Becketts Kopf

This long-running cocktail bar is an oasis of fine drink in Prenzlauer Berg. Operating in the classic speakeasy model, it has become something of a local institution: enter via an unmarked door and you’ll find yourself in rooms draped with red velvet. And you can breathe deeply on their chesterfield sofas, as one of the two rooms caters for non-smokers, a relative rarity in Berlin’s bar scene. Their cocktails hark back to another era: try the Aviation, a paean to the classier days of air travel, a florid mix of gin, violet, maraschino and lemon. The windowpane features a grizzled portrait of playwright Samuel Beckett (himself not averse to a drink) to keep watch over proceedings. Occasional DJs play avant-jazz. Barstaff are knowledgeable, friendly and as long as its not too busy, happy to chat at length about the esoteric cocktail list or indeed, knock you up something they think you'll like.