Neukölln, Berlin: the ultimate area guide for 2025

Today, Tempelhofer Feld (literally ‘Tempelhof Field’) is one of Berlin’s most beloved - and one of the world’s largest - green spaces. But you weren’t always allowed to just jaunt across it. Once an airport, it was here that Second World War Stuka dive bombers were assembled and Western Powers dropped supplies during the Soviet blockade of 1948. Closed in 2008 and saved from redevelopment after local protests, it reopened as public parkland soon after. Now, you can kick back where the pilots have been replaced by cyclists, passengers by picnickers, and airport lounges by blooming allotments.

This Michelin-starred newcomer sits worlds away from West Berlin’s pricey streets. Instead, Hallmann und Klee sits on pretty Böhmischer Platz in Alt-Rixdorf, alongside eager table-tennis players and friends gossiping on benches. Here, Sarah Hallmann weaves her minimalist magic, a dance of courses that runs from lockdown-born dulce de leche desserts to delicate pairings of scallops, carrots and yuzu. No booking? No worries. It might be fine dining, but this down-to-earth restaurant keeps walk-in tables.   

One of the world’s best bars is down in Neukölln. On Weserstraße - a street known for bar-hopping - the moodily lit Wax On is a spritz-sipping wunderkind, voted best new bar of the year, best bar in Germany, one of the world’s 50 best bars… You get the idea. No bookings here: just walk in for totally unique flavour combos. Try ones like Go Apes (clarified banana, rum, coffee distillate, soda) or a cherry Paloma with grapefruit and black cardamom. Natural wines and mocktails complete the vibe.

KINDL, once a brewery, now hosts intoxicating avant-garde exhibits. Built in the 1920s, the Expressionist-style space has housed international contemporary art since 2016, with site-specific works across its Maschinenhaus and M1 VideoSpace. Other creative practitioners feature too. Time your visit right and you might catch art-world talks, fascinating readings, and workshops. Of course, homage to the good stuff is a must - and their summer beer garden delivers.

She Said isn’t like the other bookstores - in the best way possible. The staff at the Kottbusser Damm shop are best known for curating a collection of female and queer authors, with a strong focus on intersectionality and marginalised voices. It’s an impressive, thoughtful selection, rounded out nicely by regular readings, local book launches, and official ‘quiet’ shopping hours. Just after a quick read? Take our advice, and don’t rush. Their books are best devoured over a Kräutertee in their coffee shop.