Bikini Berlin
Today we want to take a closer look at the Bikini Berlin and the areas around it with all its little gems and treasures. Since the opening of the mall last year a lot has happened in the good old West and all of a sudden everyone was speaking of a renaissance of West Berlin. A couple of high profile hotels opened in the area, new restaurants popped up, a new luxury cinema, the C/O Gallery finally re-opened after its move away from Mitte. And these are just a few of the new developments of the City West. It was about time that we explored this area and compile a little guide for you of the new West Berlin with the Bikini Berlin at its core. Enjoy our selection after the jump!
The Bikini Berlin is a brand new shopping mall next to the zoo in West Berlin. It’s in old building that used to host a variety of things in the past but had been in reconstruction for many years. Unlike every other shopping mall in Berlin this one is not focused on mainstream brands and high-street fashion, but on local designers and brands as well as a selection of renowned contemporary international labels. You’ll find everything from fashion, interior design, books, design electronics and much more. There are also some cafes, restaurants and bars integrated into the mall and a lovely rooftop terrace garden facing the monkeys of the zoo.
Budapester Str. 38-50, 10787 Berlin-Charlottenburg, Open Mon-Sat 10-20h
If you are looking for a place to get some fashion from Berlin designers there is one address that you absolutely need to visit: The two LNFA concept store at the Bikini Berlin. LNFA is short for Live Networking for Fashion and Art and actually started as an event series. But as things go in Berlin one thing leads to another and suddenly you find yourself opening a shop in a brand new concept mall. A lot of our favorite designers are represented here, including Esther Perbandt, Sopopular, IVANMAN, Vektor, Tata Christiane, DYN and so many more it’s impossible to name them all.
at Bikini Berlin 1st floor, Budapester Str. 38-50, 10787 Berlin-Charlottenburg, Open Mon-Sat 10-20h
Andreas Murkudis is a known and respected entity of fashion and design retail in Berlin with his flagship store in a spacious backyard loft in the gallery quarter of Potsdamer Straße. He runs a handful of smaller concept stores inside the Bikini Berlin with the bigger one being on the gallery floor on the top of the mall. The mix of products is really interesting here: Not only will you find exquisite fashion by designers such as Jill Sander, Lorenzini and William Lockie, but also accessories and interior design, as well as small local gift items that make very good modern Berlin souvenirs.
at Bikini Berlin 2nd floor, Budapester Str. 38-50, 10787 Berlin-Charlottenburg, Open Mon-Sat 10-20h
Super is a mix of restaurant, shop and meeting point for a creative and international crowd. They offer fusion style dishes for lunch and dinner combining different international kitchens. In the store you will find fashion from international established as well as young local designers. They also have a lot of interior design, home wear and furniture in their selection. As part of their “meet” concept they run exhibition of young designers, artists and photographers and host collaborations and events in their space.
at Bikini Berlin 2nd floor, Budapester Str. 38-50, 10787 Berlin-Charlottenburg, Open Mon-Sat 10-00h, Sun 10-16h
photo: SUPER
The Neni restaurant inside the new 25hours Hotel next to Bikini Berlin is probably one of the most demanded one at the moment, probably because of its unique green house interior design and spectacular view over the City West and the zoo. Their kitchen is a modern fusion with Oriental influences. Every dish comes in two sizes which makes this a good opportunity to order many little things to try out and share. Some of the dishes you can even get over at the neighboring Monkey Bar that is also great for a drink afterwards.
at 25h Hotels 10th floor, Budapester Str. 40, 10787 Berlin-Charlottenburg, Open Mon-Fri 12-23h, Sat-Sun 12:30-23h
Restaurant Neni, photo: 25hours Hotel
Located in the top floor of the 25h Design Hotel the Monkey Bar earns its name from the view directly into the gorilla compound of the zoo. A playful interior with lots of colorful cushions and seats around the beautiful bar with lots of plants and flowers makes this a very cosy option for a late night drink or cocktail with a spectacular view over the city. There is also a terrace facing the famous ruin of the Gedächtniskirche, one of the main monuments of West Berlin.
at 25h Hotels 10th floor, Budapester Str. 40, 10787 Berlin-Charlottenburg, Open Sun-Thu 12-01h, Fri-Sat 12-02h
Monkey Bar, photo: 25hours Hotel
Le Faubourg is an elegant French restaurant located inside the Sofitel Berlin at Augsburger Straße near Kudamm. As you can see the interior of the restaurant is stunning with these gorgeous Bauhaus lamps and perfectly illuminated tables. The service is impeccable, as you would expect from a high class restaurant like this. And the food is just symphony for the taste buds. The interesting part here is the menu for the main courses that is split in half with traditional versions and modern versions of the same type of meat or fish facing each other. Their food menu is accompanied by an excellent selection of wines such as the Miraval, the luxurious rose wine by Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.
Augsburger Straße 41, 10789 Berlin-Charlottenburg, Open daily: 11:30-23h
The Vietnamese restaurant Dudu at Rosenthaler Platz has been one of the most beloved places for lunch or dinner for the hip crowd of Mitte. It was long overdue that they open a second place to meet the big demand so they took the opportunity to start their second place inside the Bleibtreu 31 Hotel. In their new West Berlin restaurant the concept is a little more grown up than in the East. Less premium fast food like in Mitte, more Asian crossover and fine cuisine. The concept has been praised by the audience bringing in a lot of young people from the East who now mingle with the more established and older audience of Charlottenburg.
Bleibtreustr. 31, 10707 Berlin-Charlottenburg, Open daily 12-00h
The C/O Berlin is the biggest and most important gallery for photography in town and it’s located inside the Amerika Haus at the zoo. It normally hosts several exhibitions at a time and it’s usually a mix of some more renowned artists and emerging talents. In the past they showed the work of Will McBride, Lore Krüger, the Magnum photo agency, Sascha Weidner, Robert Maplethorpe, Peter Lindberg, Annie Leibovitz and Nan Goldin.
Hardenbergstraße 22, 10623 Berlin-Charlottenburg, Open daily 11-20h
photo: David von Becker
Helmut Newton Foundation / Museum for Photography
This is not a new place, but an old classic that we couldn’t leave our in our guide. The Helmut Newton Foundation at the Museum for Photography is one of the top galleries for photography as it doesn’t only host changing exhibition by legendary Newton, but also the work of other amazing photographers such as Greg Gorman, Alice Springs, and Francois-Marie Banier. Located across from the train station Zoologischer Garten it’s really easy to reach and should be on the list of itineraries of every photography lover.
Jebensstraße 2, 10623 Berlin-Charlottenburg, Open Mon-Fri 10-18, Thu 10-20h, Sat-Sun 11-20h
photo: Stefan Müller
Can you think of any other cool new places in the West of Berlin that we should list? Let us know in the comments below!
