Kaffee Burger

Mitte, Berlin –

It’s not a café and no burgers are served, but once past the name it’s easy to see why Kaffee Burger is a mainstay of East Berlin nightlife.

This large bar and club gained fame in the early 2000’s when it was featured in Wladimir Kaminer’s book Russian Disco – which subsequently inspired the club’s wild, renowned Russendisko parties.

To this day, Kaffee Burger’s mix of ska, dance, folk, and rock music draws a boisterous crowd of Eastern European expats, but the club’s general popularity also attracts a larger international set looking for an authentic taste of Berlin and a rowdy place to drink.

The diversity of the music and patrons is reflected in the rather hodgepodge décor, which features 70s brown floral wallpaper and a dance floor bathed in a deep red glow in one room, and a 1950s diner motif complete with swiveling counter stools and a circular sea-foam green bar in the other room.

Somehow, though, the unique jumble of people, music, and atmosphere comes together perfectly at Kaffee Burger, especially on the weekends when patrons are known to create large, infectious dance circles that swirl energetically through the crowd.