Bar Tausend

Bar Tausend: Berlin’s Best-Kept Secret

Behind an inconspicuous steel door on Friedrichstraße lies a place full of secrets: Bar Tausend, a cocktail bar, dance bar, and meeting point for international DJ culture in Berlin’s nightlife. Those who know the address at Schiffbauerdamm 11 in Berlin-Mitte are almost in. Almost. In the style of speakeasy clubs, the bar is well hidden behind a steel door under the Friedrichstraße S-Bahn tracks, guarded by an attentive doorman. Outside, no sign, no neon light. Just a doorbell.

Once admitted, a space opens up that tells as much as an entire night in Berlin. The bar’s futuristic main room, essentially a long tunnel with round lights at both ends and mirrors on the ceiling, is reminiscent of the German film classic Metropolis. Due to its location directly under the railway tracks, the bar has something mystical: hardly any noise from outside, no windows, no contact with the street, just music, light, and people.

Celebrities, Cocktails, and Selective Doors

Bar Tausend fills up quickly every evening and has enjoyed the favor of business people, trendsetters, and celebrities for years. Superstar Leonardo DiCaprio is said to have partied at Tausend after an evening at Grill Royal with supermodel Bar Refaeli. Tausend officially remains discreet: “And no, we won’t mention any names – discretion is our highest priority.”

Those who are admitted will meet advertisers, filmmakers, models, and DJs. The door policy is selective but not snobbish: style is decisive, not status. Musically, the spectrum ranges from House and Electro to Nu-Jazz, while the cocktail menu is anything but ordinary. The Pink Mojito was awarded “Best Drink” at Bar Tausend by the World’s Luxury Guide. The fact that the floor gently shakes every few minutes as the S-Bahn rushes overhead is part of the experience. It’s hard to feel Berlin-Mitte more intimately.