Galander

Address: 54 Grossbeerenstasse, Kreuzberg, Berlin, 10965, Germany
Tel: +49 30 285 09030
Website: view Galander’s website
Door: Open door
Style: Lounge bar
Food: Bar Snacks
Established: 2008

Review

Eponymously named by owner Dominik Galander, this cocktail-led lounge bar is both his dream and labour of love.

Galander opened in 2008 but only after Dom had built and decorated it himself. He now dons waistcoat and bow tie each night to charm his guests with fabulous drinks and warm hospitality. The room is simple and comfortable rather than plush, and atmosphere is often aided by the upright piano on the raised level towards the back of the room.

Dom’s bar may be relatively new but the room in which it sits was a 'kneipe', a typical German pub that opened in 1912. The old tiles which still cover the walls outside date back to this period and are by A. Pescht, a painter who lived across the street. It is said that he could not pay his bar tab so instead painted the tiles outside the bar.

When visiting, be sure to sample Dom’s homemade liqueurs and ‘Le Dijonnais Martini', made with his own mustard liqueur.