No Shade Collective

No Shade is a music collective for womxn and non-binary individuals challenging the structures of the Berlin music scene by injecting some needed diversity into Berlin clubbing scene.

No Shade were initially “drawn together through music” but then quickly realised that their shared appreciation and love of music was laying the foundations of the community they have since built over the last two years. Just like Berlin's multicultural identity, all members form no shade hail from different corners of the world.

Germany

The city’s polarising magnetism has created a pulsating haven that, for centuries now, has been host to just about any imaginable life’s design – a weird, erratic ecosystem, a barren island insufferably obsessed with itself, an urban enigma that is either loathed or loved. There is no middle here. The ubiquitous juxtapositions of a past, present, and future Berlin are integral to both the city’s charms and blemishes, the two of which often intersect, wherever you go, whatever you look at.

What's The Deal On

Intro

Cultural History

The land of milk and honey and Döner and Currywurst (and lots of vegan stuff too)

Food & Drink

Hoods

Being Queer in Berlin

Race

Drugs

Accomodation

Walk the walk, talk the talk, but consider U-Bahn and S-Bahn

Transportation

Solo Travel

Don’t scream, don’t shout, but let it all out

Etiquette & Cultural Values

The Police

Safety

Spots

Berlin's Nightlife: A Guide to the Best Clubs

Guides

Local Guides From Our Community

How to Get Stuck Into Berlin's Art Scene 

Where to Eat Out 

Shop the Latest Fashion Trends in Berlin

Key Events

Explore Berlin

Features

Berlin

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They have a cool selection of books and magazines.



Bookstore

Motto Books

They're based here and Mexico. For us, it’s the best post-internet contemporary gallery.

Culture

The Arts

Art Gallery

Future Gallery

Two English guys run it - arcade vibes.



Community

Queer

Nightclub

Sameheads

A bar full of good beer and food. Queer-friendly crowd.



Food

Drinks

Nightlife

Südblock

Middle Eastern

Restaurant

Lasan

Brunch

Geist im Glas

Found in Kreuzberg, Berlin, HAU is an international theatre showcasing dance performances, concerts, dialogue and visual arts across three venues. 

Performance

Music 

Dance

Performing Arts

Theatre

HAU Hebbel am Ufer

Germany's national centre for the presentation and discussion of international contemporary arts, with a special focus on non-European cultures and societies.

Contemporary Arts

Cultural Institution

Haus der Kulturen der Welt

They host some cool parties and also, have a great outdoors area for summer chill.

Panke Culture

Live Music

Afrobeats

Hip Hop

Reggae

Sound System 

YAAM 

Brought to you in partnership with On Running and The Cloudaway Agency. We partnered to offer our community an alternative way to feed that need for new horizons with a series of guides and getaways inside their own city limits.

Writer, editor and photographer Octavia Bürgel has been a New Yorker for much of her life but “moved to Berlin on whim” in October 2019. Drawn to the city’s vibrant culture and her personal link to it, she quickly found her feet within Berlin’s creative scene and has become an important part of it. Now an associate editor at the influential 032c Magazine, Octa is able to use her work and writings to investigate all the cultural happenings within the city.

Over the time she has spent in Berlin, Octa has found her favourite spots to eat, shop and chill with friends and has learnt the ins-and-outs of Germany’s capital, somewhere she now considers a second home. As a person of dual German-African American heritage, her experience of the country has not always been easy, but over time, she has been able to cultivate a community of friends that understand her identity and have helped her settle in. From offbeat reading-rooms and pizza places to small wine bars and out-of-city lake getaways, Octa takes us Trippin across the city in the Cloudaway.

This restaurant is run by my good friend Tim Ligtenberg and they make a fantastic Neapolitan. It's also my go-to spot on Friday evenings, as Tim always has a DJ or two spinning in their outdoor space in Mitte's Hackescher Hof, where I can be sure I'll run into at least a few friends before heading to the next event.

A small, quiet wine bar in Neukölln – the perfect stop for a chilled glass of orange wine on my way home from the office. They also offer a limited selection of authentic Italian goods, such as my very favorite Nocellara olives and bread sticks.

