Windhorst Bar – One of Berlin’s hidden Gems

A real insider’s tip for those who like classic and serious drinking is Windhorst Bar. Conveniently located close to Friedrichstrasse underground and railway station you will find a well-established no-fuss lovingly owner-managed watering hole. The guests are regulars who come to have a relaxing time in Berlin’s busy centre, enjoying a wine or a beer or being delighted by delicious drinks. This is a bar where everyone is welcome.

Windhorst has been serving fine cocktails since 1999. Next year they will celebrate their 20th anniversary. We have so many experienced bartender in Berlin and bars that are affectionately managed by the owners themselves. Günter Windhorst is one of them. The name of his bar is his surname, simple as that.

Cocktails play with homemade ingredients. Creativity and hospitality: This is what awaits you at Windhorst.

Günter Windhorst is ambitious. He built a drinking oasis with cocktail creations based on homemade ingredients and a strong focus on sustainability, long before this topic became omnipresent. The bar snacks he offers are organic and fairtrade, and the products he uses are mostly seasonal. His background is in gastronomy and his drinks are subtly balanced and innovative. His appearance is boyish paired with a creative spirit. Günter Windhorst is one of the bartenders who has influenced the bar scene in Berlin. To my question, describe yourself as a cocktail, he quickly replied “a Gimlet, more specifically a Bengali Gimlet”.

A Gimlet, two ingredients, simple, but the devil is in the detail. The Bengali Gimlet is refined with homemade plum and lime cordial with turmeric, freshly squeezed orange and lime juice and rounded off with Fee Brothers Molasses Bitters. Luscious colour, very tasty and offers complexity but at the same time remains very simple. A perfect choice! Günter ordered two. We were sitting on the small outdoor area in front of the bar. I had an appointment with a bartender from Berlin who introduced this little gem to me a while ago. We chatted for hours, we drank, we ate savoury cheese with nourishing bread and olives, we talked with other guests, we had some more drinks … I had a fantastic night out. This is why I love to go to bars, personal experiences and enjoyable tipsiness. Hospitality is a warm welcome and it is also an interplay between host and guest.

Günter Windhorst and his team are running a bar that is elegant and also pleasingly relaxed. Windhorst is not a speakeasy, it is a speakabout bar.

As for the interior – clear and reserved with dark wood elements bathed in a moody lighting. A dark wooden medicine cabinet extending across the whole width of the venue is the ideal setting for all bottles and things needed. The atmospheric bar with a record player and many vinyls offers a discreet and grown-up place to relax and chill.

The menu changes on a regular basis, is easy to understand and easy to read because of the comfortable font size. Unfortunately I missed the cognac menu but my cognacilious mood was satisfied by an invigorating concoction of Cognac Ferrand 10 Générations, Citadelle Old Tom Gin, freshly squeezed lemon juice, Mozart Dark Chocolate and Yuzu Bitters. Every drink I had was on point and served in elegant glassware. Drinks are both classic and contemporary, all lovingly made with quality ingredients. My favourite of the night was the Jerezena, an iconic drink from the famous and awarded Happiness Forgets in London. It is the perfect marriage of two sherries and two vermouths balanced with vanilla and bitters, enjoyed in the middle of Berlin.

A personal recommendation, opt for a Pegu Club, a legendary gin based drink. Lean back and relax. Windhorst is one of my favourite bars in Berlin because there is heart and soul, innovation, selected spirits and a fantastic bar team.

Visit Windhorst Bar