Berlin is one of the coolest and trendiest cities in Europe – a place where profound history meets great culture. It manages to balance new and old in a unique way, and leaves a mark on everyone who visits. So what better place to spend your birthday than Berlin? Here are some suggestions to help you put together the perfect birthday. And trust us. Here at Plum Guide, we pride ourselves on doing the hard work, so you will not be dissapointed by our suggestions.
Choose from the best restaurants
Visit the renowned Restaurant Facil
This two Michelin star restaurant on Potsdamer Straße, Tiergarten is the perfect place for a fancy birthday meal. It’s like stepping into an oasis in the heart of the city, with a relaxing outdoor courtyard filled with greenery and fountains. Enjoy a range of classic dishes with unique flavour compositions - Icelandic salmon, French octopus, Wagyu beef - all served with fresh local produce. The only piece of advice we’ll give you is don’t attempt to choose your own wine. Don’t be that customer - leave it up to the sommelier.
Loft Your Game, Plum Guide home in Berlin
Eat your weight in chocolate at Coda
What if we told you you could live out your childhood fantasies where the only thing on the menu is dessert? One of the most genius birthday ideas in Berlin? We think so too. Coda in Neukölln is the sophisticated, adult version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. This dessert restaurant serves six-course tasting menus of innovative desserts made from natural ingredients. The cocktail menu is a creative concoction of unlikely flavour pairings that somehow work really well together. Your dentist will be delighted.
Prepare for seven courses at Pauly Saal
From the high ceilings and huge windows to the decor and colour scheme, you’ll feel like you just stepped onto a Wes Anderson set in this restaurant. Pauly Saal is set in a former Jewish girls’ school in Mitte and serves contemporary German cuisine. Come hungry, as you’ll w̶a̶n̶t̶ need to sample the four to seven course tasting menus. It’s cool, it’s sleek, it’s minimalistic, it’s elegant, it’s quirky. It’s Berlin.
Celebrate with a drink at the best bars
Drink on the rooftop at Klunkerkranich
Any decent birthday ideas in Berlin should involve a rooftop bar. For you artsy, creative lot, Klunkerkranich is the perfect place for a celebratory tipple. Located on the rooftop of the Arcaden shopping centre in Neukölln, the garden bar boasts panoramic views over the whole city. Serving ice cold beers and cocktails, it’s the number one spot to enjoy sunset over Berlin. There is a whole calendar of events too, including readings, cinema, live music and DJs.
The Livin' Is Easy, Plum Guide home in Berlin
Browse the cocktail menu at Saphire Bar
This stylish cocktail bar in Prenzlauer Berg is the prime destination for a glamorous celebration. And you deserve it, darling. With cream leather sofas, sleek wood finishings and metallic highlights, the decor manages to exude a 1930s yet futuristic vibe. The drinks menu focuses on whiskeys, gins and vodkas from around the world. If you fancy something else, there’s the dangerously oversized cocktail menu.
Relax in the beer garden at Prater Garten
Although Berlin doesn’t have the same beer garden culture as Bavaria, it’s still something you should experience whilst in Germany. Prater Garten in Prenzlauer Berg is Berlin’s oldest beer garden, having been around since 1837. The relaxed atmosphere makes it a great place if you’re looking for a no-fuss, casual birthday drinks do.
Stop by the best places to shop for a gift
Buy the perfect perfume at Parfum Lehmann
Buying perfume for someone special? There’s only one place worth going - Parfum Lehmann. This vintage shop in Charlottenburg has been around since the 1920s. Huge flasks of fragrances line the shelves, ready to mix and match for your own unique scent. Don’t know your patchouli from your jasmine? Expert staff are on hand to help you put something together.
The Birgitta, Plum Guide home in Berlin
Find everything at Berle’s Trends & Gifts
What do you get someone who already has everything? That’s for you to figure out, but we’ll tell you this: you’ll probably find it at Berle’s Trends & Gifts in Mitte. Every corner is bursting with things you never thought you needed - from gadgets and homeware, to crafts and outdoor gear.
Discover exclusives at RSVP
For some deluxe stationery, head to RSVP in Mitte. Aside from fine paper and writing materials from around the world, you’ll also find exclusive ranges from international artists and designers.
Treat the chocoholic at Rausch Schokoladenhaus
If your giftee is a chocoholic, do them a favour and visit Rausch Schokoladenhaus in Mitte. Spread over three floors, you’ll want to eat every single one of these exquisite chocolates. If you cave in and can’t resist a taste (don’t say we didn’t warn you), the shop has a cafe where you can sample the goodies.
Spoil them with the best experiences
Visit one of the vintage cinemas
Berlin has a thing for art-house cinemas, so if you or the birthday girl/boy is a cinephile, then why not catch a flick at one of the vintage cinemas. They will show a combination of new releases, foreign language films, documentaries and art-house films. Some of the best venues are Kino Intimes, Tilsiter Lichtspiele, Lichtblick Kino, fsk Kino and Sputnik Kino.
Let it all out at the lakes
If you don’t vision gritty Berlin to be lush and green, you’re in for a surprise. Around 46 percent of the whole city is either green space or water. One of the best birthday ideas in Berlin is to head to one of the many lakes and make a day of it with a relaxing row or swim. Some of the most-visited lakes are Weisensee, Plötzensee, Wannsee and Neue See. It’s also the best place to get into your birthday suit, as the Germans are pretty open about nudity.
View of Berlin and the Berliner Fernsehturm
Touch the clouds at the TV Tower
If you have a fear of heights then you can scrub this one off your list - Berlin’s TV Tower or Fernsehturm soars 368 metres into the sky. Built during GDR times, it’s now an iconic landmark. Shoot up to the viewing platform for 360 degree views of the city. Stay a little longer and enjoy a meal at the restaurant and bar.
Get comfortable at the best places to stay
Admire the art at Illustrations
Illustrations, Berlin bed shot
If you’re an artsy type then Illustrations in Prenzlauer Berg is the perfect place for you. This illustrator’s studio has been transformed into a cosy living space bursting with character and artwork. There’s also plenty to see in the area like independent cafes, coffee shops and boutiques.
Celebrate in style at Making Waves
Making Waves, Berlin
Planning a big birthday getaway? Fit up to six people at Making Waves in Tiergarten. With custom-made furniture, a large kitchen and living space, plus Sonos speakers in every room, you won’t want to leave the apartment. But if you do, you’ll find the best of the city’s galleries and Gleisdreieck Park.
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