Berlin rooftop bars guide — Klunkerkranich, Monkey Bar, and the best views
Berlin: TV Tower Sphere Restaurant Tim Raue Entry Ticket
What is the best rooftop bar in Berlin?
Klunkerkranich on top of the Neukölln Arcaden shopping centre is the most distinctive — a community garden and bar on a roof, extraordinary skyline view, with entry conditions on its official website. Monkey Bar at the 25hours Hotel Bikini Berlin near the Zoo offers a polished cocktail bar with a view over the Tiergarten. For a high-rise view, the Humboldt Forum roof terrace costs only €3 (reduced €1.50).
What are the best rooftop bars in Berlin? The city is not known for skyscraper density — Berlin has relatively few tall buildings and strict height restrictions in the centre. This makes genuine rooftop bars rarer and more distinctive than in many European capitals. The ones that exist tend to have either excellent value (Klunkerkranich) or polished hotel-bar experience (Monkey Bar, GRACE).
| Best value | Klunkerkranich, Neukölln — around €3-9 |
| Best polish | Monkey Bar, Charlottenburg — around €14-18 cocktails |
| Best low-cost view | Humboldt Forum terrace, Mitte — €3 entry |
| Season | Roughly April-October; most terraces close in winter |
| Reservations | Recommended for Monkey Bar and GRACE on weekends |
| Cash needed | Varies by venue; for Klunkerkranich, check the official website |
Klunkerkranich — the community rooftop
Klunkerkranich (Karl-Marx-Strasse 66, Neukölln) sits on the roof of the Neukölln Arcaden shopping centre in south Berlin. It is part rooftop garden, part community space, part bar — a combination that exists nowhere else in the city.
The setting: a planted rooftop with scrubby garden beds, wooden pallets as furniture, a bar serving beer and simple cocktails, and an unobstructed view stretching north across the entire Berlin skyline including the Fernsehturm. It was created by a collective of Berlin artists and activists who negotiated the space from the shopping centre owners. It has been operating since 2013.
What it looks like: Not the polished rooftop terrace of a hotel bar. Intentionally rough-edged — mismatched furniture, outdoor bar, community garden aesthetic. This is not a flaw but a feature.
The view: Genuinely excellent. Berlin’s flat topography means that even a 6-storey height gives unobstructed sightlines in all directions. The TV Tower is visible to the north. Sunsets from here are among the best in the city.
Music: Klunkerkranich programs DJ nights on weekends and some weekday evenings. The music varies by event — check their programme. Non-event access is quieter and more relaxed.
Entry: The official website mentions low-threshold entrance fees but lists no prices; check the official Klunkerkranich website and its social channels for current conditions.
Opening hours: Seasonal, afternoon until late; in autumn it runs reduced hours (8-10 October Thursday to Saturday from 4pm, 16-31 October Friday and Saturday from 4pm). Current days are posted on the official Klunkerkranich website and its social channels.
Getting there: U8 to Karl-Marx-Strasse. The entrance is via the stairwell inside the Neukölln Arcaden, accessible from Karl-Marx-Strasse.
The honest take: The best-value elevated view in Berlin. It lacks the polished service of hotel rooftop bars but has more character and soul than any of them. Worth a trip specifically if you are not already in Neukölln for another reason.
Monkey Bar — polished Charlottenburg option
Monkey Bar (Budapester Strasse 40, Charlottenburg) is on the 10th floor of the 25hours Hotel Bikini Berlin, occupying a glass-fronted terrace that overlooks the elephant enclosure at Berlin Zoo on one side and the Tiergarten on the other.
The hotel opened in 2013 and Monkey Bar became one of Berlin’s highest-profile cocktail venues almost immediately. It is unambiguously a hotel bar — professional service, polished design, a well-curated cocktail list, and prices that reflect the location.
The view: West Berlin Charlottenburg skyline, Zoo, and Tiergarten. The Gedächtniskirche (Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church) is visible from the terrace. It is more manicured than Klunkerkranich but less dramatically interesting as a panorama.
Cocktails: €14-€18. Beer €6-€8. The cocktail menu is strong and changes seasonally. There is table food as well — snacks and sharing plates rather than a full dinner menu.
Reservations: Strongly recommended on weekends, particularly for terrace seating. Book via the 25hours Hotel website. Walk-in is possible during the week and early evenings.
Opening hours: Daily from noon or early afternoon until late (typically 2am on weekends). The terrace is seasonal — enclosed in winter, fully open in summer.
Getting there: U9 to Kurfürstendamm, or U2/U9 to Zoologischer Garten. 5-minute walk.
The honest take: A genuinely good cocktail bar that happens to have a view. The price premium over most Berlin bars is real but the quality of service and drinks justifies it for a special evening. If you want a rooftop experience that functions like a proper bar rather than a community space, this is the right choice.
