Madame Claude
Perhaps Berlin’s most twisted bar in Kreuzberg
What if, in an old Berlin flat, everything were suddenly turned upside down? At Madame Claude, that’s precisely part of the concept: tables, chairs and lamps hang from the ceiling in the main room. But behind the whimsical setting lies far more than just an extraordinary bar.
Since 2008, Madame Claude has been a meeting place for musicians keen to experiment, night owls and anyone wishing to discover Berlin’s independent nightlife away from the big clubs.
A place that shifts your perspective
The moment you step inside, it becomes clear: Madame Claude is no ordinary bar. Tucked away on Lübbener Straße in the Kreuzberg neighbourhood around Schlesisches Tor lies a labyrinthine space where bar, basement club and concert venue merge into one another .
Its hallmark is the upside-down room. Furniture and lamps are situated where the floor should actually be. The idea behind it, as the owners explain, stemmed from a child’s dream of playing in a flat furnished the other way round.
This makes Madame Claude a surprisingly good fit for Kreuzberg: a bit improvised, a bit surreal and, above all, unconventional.
What you can discover
Follow the winding paths through the rooms and you’ll find yourself moving from the bar to small alcoves and finally to the place where a significant part of Madame Claude’s identity is forged: the music.
The programme features local and international artists, experimental sounds, concerts and DJ sets. It is precisely these regularly recurring event formats that make the club an institution on Berlin’s alternative music scene. Rather than big names and lavishly staged shows, the focus is on direct encounters with artists and new sounds.
On Mondays, the stage traditionally belongs to ‘Experimontag’ and thus to experimental music ranging from electronic sounds to improvisation and the avant-garde. On Wednesdays, Madame Claude hosts a Music Quiz. At Open Mic L J Fox, which currently takes place on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month, professionals and newcomers alike can perform – from music to poetry and spoken word. The motto is deliberately: no competition. At the weekends, concerts, DJs and parties take turns.
Origins & Vision
The venue’s history reflects its unusual character. The premises were formerly used as a brothel and are situated in a part of Kreuzberg that once lay not far from the Berlin Wall.
In 2008, three French friends opened Madame Claude. They had previously worked in Paris, Madrid and London and came to Berlin with the idea of creating their own club and music venue. The desire for an ‘upside-down flat’ gave rise to the spatial concept that remains a defining feature to this day.
Since then, thousands of bands and DJs have performed here. In 2011, the owners expanded their concept to include the LARK event space for concerts, club nights, workshops and other events.
In this way, Madame Claude also tells a quintessentially Berlin story: from unusual spaces, personal initiative and an international community emerges a cultural venue that has become an integral part of the neighbourhood over the years.
Around Madame Claude
It’s well worth setting aside some time to explore the surrounding area, both before and after the concert. Madame Claude is situated between Schlesisches Tor and Görlitzer Park in one of Kreuzberg’s liveliest areas. Around Skalitzer Straße, the Schlesischer Busch and the Wrangelkiez , you ’ll find numerous bars, cafés, restaurants and small shops.
For a stroll, you can head towards the Landwehr Canal and on to Görlitzer Park. In the other direction, you can reach the Oberbaum Bridge via Schlesisches Tor and Oberbaumstraße. From there, a view opens up over the River Spree; on the opposite bank lies Friedrichshain.
Want to explore Berlin’s nightlife but not quite sure where to go? Then let yourself be inspired by Berlin’s nightlife districts.