It's not always easy to take it easy in the hustle and bustle of the big city. So it's all the better that Berlin has numerous places where a cue and 16 balls can help you take a well-earned break. Between nostalgic charm and urban nonchalance, traditional parlours, atmospheric bars and hidden neighbourhood pubs invite you to slow down with a relaxing game of billiards!
Tip 1: The Billiard House in Friedrichshain
Behind the industrial brick façade of the Billard House in Friedrichshain is a place that could also be called a billiard palace. There are 18 pool tables, three snooker tables, three poker tables and five dart boards on two floors - and there are even two happy hours.
In addition to the spacious premises, it is above all the opening hours that make this East Berlin billiards location a magnet for the Berlin billiards scene. Whether you're a night owl or an early riser, the Billard House is open around the clock and has a cue, hot and cold snacks and an impressive drinks menu ready for you at any time.
When: Open round the clock
Where: Rudolfstraße 4, Friedrichshain
Billiard House in Friedrichshain
Tip 2: Billiards and beer at Bata Bar & Billiards
... twice in Berlin. At Bata Bar & Billiards, you can not only choose between the Alexanderplatz and Hauptbahnhof locations, but also between twelve and eight premium billiard tables, all of which are named after famous stars of the sport. Some of the stars of the discipline immortalised here have already taken part in exciting show matches at Bata - so it's no wonder that the sporting spirit is high here.
Italian or Asian dishes are available for refreshment and at Bata am Alexanderplatz you can also order delicious beer specialities from the menu of the neighbouring Biermeisterei by Lemke. Because even though everything else here revolves around sport, this billiards venue also has the bar in its name!
Bata at the Main Station:
When: Monday through Friday starting at 3 p.m., Saturday and Sunday starting at 1 p.m.
Where: Heidestraße 50, Moabit
Bata at Alexanderplatz
When: Sunday through Thursday, 12 p.m. – 2 a.m.; Friday and Saturday, 12 p.m. – 5 a.m.
Where: Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 13, Mitte
Tip 3: Get into pool position at Billardsalon Spandau
Billiards is also on the programme in Spandau. One of the district's most popular addresses is Billardsalon Spandau, appropriately nicknamed Pool Position. Here you will find everything your billiard heart desires in a cosy, quintessentially Berlin atmosphere: 20 pool tables, three snooker tables, a carom table, darts, poker, table football, cocktails, snacks and a cosy lounge.
With space for 200 people, this Spandau billiards paradise is not only a safe bet for a spontaneous game of pool with friends, but also an ideal location for special occasions.
When: Monday through Thursday, 2 p.m. to 1 a.m.; Friday, 2 p.m. to 3 a.m.; Saturday, 1 p.m. to 3 a.m.; Sunday, 1 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Where: Am Juliusturm 31, Spandau
Tip 4: Become a billiardaire in Schöneberg
The Billardaire is the oldest billiard parlour in Berlin and brings a great deal of charm to the table, and not just thanks to its venerable title. You'll find this special institution at the end of a long Schöneberg courtyard near Kleistpark. As soon as you enter the restaurant, you'll feel like you're in billiard heaven of the early 90s: at the end of a historic fire escape, the classic interior of the Billardaires awaits you with red velvet carpeting, whitewashed brick walls and an elegantly curved bar.
The culinary offering here concentrates on the essentials: Drinks, hot drinks and small snacks for in between. Because despite the unmissable flair of the billiard bar, the same applies here: Eyes on the pool table!
When: Monday through Thursday, 4 p.m. to midnight; Friday, 4 p.m. to 2 a.m.; Saturday, 2 p.m. to 2 a.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m. to midnight
Where: Billardaire, Monumentenstraße 35, Schöneberg
Tip 5: Billiards by candlelight at Café Menta
Café Ment a is a Wilmersdorf institution and recently celebrated its thirtieth birthday. This unique West Berlin establishment enjoys cult status and rightly so: originally, the two owners, Wolfgang Hempel and Michael Schreier, only wanted to run the café for a few years. But the Menta's reputation quickly spread.
The recipe for success? Charming interior design, candlelight, a wildly mixed crowd and a pool table at the back of the café. As this is always quickly filled, it's worth arriving early for this special candlelit pool experience. But don't worry - the Menta doesn't open until 5 pm anyway.
When: Sunday through Thursday, 5 p.m. to 2 a.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5 p.m. to 4 a.m.