GRACE Rooftop — Hotel Zoo Berlin
GRACE (Kurfürstendamm 25, Charlottenburg) is the rooftop bar of the Hotel Zoo, a historic luxury hotel on Kurfürstendamm that was renovated in 2017. The bar and terrace occupy the top floor with views toward the Tiergarten.
The setting: More formally designed than Monkey Bar — hotel rooftop bar aesthetics with curated furniture and ambient lighting. It hosts regular events and DJ nights.
Cocktails: €14-€18. Similar price point to Monkey Bar.
Getting there: U9/U2 to Zoologischer Garten.
The honest take: Very similar to Monkey Bar in price and concept, slightly lower-profile. If Monkey Bar is fully booked, GRACE is the natural alternative in the same area.
House of Weekend — Alexanderplatz
House of Weekend (Alexanderplatz 7, 15th floor) is a rooftop club on top of a commercial building at Alexanderplatz. Unlike Monkey Bar or Klunkerkranich, it operates primarily as a club rather than a bar — DJ programming, higher entry price on event nights (€10-€15), and more club-oriented atmosphere.
View: Looking west from Alexanderplatz, the view includes the TV Tower (from very close) and the roofscapes of Mitte toward the Brandenburg Gate.
When it works: If you want to combine a rooftop view with dancing, House of Weekend delivers. As a quiet bar for cocktails with a view, it is less suited.
Getting there: U2/U5/U8 to Alexanderplatz.
Bar at the Humboldt Forum terrace
The rooftop terrace of the Humboldt Forum on Museum Island (between the Cathedral and the Palace) is publicly accessible with a ticket (€3, reduced €1.50; closed Tuesdays; see humboldtforum.org for current hours). It offers views over the Dom and Museum Island with the TV Tower in the background. The terrace bar serves drinks at moderate prices (not significantly cheaper than Monkey Bar).
This is not a nightlife destination but a good early evening option before dinner in Mitte — particularly in summer, when the rooftop is open until dusk.
Getting there: S-Bahn to Hackescher Markt, then walk 10 minutes, or take the U5 to Museumsinsel when that station opens.
Rooftop view at the Berlin TV Tower
Not strictly a bar, but the revolving restaurant and observation deck at the Fernsehturm at Alexanderplatz gives the highest vantage point in Berlin at 207 metres. Cocktails in the restaurant level cost €10-€14. The restaurant requires advance booking and a separate entry ticket (see the Berlin TV Tower guide).
If a table at the top of the tower appeals more than a standing drink, you can also look at a sit-down meal in the sphere restaurant with a ticket included. It suits a planned, slower evening rather than a spontaneous drink, and it is the opposite of Klunkerkranich in every way except the height.
Comparing the options
| Venue | Price level | Atmosphere | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Klunkerkranich | Low (€3-€9) | Community, outdoor | Value, sunset, local feel |
| Monkey Bar | High (€14-€18 cocktails) | Polished hotel bar | Quality cocktails, west Berlin view |
| GRACE Hotel Zoo | High (€14-€18 cocktails) | Hotel rooftop | Alternative to Monkey Bar |
| House of Weekend | Medium + entry | Club | Combined view + dancing |
| Humboldt Forum terrace | Medium | Tourist-accessible | Low-cost viewing, daytime/early evening |
Where each rooftop fits in a night out
Klunkerkranich sits in Neukölln, close to the neighbourhood’s wider bar scene — a good first or last stop if you’re already exploring the area, and it pairs naturally with the broader Berlin nightlife neighbourhoods guide if you want to keep the night going afterward. Monkey Bar and GRACE sit in Charlottenburg, close to the Zoo and Ku’damm — a good option if your evening starts around west Berlin rather than Mitte or Kreuzberg. For a wider spread of Berlin’s best bars beyond rooftops specifically, see best bars in Berlin, and for planning which neighbourhood to base your evening around generally, the Berlin trip planning guide is a useful starting point.
Building an evening around a view
A rooftop works best as one stop in an evening, not the whole evening. The usual pattern is to arrive in the late afternoon, catch the light change, and then move on to dinner or a club once it gets dark. In Mitte, that can mean the Humboldt Forum terrace first and then a meal nearby; the Mitte guide and the Museum Island guide help you decide what else to fit around it. In Neukölln, Klunkerkranich is a natural prelude to a night in the bars below, and the Kreuzberg bars guide covers the neighbouring scene if you want to cross the canal afterward.
Sunset is the obvious draw, but it is not the only good moment. Early evening, when the sky is still light and the crowd is thin, is the easiest time to get a good seat and to talk to the staff about what is on. Late at night the skyline turns into a field of small lights, and Berlin’s relative darkness compared with other capitals makes the TV Tower stand out even more.
