Tante Horst

Always on the thirst to investigate new bars, I was appointed 2 weeks ago on Saturday evening at Tante Horst, in Oranienstraße, Kreuzberg. I talked with friends about it after my wild night and this understated and modestly-priced café happened to be famous, that I didn’t know before. Anyway, when the meeting was set up, I liked spontaneously the name of the bar : Tante means aunt and Horst is a male name. So I wondered what kind of bar could be named with a male aunt ? Well, I was not disappointed : It’s a queer bar, meaning all kind of people can meet there and It’s no cliché : LGBT welcome and hetero friendly, let’s say. When I saw those boys with full make up and silver dress, I thought “they’re going to a party afterwards” but no, the party was meeting friends at the bar. Oups. When the students request free seats at our table, I thought “there is a birthday party upstairs” but no they sat next to us and ordered beers. When the DJ played louder the music, the mood really rises and changes from a nice and gentle start sipping caperihna to dance floor, which was good because after that we had to join a lesbian party called “mermaids” (didn’t see many, really, but It is another story). For the record, the bar, where like Bloona you can stay at the bar, is located on the less-trod side of the Oranienstraße, near Moritzplatz where Prinzessingarten is, closed now for winter : don’t forget to make yourself a note for next spring to go there (and It’s again another story). Drawing its entirely mixed crowd, Tante Horst prides itself on being a Likörchenkollektiv, which translates as a schnapps collective, offering an array of liquor that includes, but luckily is not limited to, sheep’s milk schnapps.With a rotating display of artwork by various local artists, the café creates a comfy atmosphere, ideal for unaffected cups of tea or glasses of beer. Every Sunday, Tante Horst hosts a vegan/vegetarian brunch buffet (12:00-16:00), whereas every Saturday night a DJ spins the crowd into a tizzy. We couldn’t stay too long and moved on to GoldenFinish before visiting the Mermaids (still makes me laugh) but I went back last Tuesday for apéritif. It’s of course quieter but you will appreciate the good mood of the bar to make a good start in the week.. I also read they are linked with other “Kollektiv” like Silver Future in Neukölln, but this one I know already. Didn’t I write about it? OK, next time then. (But it’s another story).