Where: Café Menta, Emser Straße 24, Wilmersdorf
Tip 6: Fine billiards at Köh in Hackesche Höfe
In the Hackesche Höfe, you can play billiards the old English way. The local billiards parlour Köh and its regular clientele have agreed on a concept that is as simple as it is elegant and has been a hit with Berlin billiards fans ever since: well-maintained Brunswick pool tables, high-quality cues, sophisticated cocktails and fine wines.
At Köh, sport takes centre stage and guests are invited to test their strength at the regularly held pool and poker tournaments. However, the Köh is just as suitable for a friendly match as it is for a relaxed after-work drink at the pool table - the choice is yours!
When: Monday through Sunday from 5 p.m. – open end
Where: Billardsalon Köh in the Hackesche Höfe, Sophienstraße 6, Mitte
Tip 7: Revel in the roadhouse charm of Billardsalon Poolparadies
The Lichtenberg pool parlour Poolparadies combines East Berlin pub charm with an American road trip feeling and is the backdrop for relaxed after-work matches and lavish birthday parties. The cocktails here are not only cheap, but also delicious, and there is a lounge with a screen in the back corner of the parlour for breaks between matches. Football matches are also broadcast here for the ultimate sports spirit.
To ensure that real rockers and health-conscious sports professionals don't get in each other's way, the billiards parlour is also divided into a smoking and a non-smoking area. But don't worry: the pool and snooker tables in both areas are the same size, well-maintained and of the same high quality!
When: Monday through Thursday, 4 p.m. – midnight; Friday & Saturday, 4 p.m. – 2 a.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m. – 11 p.m.
Where: Poolparadies Billiards Salon, Siegfriedstraße 1, Lichtenberg
Billiards parlour Poolparadies
Tip 8: All good in Charlottenburg billiard heaven
Shimmering wooden floors, rough brick walls and a huge selection of drinks: Alles GuT in Charlottenburg is more of a billiards pub than a parlour and has taken the hearts of Charlottenburg's cue professionals by storm. Because everything here is really good, if not excellent. A colourful mix of people regularly play billiards matches under the bar's sparkling chandelier or make themselves comfortable as spectators on the red leather benches with a cool Aperol Spritz.
Our insider tip: the arcade game machine at alles GuT, where you can also have fun as a solo gamer!
When: Monday 4 p.m. – 1 a.m., Tuesday through Thursday 3 p.m. – 3 a.m., Friday through Sunday 1 p.m. – 3 a.m.
Where: alles GuT, Horstweg 7, Charlottenburg
Tip 9: Schniekes billiards and tasty beers at Zur Molle in the Schillerkiez neighbourhood
Other billiard venues in our list score points for their size, but the corner pub Zur Molle in Schillerkiez impresses with good company, honest pub romance and dim lighting. Here, the songs still come from the jukebox, the music is played indoors and the regulars are happy to be invited to play a game of pool or darts - usually not without a dry remark on their lips.
For the full Molle experience, we also recommend a Berliner Weisse as a billiard refreshment: green or red, whichever you prefer!
When: Monday through Sunday, 9 a.m. – midnight
Where: Zur Molle, Weisestraße 41, Neukölln
Zur Molle in the Schiller neighbourhood
Tip 10: Visit the Hanniball Billiards & Games Center
The Billard Sport & Spiel Center Hanniball offers you plenty of opportunities for a fun and varied round of billiards and darts. With 16 pool tables, 6 steel-dart stations, 7 soft-dart machines, and a foosball table , you can compete with friends or just relax and play a game. On Wednesdays, there’s also free pool training for kids and teens, followed by training for adults. From 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., you’ll learn the basics under expert guidance and can practice right at the table.
When: Monday through Thursday 3:00 p.m. – 1:00 a.m., Friday 3:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m., Saturday 2:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m., Sunday 2:00 p.m. – 1:00 a.m.
Where: Tempelhofer Damm 227, Tempelhof
Play darts & billiards in Berlin – Hanniball Arcade
Tip 11: Enjoy Pool & Cigars in the Kulturbrauerei
Our list ends with a particularly classy place: Pool & Cigars in the former Pichhalle of the Kulturbrauerei. If you play here, you play in style: the industrial charm of the historic brewery complex meets a dignified club atmosphere and fifteen Brunswick tables are lined up under the metre-high ceilings with exposed wooden beams in subdued lighting.
While you play, you can also treat yourself to delicacies from the carefully compiled whisky menu at the brick bar and enjoy one of the exquisite cigars waiting for you in a wooden humidor. Game on!
When: Monday through Friday starting at 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday starting at 1 p.m.
Where: Schönhauser Allee 36, Prenzlauer Berg