Practical tips before you go
- Dress for the weather, not the venue. A roof is exposed. Even on a warm day the wind can pick up after sunset, so bring a layer, particularly for Klunkerkranich, which is open-air.
- Check the programme. Klunkerkranich and House of Weekend both change character depending on whether an event is on. A quiet afternoon and a DJ night are two different experiences at the same address.
- Carry cash and a card. Some places lean on one or the other, and the community-run spots are the least predictable.
- Go with a plan for getting home. The U-Bahn and S-Bahn serve all of these venues; the Berlin public transport guide explains tickets and night services so you are not improvising at closing time.
- Respect the neighbours. Several of these terraces sit above or beside homes and hotel rooms. Keep voices down late in the evening, particularly in Charlottenburg.
Who each rooftop suits
Couples and special occasions: Monkey Bar or GRACE, booked ahead. The service, glassware and view are part of what you pay for. Groups of friends on a budget: Klunkerkranich, where you can stay a long time without spending much. Travellers who want to dance: House of Weekend, ideally after reading the Berlin techno clubs guide so you know what to expect from the wider scene. Solo travellers: Klunkerkranich is the friendliest of the group, since the layout encourages sharing tables and talking to strangers. Daytime visitors and families: the Humboldt Forum terrace, since it is not tied to nightlife and fits naturally between museum visits.
After the rooftop: keeping the night going
Once the sun is down, you have a few options. You can stay put, since most of these places run late. You can walk to a neighbourhood bar, using the Berlin nightlife neighbourhoods guide to choose where. Or you can join a guided night out: if you would rather not plan the route yourself, an alternative bar crawl with stories about the places you pass is a way to see several venues in one go with someone who knows the city. The Berlin pub crawl guide compares the formats, and the Berlin night tours guide covers quieter ways to see the city after dark. For a full weekend built around going out, see the Berlin nightlife weekend itinerary.
Weather and seasonality
Rooftop bars in Berlin are a warm-weather activity by design. Klunkerkranich runs reduced hours in autumn (check the official Klunkerkranich website for current days), and most other terraces either enclose or shut their outdoor seating once temperatures drop. Late spring through early autumn (May-September) gives the most reliable window, with the added benefit of Berlin’s long summer daylight — sunsets as late as 9:30pm mean you can arrive for dinner and still catch the view change through dusk. If you’re visiting in winter, the Humboldt Forum terrace and the TV Tower’s enclosed observation deck (see the Berlin TV Tower guide) are the more reliable year-round options, since both are largely indoor or wind-sheltered.
Frequently asked questions about Berlin rooftop bars guide
Is Klunkerkranich free?
Klunkerkranich describes its entrance fees as low-threshold, but its official website lists no prices. Entry conditions can depend on the day and on events, so check the official Klunkerkranich website and its social channels before you go. Opening days change each season.Do Berlin rooftop bars require reservations?
Monkey Bar accepts reservations and is strongly recommended on weekend evenings. Klunkerkranich operates walk-in. GRACE (Hotel Zoo Rooftop) may have a waiting list on busy nights. Most other rooftop venues are walk-in.What do drinks cost at Berlin rooftop bars?
Monkey Bar and GRACE charge hotel-bar prices — cocktails €14-€18, beer €6-€8. Klunkerkranich is significantly cheaper — beer €3-€5, simple cocktails €6-€9. The Grill Royal terrace on the Spree is mid-range at €10-€14 per cocktail. Budget accordingly.Which rooftop bar has the best view of the TV Tower?
Klunkerkranich in Neukölln has one of the most striking views of the Fernsehturm (TV Tower) from the south, particularly at sunset. The NENI Berlin restaurant on the 10th floor of the 25hours Hotel has good views toward Mitte. The TV Tower's own revolving restaurant is covered in the TV Tower guide.Are there rooftop bars near the city centre?
Yes. The Dachgarten Restaurant on the Reichstag building's rooftop terrace serves lunch and dinner with views of the Tiergarten and government district — book in advance via bundestag.de. The House of Weekend on Alexanderplatz has a rooftop club. GRACE on Kurfürstendamm has views toward the Zoo and Tiergarten.What is the best time to visit Berlin rooftop bars?
Sunset timing depends on season — Berlin summer sunsets are as late as 9:30pm. For Klunkerkranich, arriving 1-2 hours before sunset and staying through dusk gives the best experience. Monkey Bar works well from late afternoon onward. Winter rooftop access is limited across most venues.Are there rooftop bars in east Berlin?
Klunkerkranich (Neukölln/south), House of Weekend (Alexanderplatz, Mitte), and the roof terrace at the nhow Berlin hotel in Friedrichshain all have rooftop or elevated bars on the east side of the city.
