VIP spotting

A yardstick for the popularity of the German capital is how often celebrities visit. Encounters with celebrities from many worlds are not uncommon in Berlin – especially in the city's trendy restaurants, bars and clubs. We love to keep an eye on Berlin's celebrity scene and track the latest spot to be found by glamorous stars.

Schnitzel at Borchardt

The Borchardt is famous for its Wiener schnitzel. But it is also renowned for its wealth of stars. On any given evening – if you can get a seat in the restaurant – you are guaranteed to recognise a few faces. Guests include politicians, corporate bosses, stars and starlets.
Also Jennifer Lawrence admitted at the "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2" press conference that she loved the place where she ate Schnitzel.

Celebrities and their favourite restaurants

Bocca di Bacco on Friedrichstrasse is a great place to meet celebrities wanting to partake of elegant Italian food. Matt Damon is known to love the charm of the restaurant with its open kitchen. Last seen here was his colleague George Clooney, who already lived at the Soho House (Mitte) for several weeks. Clooney seems to prefer Asian food, so the Hollywood hunk has been sighted at both Si An in Prenzlauer Berg and Kimchi Princess in Kreuzberg.

Quentin Tarantino is also known to have a soft spot for this Berlin district. During the filming of "Inglourious Basterds" he lived on Berlin's Yorkstraße. Tarantino generally likes things more down to earth. During his last stay in Berlin, he was often seen drinking at the late-night pub crawl hotspot Ankerklause or at the Haifischbar on Arndtstraße. Earlier in the evenings, he was spotted coming out of Clärchens Ballhaus. The director was also often found in the small Knofi restaurant on the Bergmannstraße.

 

What's In = Who's In

After glamorous Hollywood ex-couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie chose Al Contadino Sotto Le Stelle, a small Italian restaurant on Auguststraße, as their favourite restaurant in Berlin, it became THE new meeting place for VIPs: Til Schweiger, Diane Kruger and Penélope Cruz were among those seen there. Brangelina has also apparently visited 3 Minutes sur mer on trendy Torstraße.
The Grill Royal is also on the carousel of celebrity hang-outs: dining with a view of the Spree is especially popular in the art scene. Shaggy-haired artist Jonathan Meese and his entourage are often seen coming and going. Hugh Grant has also enjoyed a glass of red wine there and Liam Neeson has dined on steak in the restaurant. Scarlett Johansson and Samuel L. Jackson have been seen there as well.
Most popular locations in Berlin

Hotels and Clubs

For a drink, some celebrities only consider bars of five-star hotels. Also clubbing in Berlin is popular among the stars. The best example is Claire Danes talking about the Berghain after filming Homeland in Berlin.

Bars

The atmosphere at the Paris Bar in the City West district is a bit more refined. For decades it has been a popular watering hole for the stars, both during the Berlinale and at other times of the year. . The walls are plastered with works of art. Universal artist Martin Kippenberger used to get drunk here in spectacular style. The drinks were always on the house though, as the art-loving proprietor, Michel Würthle, preferred to be paid in pictures.
You'll often see high-profile personalities dancing at Bar Tausend under the suburban railway bridge on Friedrichstrasse – that's if you manage to get past the strict controls on the door.

Celebrities at the International Film Festival

And if not, the International Film Festival in February is the ideal time to spot a VIP or get yourself an autograph: countless international stars come to Berlin every year to watch the premieres at the Berlinale Palast theatre on Potsdamer Platz. And everyone is allowed on the red carpet.