This local nut and dried goods store has a couple of locations around Berlin, but I like to frequent their shop on Karl Marx Straße for familiarity. In addition to their wide selection of traditional Lokum (aka "Turkish Delight") they also offer a huge selection of roasted nuts and dried fruits – I recommend their candied hibiscus, or the sesame roasted almonds – my go-to snacks since the first time I entered their store.

Probably the best way to describe Hopscotch is as an oasis. In addition to a sprawling selection of non-western English-language literature, emphasizing diaspora narratives and marginalized experiences, Hopscotch hosts workshops and events for a general audience.

To be frank, I haven't had a chance to visit the SAVVY Contemporary space, but that is only because of lockdowns hindering the accessibility of cultural institutions. SAVVY's focus, as an arts center, classroom, and communal space, is on interrogating notions of the "West" and "non-West" to attempt to deconstruct some of the firmly held social constructions surrounding such notions. SAVVY founder Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung was recently appointed as the new director of the Haus der Kulturen der Welt in Berlin to take effect in 2023, which is a huge deal – especially in Germany, where visible examples of Black cultural architects are very limited.

Berlin is home to a huge selection of swimming lakes and ponds. Sadly I have a deep connection to the Ocean, but since Germany is largely landlocked, lakes will have to do. Bernsteinsee is one of my favorite places to go swimming, but at around an hour's drive outside the city, it is a rare visit for me. The vibe there is just very clean, very quiet, and SANDY – which is not the case for all of the lakes in Greater Berlin.

Similar Guides

Octa's Favourite Spots in Berlin

This list of Black-owned businesses in Berlin is a result of collaboration across our global community and is by no means exhaustive. There are so many more incredible businesses out there and we welcome all suggestions. We’ll be updating this guide regularly, so if you feel like sharing, please email 

We'd like to thank the anonymous collaborators who helped curate this list for us.

Found in Berlin-Charlottenburg, this restaurant serve delicious Ethiopian fare and is open to dine at and for curb side pick-up.

African Food Festival Berlin brings to you the best of healthy delicious African fare. Breaking the gap between street and haute cuisine. Bringing the rich variety of authentic African food from grill to sea to vegan.

A 100% vegan African-Italian restaurant offering amazing creative breakfasts and Sunday brunches. Zero waste and plastic-free.

When strolling through the African quarter in Wedding, you quickly get the impression that you have ended up in the streets of a small African town. The restaurant, owned by Suzanne Saitz, serves authentic Cameroonian food that's open 'til late.

Found in Reinickendorf, BaoPab offers tasty homemade food from burgers to grilled fish. One of the hot spots in the area. Also hosts jazz nights with cocktails.

Baraka is an amalgamation of Moroccan, Egyptian and Arabian food. Expect mouth-watering dishes like the traditional soup called Harira, that is usually served during Ramadhan, and the usual dips like baba ghanoush and hummus.

Since its opening in 1993, the Africa House, led by the sociologist, Oumar Diallo, from Guinea Conakry, has developed into an institution that is recognised beyond the capital's borders as a place for transcultural encounter and political education.

Experts in all hair textures, specialising in relaxers, texturizers, cutting & colouring.

Centrally located in the heart of Berlin Wedding, Salone Market is a multi-cultural meeting point. You can get both tropical and African food and drinks, as well as typical West African dishes (e.g. rice with peanut sauce, fish with plantains) at moderate prices. They also offer freshly ground classic coffee specialties. Main courses are available from €6 and the drink prices are cheap.

Founded by Femi Oyewole, Black Brown Berlin is a community directory and platform celebrating their culture and community in Berlin. They aim to shine the spotlight on Black and Brown excellence throughout the city by providing a range of thoughtfully curated content aimed to inform, connect, and serve the black and brown community.

Found in the ever-cool Kreuzberg, this vegan shop serves homemade banana bread in different flavours, from cream cheese, white chocolate and walnut to cream, nougat and hazelnut. For now, they offer a pick-up service where they bake twice a week and orders can be collected on Friday and Tuesdays.

This sustainable, handmade lingerie brand offers sultry pieces made out of left-over pieces of chiffon and silk in red, white, purple and many more. Sets made to order.

Found in Berlin-Neukölln, this West African kitchen serving delicious dishes like tilapia, jollof rice, fried yams and a special dish of banku (fermented corn and cassava dough) served with groundnut soup and mixed meat. They also have many vegan and vegetarian options.

