The Best Thing About Berlin is the Spätis

Photo by Jonathan Whitlam

Time to learn some German: what the heck is a “Späti”? In the UK you might call it an off license or corner shop, in Australia it’s a bottle shop, and in the US it’s similar to a “liquor store”. You pronounce it “shpay-tee”, by the way.

So what makes the Spätis so great? Spätikultur! The Späti, or Spätkauf, isn’t just a shop that’s open late where you can buy beer, cigarettes, newspapers, tampons and loo roll. It’s a meeting place. A place to hang out. In a lot of countries you’re not allowed to drink alcohol on the street, in Berlin, you can buy an ice-cold, top-quality German beer for €1.50, and the person behind the counter will ask if he can open it for you there and then. Heaven.

What next? You’ve met all your best buddies at the späti, you’ve stocked up on crisps, sweets, soft drinks, and a beer or two, so what’s the plan? Go to the park! Take a walk somewhere nice, or just chill on the benches in front and get to know your neighbours. You can talk about your favourite spätis, for example.

What to drink?

Alcohol’s not for you? Not a beer drinker? Prefer wine? Want to try a rhubarb-flavoured luminous pink organic soda? Germany’s got you covered. Sure, beer’s the most popular drink going in a späti, but Germany has so many unique soft drinks you won’t find anywhere else. Try a “Club Mate” for a caffeine kick (it looks like alcohol but there’s no booze in it!) that tastes like tires, or sip on Fritz’s Coffee-Caramel-Cola mix that’s super sweet, but weirdly good. There’s always something new to try at the späti!

You can also do as the locals do in the Summer - quench your thirst with a sweet, tasty “Radler”. A mix of beer and lemonade that is just perfect. Gösser is my favourite!

How you can enjoy Spätis when you visit Berlin

Ok, you’re in Berlin, you’ve bookmarked this awesome article, and now you want to soak up some Späti life. How do you do it? Well the good news is, they’re everywhere. The bad news? If you type “Späti” into Google Maps, Google won’t turn out the best results. Try “Kiosk” instead, which is the word used more commonly all over Germany (where their Spätis aren’t as cool as ours, ask anyone).

Pick a park, go there, and then search for your nearest Späti. Easy. One of the most popular Späti spots in town is the “Admiralbrücke” in the cool district of Kreuzberg. Just a short walk from the infamous Kottbusser Tor U-Bahn station you’ll find a bridge filled with people, live music, and people trying to get the *perfect* #berlinstagram sunset photo over the Landwehr canal.

Do it for the ‘gram

One of the most popular places to hang out on a sunny, warm evening in Berlin is the Admiralbrücke, in Kreuzberg. The nearby späti is packed with folks stocking up on drinks and shuffling over to catch the epic sunset over the canal. There’s a chill party atmosphere on the bridge almost every night in the summer. A cheap and easy must-see in Berlin!

Also, it’s super instagram friendly. It even has its own hashtag because of course it does.