Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Germany Berlin Schwarzes Café
AO Edited Gastro Obscura

Schwarzes Café

Dine at a legendary after-hours joint frequented by David Bowie and Iggy Pop.

Berlin, Germany

Added By
Diana Hubbell
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
The disco ball-bedecked upstairs is a perfect place to read.  
The sign on Kantstrasse.  
The upstairs interior.  
Crumbling plaster details line the ceilings.  
Outside of Schwarzes Café.  
Hundreds of patrons have etched their names into the furniture.  
The exterior courtyard.  
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

When David Bowie left Los Angeles for a small flat in West Berlin in the late 1970s, he quickly became something of a fixture in the city’s nightlife scene. “For many years Berlin had appealed to me as a sort of sanctuary-like situation,” he would later say. “It was one of the few cities where I could move around in virtual anonymity.” According to locals, the musician could often be spotted at Chez Romy Haag, the eponymous cabernet that belonged to a legendary trans performer and nightlife impresario, or grabbing a steak with Iggy Pop below the neon sign of Paris Cafe. 

Schwarzes Café opened its doors in 1978, toward the tail-end of the Thin White Duke’s Berlin years. It quickly became one of his regular haunts. The restaurant was the work of a radical socialist collective, which opened it in the wake of the Tunix Congress, a left-wing gathering at the Technische Universität (TU). It quickly became an after-hours hub, thanks to one particular feature: with the exception of a brief window in the wee hours of Tuesday mornings for cleaning, it never closed.

Decades later, Schwarzes Café still feels almost defiantly incongruous with its surroundings on bourgeois Kantstrasse. A rainbow-hued parrot sign glows in the window of the building’s mustard-hued, baroque facade. Regulars inevitably can be seen smoking from the balcony and spilling out from the umbrella-covered tables on the street. 

The interior, decked out in peeling plaster molding with an enormous disco ball, has the magnificently dilapidated air of an artist’s squat. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Schwarzes Café reduced its hours somewhat, making this no longer a true 24/7 hangout. Nevertheless, the owners pour whiskey sours long after the other bars in the neighborhood have fallen silent, followed by coffee and eggs a few hours later when the sun comes up.

Related Tags

History Bars Cafe

Know Before You Go

These days, Schwarzes Café closes at 2 a.m. each morning. 

Community Contributors

Added By

Diana Hubbell

Published

February 23, 2023

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Schwarzes Café
Kantstraße 148
Berlin, 10623
Germany
52.505511, 13.324326
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Bahnhof Berlin Zoologischer Garten

Berlin, Germany

miles away

Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church

Berlin, Germany

miles away

The Clock of Flowing Time

Berlin, Germany

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Berlin

Berlin

Germany

Places 140
Stories 18

Nearby Places

Bahnhof Berlin Zoologischer Garten

Berlin, Germany

miles away

Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church

Berlin, Germany

miles away

The Clock of Flowing Time

Berlin, Germany

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Berlin

Berlin

Germany

Places 140
Stories 18

Related Stories and Lists

Try Historical Food at These 52 Culinary Timewarps

List

By Diana Hubbell

Related Places

  • Walking into the Oxford is like stepping back in time.

    Denver, Colorado

    The Cruise Room Bar

    This swanky speakeasy is Denver’s oldest bar—and hasn’t changed a bit since 1933.

    Sponsored by Visit Denver
  • The Sign for the Old Wellington, with the Old Wellington itself in the background on the left.

    Manchester, England

    The Shambles

    Two of Manchester’s oldest buildings were moved twice.

  • With its high ceilings, the dining room is pure elegance.

    Vienna, Austria

    Café Sperl

    Royals, rebels, and artists have all conversed at this grand 19th-century Viennese coffee house.

  • The oldest restaurant in Belgrade: ?

    Belgrade, Serbia

    Znak Pitanja (?)

    Belgrade’s oldest restaurant has a rather unusual name.

  • The interior of the cafe is covered in historical bric-a-brac.

    Athens, Greece

    Kafeneio Oraia Ellas

    Luminaries of all stripes have sipped strong Greek coffee at this cafe since 1839.

  • Koguma’s “Showa-retro” interior.

    Tokyo, Japan

    Koguma

    This cozy café is housed in a repurposed pharmacy originally built in 1927.

  • The exterior of the pub.

    London, England

    Ye Olde Mitre

    Down a pint of ale where the Bishop of Ely's servants slept in 1546.

  • The exterior of the fabled pub.

    Glasgow, Scotland

    The Scotia Bar

    Glasgow's oldest pub has a proud literary tradition and possibly a ghost or two.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.