Kwia Berlin

Kwia Berlin

Queer "Music Bar"

Styled like a sprawling art deco living room where guests must take their shoes off at the door, Kwia Berlin is a deeply unique gay bar, and a significant step away from the Berlin clubbing scene of both the 1920s and the 2020s alike. Branding itself a "queer ambient bar", Kwia draws from Japanese "Jazz Kissa" cafes, in which jazz is played at a listening volume, meant to be appreciated rather than used as background noise. While Kwia's focus is not solely on jazz, it remains deeply on music - between its far more mellow vibes than other clubs and this musical focus, Kwia boasts a surprisingly wide range of clientele. Music fans stay in the front room, where talking is mostly prohibited, whilst those there for the atmosphere can venture into the back room, where drinks and food are served and talking is fair game.

Valerie Tumbleson

Diamond, Julie. “Seven of the Best LGBTQ+ Spaces in Berlin.” BBC News, BBC, 9 June 2024, www.bbc.com/travel/article/20240609-seven-of-the-best-lgbtq-spaces-in-berlin.

Mickles, Kiana. “Office Hours: Inside Kwia, Berlin’s Queer Ambient Bar · Feature ⟋ RA.” Resident Advisor, 2023, ra.co/features/4278.

Institution

2023-present

Maybachufer 16, 12047 Berlin, Germany