What are you in the mood for in January? Fresh fish, Levantine or French cuisine, vegan giga-cookies or the new hip snack food variations made out of corn? In addition to many culinary highlights, Berlin's art and culture world is also reinventing itself in January. Christopher Bauder presents Vektor, a new immersive light and sound sculpture at Kraftwerk, a collective brings art to a former Primark branch and the makers of Himmel unter Berlin lure you to lofty Berlin heights with their new concept "Dark Rooms Vertical".
Tip 1: New initiative ZIK brings art to the shopping centre
Primark is gone - PrimArt is coming: and so you can currently find a gallery with a café, a cabaret, a marketplace and even a pop-up skate park in the Schloss-Straßen-Center in Steglitz. PrimArt will not be the only project by the collective behind ZIK, which stands for Zentrum für Internationale Kunst (Centre for International Arts) or Zeit ist kurz (Time is Short). We are curious already to see which spaces the team will be occupying in the future. An exciting example of alternative urban development.
When: Schloss-Straßen-Center, Walther-Schreiber-Platz 1, Steglitz
Where: Wednesday to Saturday 2-9pm
Tip 2: The newly opened Mored serves Levantine cuisine in a location with mysterious history
The location is legendary: in the 90s, floosies toasted their guests here on red plush sofas. Now chef Yotam Alon has opened his new restaurant in the former Villa Rasputin. With Mored by Yotke, the former CEO of the Bellboy Bar takes you back to the Levantine cuisine of his childhood. The concept combines Israeli-Arab culture with European influences. The menu sometimes features classic dishes, sometimes innovative interpretations - always subtly flavoured and stylishly served. He also works with a wide variety of preparation methods, which on the one hand tastes good and on the other hand does justice to the zero waste approach.
When: Tuesday & Wednesday 6 pm - 11 pm, Thursday to Saturday 6 pm - midnight
Where: Münstersche Straße 11, Wilmersdorf
Tip 3: Immerse yourself in Christopher Bauder's new world of light and sound
From February, light artist Christopher Bauder will be presenting Vektor, a new audiovisual installation at the Kraftwerk. This time, you will be immersed in the thoughts and feelings of the artist himself, who has also composed the soundtrack to his art installation for the first time. Distant church bells remind you of Bauder's childhood, the sound of the sea of his island of longing and early techno tracks of dancing the night away in Berlin in the late 90s. As with Skalar or Deep Web, you also wander through room-filling laser light installations that move and change with the sound and flood the entire monumental Kraftwerk, a former power station, with light and sound.
Tip: Another typical Berlin art experience comes from the makers of Himmel unter Berlin. With Dark Rooms Vertical , they take you to a secret place where you can discover various immersive installations.
When: 1 February to 7 April, Tuesday to Thursday 2 pm - 10 pm, Friday & Saturday 12 pm - 11 pm, Sunday 12 pm - 10 pm
Where: Kraftwerk, Köpenicker Straße 70, Mitte
Tip 4: Dine like in France at the newly opened Le Consulat
The saddle of venison comes with a hint of chocolate, the yellow carrot in demi-glace: at Le Consulat, you dine the French way. Not necessarily a tip for vegans, but for anyone who wants to indulge their palate with exquisite and sometimes unusual flavours. How about porcini mushroom ice cream on a buckwheat galette with spinach concentrate, juniper vinegar and cocoa caviar? Bon appetit!
When: soft opening daily from 5 pm
Where: Leibnizstraße 46, Charlottenburg
Tip 5: Stadtbad Tiergarten reopens with a new climbing wall
The refurbishment took four years, but the Tiergarten municipal swimming pool is now a real sight to behold. In addition to the façade and energetic improvements, all the pools have now been re-tiled, the technology modernised and the changing rooms and showers renewed. The climbing wall, which invites you to boulder at the diving pool, is completely new. Into the water!
When: Monday to Friday from 6.30 am, Saturday & Sunday 9 am - 5 pm
Where: Seydlitzstraße 7, Tiergarten
The most beautiful swimmingpools in Berlin
Tip 6: Houtang - the new hot pot spot directly on Kudamm
Embark on a journey to Chengdu in the 1930s. The furnishings made of bamboo, wood and red lanterns are reminiscent of the tea rooms and marketplaces of the time. You will prepare your own hot pot, from choosing the broth to the various fresh ingredients, which you will then cook directly at the table.
When: Monday to Sunday 12pm - 11pm
Where: Kurfürstendamm 175, Charlottenburg
Tip 7: Burgermeister brings Berlin burgers to all neighbourhoods
From insider tip to successful brand: after the first legendary location in a former toilet block at Schlesisches Tor, Burgermeister has now established itself as a successful brand. Four new locations are planned for 2024 in Berlin - on Mehringdamm, Hermannplatz, Friedrichstraße and Schloßstraße in Steglitz.
When: at the Schlesisches Tor underground station Sunday to Thursday 11 am - 2 am, Friday & Saturday 11 am - 4 am
Where: different locations in Berlin
Tip 8: Turbulence will also bring a festival atmosphere to the former TXL airport in 2024
Berlin will have a permanent, new official rave spot in 2024. Last year, the Turbulence TXL team launched a new format under the motto Liftoff in front of the former airport canteen on the grounds of Tegel Airport. The mini-festival with DJs, performances, food trucks and lots of nice places to get together made it to number 13 on TimeOut magazine's list of the top 20 "best things to do in the world". Congratulations! We think Turbulence is a great addition to everything that is already being developed on the Urban Tech Republic site. Why not join one of the free guided tours - and find out more about Berlin's neighbourhood of the future.
When: in planning
Where: TXL, Tegel
Urban Tech Republic - Berlin TXL
Tip 9: New snack ideas with corn - Amaize
Since December, a new food spot has been delighting the Kreuzberg scene with an unusual snack idea. Berlin's only corn snack bar serves the golden grain in a wide variety of flavours. Look forward to fiery corn ribs, corn balls, corn crisps, corn on the cob, corn and celery soup and much more. Simply Amaize-ing!
When: Tuesday to Sunday, 12 - 8 pm
Where: Zossener Straße 20, Kreuzberg
Tip 10: New opening in the Rosenhöfe - Dat Cookie
A sweet surprise now awaits you at the Rosenhöfe in Berlin's Mitte district. Just follow the scent and find your favourite biscuit. In addition to classic flavours such as chocolate chip or peanut butter bliss, there are also seasonal specials. All cookies are vegan, huge and so beautifully decorated that they look like sweet pieces of jewellery in the cookie counter.
When: daily 12 - 7 pm
Where: Rosenthaler Straße 36, Mitte
Tip 11: Cordo takes you into the "water" with a new concept
From the end of January, Berlin's Michelin-starred restaurant Cordo will be relaunching as a seafood bar with the beautiful name Wasser. Thanks to the young, Hanseatic chef Yannic Stockhausen, who incidentally already had his chef's hat on at Cordo and served delicious fish sandwiches to-go during the coronavirus pandemic, we are sure that the leap into the deep end will definitely be a success. The menu features - of course - fish and seafood. It's best to book now!
When: from 24 January
Where: Große Hamburger Straße 32, Mitte
11 tips for Seafood restaurants in Berlin
You can find even more new openings in Berlin here
