Explore Berlin Nightlife Beyond the Clubs With These 5 Insider Tips

Sights, sounds, saunas. Berlin may have the most famous nightclub scene in the world, but the dynamic capital offers much more after dark. Immerse yourself in this richly layered night scene and choose your own pace, from leisurely to high-octane.

Exploration brings rewards, which come when you eventually find Bar Tausend (Schiffbauerdamm 11, 10117 Berlin) behind an unmarked door under Friedrichstrasse train station. In this cutting-edge, intimate bar, light from huge fixtures reflects in the curved steel and polished walls. Renowned DJs set the beat.

Walking into Bar Zentral (Lotte-Lenya-Bogen 551, 10623 Berlin) is like walking into an art installation, with design details both subtle and striking. This secretive cocktail lounge is tucked away in an arch of an S-Bahn-viaduct.

Berlin is a truly international city, and while no nightlife venue will turn global visitors away, it might not always be easy to know which venues are likely to be super crowded after dark. Ticketed events like cabaret shows are a good way to ensure you'll get a seat – and be entertained. Catch a show at unique Bar jeder Vernunft (Schaperstraße 24, 10719 Berlin) in a Flemish-style mirrored tent dating from 1912.

Rooftop bars are popular with international visitors – nothing beats sitting with a drink in hand and picking out landmarks to explore. Try Bar 260° (Mercedes Platz 2, 10243 Berlin), where the terrace is ideal on warm days, and the views are just as good through glass walls in winter.

Alternatively, head up to bohemian Klunkerkranich (Karl-Marx-Straße 66, 12043 Berlin) on Saturday evenings for cocktails, cultural events and a menu using ingredients from garden beds on the roof.

Berlin café culture thrives until late at Schwarzes Café (Kantstraße 148, 10623 Berlin), where you're invited to ask, "What is normal?" The hangout opens until 3am most nights and all night on Saturdays, and midnight breakfasts or lunchtime cocktails are not considered to be outside the norm.

Nights are cosy at Mano (Skalitzerstraße 46A, Kreuzberg, 10997 Berlin), a shabby-chic café open past midnight. The crowd is generally younger, while the setting feels like a living room with plenty of snug corners for reading or chatting over a late coffee.

Berlin is a great city for after-dark sightseeing, such as ascending the Berlin TV Tower at night. Here, you can admire the illuminated city from the 203-metre-high observation deck until 11pm.

Liquidrom (Möckernstraße 10, 10963 Berlin) encapsulates Berlin's uniqueness perhaps more than any other location. Picture a late-night spa with DJs, house music and immersive 3D art to keep you entertained between spa treatments, sauna sessions and dips in thermal pools. Delicate light textures the surface of the water in this low-lit setting.

Berlin TV Tower

• Address: Panoramastraße 1A, 10178 Berlin
• Hours: March-October, 9am to 11pm daily; November-February, 10am to 11pm daily
• Transport: One minute on foot from Alexanderplatz station (S-Bahn and U-Bahn)
• Tickets: Available in advance

In wonderfully diverse Berlin, it's possible to seek out specific areas to suit your taste. Weserstrasse is a street lined with hipster hangouts, and it's home to Ramones Museum, a museum and bar displaying more than 1,000 items related to the US punk rock band.

Auguststrasse has a Mediterranean vibe in summer. Dive right in and choose a seat on one of the terraces beneath charming buildings. If you're a fan of craft beer pubs, head around the corner to Mikkeller Berlin (Torstraße 102, 10119 Berlin). In vibrant Winterfeldtplatz, the presence of abundant rainbow flags indicates the area's inclusivity. Which of these Berlin nightlife districts will become your new favourite locale?

Part jazz venue, part cocktail bar, b-flat (Dircksenstraße 40, 10178 Berlin) has become a stalwart on the Berlin live music scene due to its intimate setting, quality of performances and Wednesday night jam sessions. The diverse lineup includes masters of jazz, blues, and flamenco, among other genres.

Variety ramps up even further at Junction Bar (Gneisenaustraße 18, 10961 Berlin), where punk, reggae, funk and indie pop could all feature in the same week. DJs also play on weekends, and the compact style of this basement venue gives it a feel of underground parties in Berlin, New York or Paris.

Berlin's cultural richness is celebrated at DNA. Art Club (Alte Münze, Am Krögel, 10179 Berlin), an arts centre and community base with a broad programme celebrating all art forms. Seeking inspiration in East Berlin? This is the place to rock up, look around and discover events ranging from poetry readings to dance classes, often running until 11pm or midnight. There are also meet-ups providing opportunities for artists and writers to network.

By day a busy working market, Markthalle Neun (Eisenbahnstraße 42/43 10997 Berlin-Kreuzberg) becomes a night market on Thursday evenings for the Street Food Thursday event from 5pm to 10pm. Few late-night eateries in Berlin offer such a colourful, global range of food. Browse stalls offering delights like Thai dumplings, Brazilian tapioca flatbreads, Nigerian FuFu or Peruvian ceviche, before taking your pick.

Evenings out are always better when you have a good hotel to go back to, so check out our Mercure hotels in Berlin. For even more cultural discovery in the German capital, why not explore the city's fascinating street art?