number written on the back of a cocktail napkin. Cocktailing becomes storytelling through vessels like the “Negroni Sous Vide,” where Amalfi lemon and Sicilian blood orange peel are prepared at 62 degrees to extract the essential oils and harmonize the flavors. For a real hideout, duck into the Kaminzimmer, an intimate fireplace room with low lighting and cozy sofas.