Based in Berlin, this hair stylist is an expert in creating gorgeous braids and crowns on POC hair.

For designer Soji Solarin, his clothes are a tool to playfully challenge the preconceptions of black identity. In his collection 'Negro Cowboy', he addresses the cowboy - a landscape in which the black narrative has definitively been written out - with playful graphic tees and structured denim chaps.

Black-Owned Businesses in Berlin

Kurtis Wells is a producer and solo artist based in Berlin, who released his debut EP, ‘Ricardo’ in 2021. Born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago, he left the Caribbean to kick off his music career internationally. After living in the States, Kurtis set out to find a new vibe and landed in Berlin. “I think Germany made it very possible to migrate and have some sort of life out of the Caribbean, when I got here I settled into the whole European lifestyle, and I never moved.”

Berlin is home to artists, world-famous for its techno, club culture and gritty underground scene that values ‘being authentic to yourself”. With his Caribbean background and ”worldwide perspective”, and Berlin’s melting pot of cultures, the city became a place to find community and cater to a fan base outside of the mainstream. “I met a lot of my Caribbean, Trinidad people walking in the parks, hearing them talking and cussing like how we cuss back home.”

, paying homage to the islands in the Caribbean and merging inspiration of the French Riviera. This new series of guides looks at the lives, art and communities of Caribbean people living in Europe. Read Kurtis Wells’ guide to finding proper oxtail, Caribbean art and underground nightlife in Germany’s capital city.

You tend to bump into people who miss home as much as I miss home, or people looking for a taste of the Caribbean, so it’s not very hard to connect. For me, this is the most authentic Jamaican/Caribbean restaurant, they don’t serve food without it being spicy, and most Germans they like food without spice, which is totally fine. I had a chat with the owner and he told me he doesn't like cooking without spices because you come for the most authentic meal. I’d recommend the oxtail.

It’s an African spot with multiple restaurants and bars, it’s pretty cool you can just hang out for hours, you feel like you’re literally not in Berlin. YAAM is centred around Black people. They curate this vibe where people can come and perform and sell their art, this is one spot where I’ve definitely felt connected to culture.

They make a lot of Caribbean-style drinks and cocktails it’s cool to pop in there if you don’t just want the average cocktail, and you want a rum punch.

The Caribbean Art Collection is an incredible experience. From being greeted with wine by the owners to hearing stories about each piece and its origins, my visit was nothing short of special. Being able to unfold what inspired all the different pieces collected and donated by artists all over the Caribbean really gives perspective on how culture can be exported through art.

In my opinion, Badehaus really highlights a lot of the underground scene surrounding upcoming talent in Berlin. I’ve discovered great acts here. It’s perfect for a spontaneous Saturday night.

Kurtis Wells Top Caribbean Spots in Berlin

WizTheMC is a German rapper, based in Berlin who is creating music that is personal, vulnerable and relatable. An exciting addition to the world of alternative rap, WizTheMC is definitely a one to watch. 

Berlin is renowned for its multicultural food scene with the doner kebab, originally a Middle Eastern dish, becoming one its most popular street foods. Its large migrant population has only increased owing to a relaxing stance towards asylum seekers and refugees. This has had a marked impact on the city’s culinary landscape with entire streets dedicated to Arab food and massive quarters boasting the best Turkish and Kurdish doner kebab. As a result, Berlin’s hummus spots are unmatched and below, WizTheMC will be introducing us to his favourites across the city!

It’s easy to find good food on Sonnenallee, but finding great food is much harder. This one's a Lebanese take on hummus making, and they are doing the thing. The new white-tiled, highly-illuminated LED lit interior may not be the most inviting but the massive plates of mixed food + hummus will hit every spot possible.

Another Sonnenallee steal. This one for the shawarma lover. Tell them you want the Arabisch. All will be good in the world.

Not a hummus-specialty, but doing some of the best shawarma this side of the Spree. The Lebanese family who runs this spot are incredibly lovely, and if you smile there, they slip in a piece of fried halloumi just where you take your first bite.

The craziness of Schlesi can drive anybody mad, but take a step away just here for a rejuvenating hummus bowl. Add a few falafels balls and you’re laughing. Shoutout my boy Anwar, for him the Kafta bowl is 'a cathartic experience'.

