Schwarze Traube — Restaurant in Berlin

I was never a big cocktail fan but this place has been an education. Fortunately it is near where I live so it hasn't been too much trouble to keep going back for further schooling.

I first noticed the place soon after I moved here but it took a while to work out what was going on and actually head inside. The door is always locked and you have to wait there to be admitted. Seating is limited as cocktails take time to make so if you come at rush hour you might have to wait & a couple of times it has been so long I didn't bother. You will then be seated and and shortly afterwards someone will come over and explain the nightly menu.

The menu consists of four verbally conveyed cocktails based on some classics but the ingredients change every night and are discussed in a staff meeting before they open, depending on seasonal produce, new ingredients brought to the table or for whatever reason. Choose your cocktails and you are good to go.

Coming here I have really discovered some of the most incredibly balanced mixed drinks I have had the pleasure to taste. Some people will complain that some of the measures are small but you are just missing the point, this is all about quality over quantity and prices aren't too bad either, usually around €10-€12.

The bar is also really nicely and comfortably decorated with a classic mismatched aesthetic but very tastefully done. The sound system is nice and good music, normally jazz & soul flavoured is played at a good volume where you can appreciate it but still comfortably hold a conversation which is usually the point of going in there.

Saying all of the above I do have a couple of issues with this place. Firstly it is another smoking bar and being quite small you will come out of there stinking of smoke. One night I had the misfortune to sit next to a group of Russian dudes smoking cigars, it was like Towering Inferno, I almost needed breathing apparatus.

Secondly the chaps that run the place are hardly the most charismatic people on the planet. They can appear quite standoffish, aloof and a little bit snobby - they know their stuff but a smile every now and then would go a long way. Saying that going in early in the night and sitting at the bar I have engaged them in reasonable conversation but it was hard work! They often have younger cocktail "traineees" in though working as waiters and behind the bar who tend to be much more personable and who...

One of the worst experiences I had in Berlin after being followed on the streets by the waiter to insult us that we didn’t give a tip on their overpriced cocktails. We visited this bar for one of my friend’s bday. The place is cool, the vibes very nice and the drinks perfectly made and tasty. So far so good. After we paid (2 minutes after) the waiter informed us that tip was not included. My friend offered us the drinks (5 drinks) and paid at the bar, not at the table, to be more discreet. He was embarrassed in front of us that the waiter had to come at the table saying that tip is not included. The guy forgot to present us the drinks + was not sure about the drinks that he put on the table and for a couple a minutes didn’t recognised which was what (you have 3 drinks on the menu every night man, do better). Tip is not mandatory in Berlin or Germany but a courtesy from the client. We then left and waited outside at the end of the street to check the bus to go home. The same guy reached us outside 5 MINUTES LATER and gave us an angry and surreal monologue about how “tip is mandatory in Germany. We gave you free peanuts and water, I think I did a nice service. If you don’t give a f* about the service, don’t ever come back here”. This is literally what the said to us, cursing more than once. We didn’t say anything, because the whole situation was INSANE. We live in Berlin (maybe he thought we were turists and tried to make a power game on us) and never felt forced to leave a tip. As I said it’s courtesy. If you rely on my tip, just ask for a better salary. If you think that peanuts must be paid, print a menu or say that if we want them we should pay an additional amount of x. They didn’t give us a receipt, only cash. 2022 people.

He is probably new to the job. Avoid the place and the guy with a choker tattoo, he is ruining a nice business in the heart of Xberg. I was planning to come back with some friends but never again. I will follow his advice and never visit the place...

As someone who writes about cocktail bars and restaurants for part of my living, my expectations for this place were high. I was actually working on a "Best Cocktail Bars in Berlin" and this came highly recommended. I was out by myself, as I often travel solo, and walked up to the door. Knowing what I was supposed to do, I knocked and was met with by a very grumpy man. Now, I get that some high end cocktail bars have a pretentious air about them and that's their thing, but what happened here was just awful customer service. I speak a little bit of German living in Munich and exchanged some dialogue with the man. He asked if I was alone, I said yes and he said "sit where ever you want," so I did. Another man came up asked me if I was alone. I said yes, I am alone. I then started to say something else, and he just started raising his voice at me saying, "I SPEAK AND THEN YOU SPEAK, I SPEAK. YOU SPEAK. UNDERSTAND!" then then went on a rant at the fact I was alone alone and sitting at a table made for more than 1 person, granted the bar was mostly empty at 11pm and I was told to sit where ever. He made me incredibly uncomfortable and the tone he used was that of a man trying to degrade and scare me. The entire bar stopped and stared at us, that's how loud he was. His tone and way he shouted at me in front of the entire bar caused me to just get up and walk out as no human being should be talked to in that manner. If anything this place is making my list of top bars to avoid in Berlin, trust me, there are better places to get a great drink and not be treated like scum.

I actually waited a while to post this review as my first go at it happened right after and I was actually shaking from anger at the way I...