The 8 best clubs in Berlin

Sure, we all know that Berlin’s nightclub scene is one of the best in the world, but with all that choice, it’s not exactly easy to know where to get the most oontz oontz oontz for your Euro -- thankfully, we braved the beats to bring you the eight best clubs in town...

Berghain (address and info)
Friedrichshain
This is the Holy Grail of Berlin’s nightlife. It is located in a former power plant just off Ostbahnhof, which  will truly intimidate you before you reach its inside. The lines are long and the elusive criteria by which the bouncers decide who gets to go in can be a bit frustrating, but once you’re in, you realize that the wait was worth it. Brutal, beautiful, and extreme in every possible way, Berghain is the home of some of the best techno in the world and boasts one of the best sound systems out there.

Salon zur Wilden Renate (address and info)
Friedrichshain
This “wild” club with multiple dance floors is a labyrinth of spaces with kitschy circus-like decoration. In the Summer they host open-air parties with the most varying kinds of music. Located near Berghain, Salon zur Wilden Renate has a similar endless energy. Parties go on until mornings and, on weekends, turn into all-day clubbing experiences. Unlike Berghain, Wilden Renate is relatively easy to get in, particularly if you speak German and don’t arrive as a large group.

Cookies (address and info)
Mitte
Cookies is more of an upscale clubbing option. It offers the best underground house and disco in its central space, but often spices things up with some hip-hop and indie in its second room. Despite being located Uptown amongst Mitte’s posh restaurants and hotels, the staff at Cookies is extremely friendly and relaxed. Those familiar with the place will book a table at its adjoining restaurant upstairs, and continue partying in the club until sunrise.

Weekend Club (address and info)
Mitte
With its sleek design and one of the most prestigious roof terraces in the city, overlooking the famous Fernsehturm TV tower at Alexanderplatz, Weekend has become a famous place among the tourist crowd. Nestled at the rooftop of a former Soviet tower block, now housing mostly office spaces, the club plays house and techno music and hosts the likes of Jazzanova’s Dixon and Trentemøller.

Club der Visionaere (address and info)
Kreuzberg
This place is a proper clubbing venue disguised as a collection of canalside shacks near the Spree in Kreuzberg. Although the club has its own programme, Club Der Visionaere is the perfect after-party place. Serious clubbers come here in the mornings or afternoons and chill near the water with the sounds of minimal techno in the background.

Stattbad (address and info)
Wedding
Want to dance the night away in an empty swimming pool in Wedding? Stattbad is located in one of those ex-industrial buildings that now function as improvised art spaces. Several underground tunnels lead to an empty Olympic-sized swimming pool with the DJ at the deep end. If you are a fan of a more indie kind of electronic music, you'll love it -- it's also the place where the famous Boiler Room DJ livestream events take place.

Club GRETCHEN (address and info)
Kreuzberg
This club is certainly one of the focal points for electronic music in Kreuzberg. Performances at GRETCHEN are mostly electro, house, dubstep, hip-hop, and experimental, and have included acts such as Quantic, Netsy, and Mr. Scruff. The club is named after a character from Goethe’s Faust and is located in a nineteen century building that used to serve as the imperial stables. Today, the old vaulted ceilings reverberate with the sound of some of the most progressive music out there.

White Trash Fast Food (address and info)
Prenzlauer Berg
The rockabilly American staff of White Trash attracts a lot of ex-pats. The club at the corner of Torstrasse and Schönhauser Allee has the gritty atmosphere of a truck stop and has kept the original kitschy décor from the old Chinese restaurant which once stood in its place. In the mood for burgers, beer, and live music? You just hit the sweet spot. The cave-like party space downstairs has a large dance floor and bar, and has often hosted the likes of The Smiths and ex-members of The Libertines.