Berlin’s Best Spots for Middle Eastern Food with WizTheMc

Raven is a Berlin-based producer, Dj and musician taking the underground techno scene by storm. Drawing heavily from Acid and Detroit sounds, she’s on her way to fleshing out her star-studded collaborations list as she embarks on the next step of her journey with her EP Mania.

IMO, some of the best food in Berlin… Koempul is a family owned, Indonesian restaurant by Eberswalderstr. The menus has quite a bit of fish and meat, but the vegetarian dishes can be made vegan by subtracting the egg. Try the Gadogado salad with peanut sauce.

Handmade Italian food and a great selection of natural wines. The staff is super friendly too. Love this little place for when I’m feeling a little bougie… and thirsty.

Food, drinks, atmosphere and cute people. NK staple.

Usually always something happening at this dive bar in Mitte. Live shows, films, DJs. Top music if you’re into Kraut-rock, new wave, indie etc.

Hand picked vintage and second hand clothes. Good selection of shoes. I always find things here. They have men’s clothes as well. The owner is really helpful and will always help you find something.

Was happy to randomly have lunch with a friend here one day. Have been back plenty of times. The veggie pho is vegan and super tasty. Also inside the spot is really cute!

Late night bar. Dark, candle lit, One of my favourite bars in the city.

Brazilian cafe near Görlitzer Bahnhof. Vegan options and the price is really good. The food tastes like a proper home-cooked meal.

Berlin's Bars, Vintage Boutiques and Hidden Restaurants with Raven

Nigerian-born singer, songwriter and performer Wayne Snow combines 80s electronic sound with his love of jazz, soul and Fela Kuti. After moving to Berlin to focus on his music, he fell in love with the city's busy international district. "Life in Neukölln is vibrant with color and diversity," he says. A city of contrasts, "at the bend of a street you can find yourself right in the centre of a Turkish market or a small square where silence reigns." From hole-in-the-wall African food spots where you'll find authentic okra stew to lush rooftop bars and nightclubs, read Wayne's guide to see all that Neukölln has to offer.

This rooftop is quite simply one of my favourite places in Neukölln to meet with friends and watch the sun go down. There are two dance floors carefully blasting some sweet 70s, 80s groove. You will find the second dance floor behind the Jeff Koons like sculpture.

You have two possibilities, you go to the right to order a cocktail, with sour whiskey (my favorite) sit down to chat, check people out, dance or you go to the left for dinner at the table with three types of menus, Sicilian, Cypriot or Korean.

This place is truly magical. It can make you forget you're in Neukölln altogether. I saw big bands there, incredible jazz trios. Unfortunately there is not yet a dance floor to move around but nothing prevents dancing outside in front of the window.

This little bar club is one of the places you need to know in Neukölln. I do not know if the basement is open in these times of Covid but I will leave you the surprise of what you will find there.

My favourite place to find the flavours that I miss. Okra Soup, Egusi Soup or Jollof Rice. It´s run by a Ghanaian brother who runs the hair salon right next to it. It will give you the energy you need for the night.

There is a good chance that you will meet here at any time. It's like my living room. The parmigiana is exceptional. Carbonara is my favourite sin. They also have superb wine to accompany any meal.

Having lived in France, I can't help looking for a place to drink good wine. Here you will find very good natural wine and of course orange wine.

Top for brunch before going to Tempelhof to chill. The plates are quite varied and plentiful. I like to finish with the chocolate soufflé.

Wayne Snow's Favourite Places To Eat and Party In Neukölln, Berlin

Creative collective deadHYPE spill the juice on their favourite spots around Berlin. Known best for championing “BBG” (beats, bass and grime) their multidisciplinary approach has made them the go to musicians and event curators in Berlin.

Come by on a Saturday as we are also doing radio, so you get to see some of Berlin's best DJs

Book a table in advance and order the pistachio kofta.

Head to the champagne bar. Get any Blanc de blancs!

Always a great exhibition, extremely well curated - go in the week as it's really relaxed.

A lot to take in so book the tour ahead of time

Amazing lunch spot also good for fresh meat and fish

If you come and need a haircut go to Reydy - it's about 20€. He's a legend and can really cut (go to the back and ask for Reydy explicitly).

Explore Berlin with Non-Binary and Femme Collective No Shade

Explore Berlin with Non-Binary and Femme Collective No Shade