Best Cocktail Bars in Germany

German cocktail bars split between grand classic rooms and lab-minded newcomers, and the best cocktail bars in Germany show both. Wax On in Berlin's Neukölln is No. 17 on Europe's 50 Best Bars 2026, the only German bar in that top 50, and pours many signatures on tap. Velvet, also in Neukölln, builds its menu around the local season. Le Lion Bar de Paris in Hamburg, the birthplace of the Gin Basil Smash, was on The World's 50 Best Bars 2009 and every list through 2015. Schumann's in Munich made it eight times, and Buck & Breck in Berlin six. Le Lion takes no reservations and accepts cards only, so walk in. These are the bars we would start with.