planetarium
Zeiss-Großplanetarium
Berlin's planetarium and science theatre, with a large dome for fulldome shows on astronomy and nature, plus music and theatre programmes and a cinema hall.
Date ideas in Berlin you probably haven't tried.
Not the usual dates
- live music
Zig Zag
Jazz club in Schöneberg booking touring trios, bands and open jam sessions with local players. The programme runs through jazz, blues, soul, funk, Latin and tango.
- cinema
Zinema
Monthly film series of African-made films, with some evenings followed by filmmaker Q&As. Includes a South African feature in Sesotho with German subtitles and a Ju/'hoansi documentary.
- restaurant
Zula
A small Middle Eastern restaurant in Prenzlauer Berg built around hummus served in several sizes, with pita baked in-house twice daily. Over half the menu is vegan, and it also grills dishes for meat eaters.
- restaurant
Zum Grünau
A forest-set restaurant serving modern seasonal cooking from regional produce, with a pumpkin and venison autumn menu and a Sunday brunch.
- restaurant
Zum grünen Baum
A restored listed building on Wilhelmplatz in Wannsee serving southern German dishes such as homemade Maultaschen and Spätzle, with Württemberg wines and Meckatzer on tap.
- restaurant
Zum Jägerhäuschen
A lakeside restaurant on the shore of Lake Tegel serving hearty food, with a house herbal tea and smoked fish in summer.
- live music
Zum kleinen Hut
A neighbourhood pub in Reinickendorf with beer on tap, cocktails and wine, plus occasional pub quizzes and live music.
- restaurant
Blue Nile
Ethiopian restaurant in Kreuzberg serving traditional dishes, with meat, vegan options and gluten-free teff injera, plus a coffee ceremony on Friday to Sunday evenings.
- café
CO Berlin
Café in the C/O Berlin photography house, where an artist's installation changes yearly and seasonal dishes mix regional produce with French-German cooking.
- tasting
DeliKater Weinstudio
A wine studio in Pankow where a sommelier pours eight wines, served with a tasting buffet or paired with eight cheeses.
- live music
Jockel
Canal-side garden in Kreuzberg, shaded by trees, with a wide beer list, Flammkuchen and cheeseburgers. It hosts regular live music and has an event hall for up to 150 guests; dogs are welcome.
- cinema
Kino Krokodil
A Prenzlauer Berg cinema mixing new releases with older films, including silent screenings with live piano. Talks, readings and guest events are hosted, and some films play in Czech or Slovak with German subtitles.
- cocktail bar
Mustang Restaurant - Cafe - Cocktailbar
Pizza, pasta, burgers and grilled steaks, plus a café and cocktail bar with fresh longdrinks. Vegetarian dishes are offered, and there is outdoor seating.
- bar
Ngon
A Vietnamese restaurant in Mitte with a bar-lounge area, where tables can be booked ahead.
- restaurant
Restaurant Medusa
Greek restaurant in a late 19th-century corner building, with walls lined with historic ceramic and stove tiles from the Historismus to Art Déco periods. Windows open in good weather onto a front garden terrace.
- café
Spitz+Pfau
A Charlottenburg café and bar with a small wall of paintings for sale, serving breakfast, sparkling wine, cocktails and light food.
- restaurant
Taverna Ousia
Traditional Greek taverna in Schöneberg built around mezedes-style small plates to share, with grilled sea bream, fried calamari and farmer's sausage, and a wine list with pairing advice.
- restaurant
Transit
Thai tapas-style restaurant in Friedrichshain where small shared bowls arrive for the table. Vegan bowls are marked, and the menu runs from soups and curries to grilled meats, seafood and noodles.
- restaurant
Waterlily
Vietnamese restaurant on Karl-Marx-Allee where recipes come from one family, with fresh herbs, house spice blends and no MSG. Many dishes come in vegetarian or vegan versions.