Nestled pretty much smack bang in the middle of the Moritzplatz, Prinzenstraße and Kottbusser Tor triangle, Praterstraße Berlin places a firm emphasis on quality with its intimate exhibitions—traversing the potential quagmires that emerge when curators clutter up a space. Displaying works from various mediums (including painting, sculpture and kinetic art) the one room gallery has displayed artists such as Berlin-based Max Frey, Los Angeles’s Taft Green and Vienna’s Rudolf Steckholzer, and it’s also provided a platform for the inventive Michael Franz. Moreover, each exhibition is accompanied by a public dinner—called Kantine—so you can pull up a pew and digest more than just what’s on the walls.

The old Trust—brainchild of Weekend owner Marcus Trojan, Cookie’s head honcho Cookie and photographer Sascha Kramer—was a place where Mitte’s movers and shakers went to be seen and heard. So naturally when the most exclusive mini-club on Torstraße closed its doors in 2012 many a scenester was left wondering where their nightlife would go from there…

They needn’t have worried. Fast forward a few months and messrs Trojan, Cookie and Kramer are at it again in a new, bigger location that sprawls underneath the railway tracks at Hackescher Markt. It’s still that unmarked-door-and-peephole sort of exclusive, but to immerse yourself in what lies within is more than worth enduring those scrutinizing eyes—a straight up lesson in urban cool, expertly realized over two floors of exposed concrete and flashes of gold.

Drinks-wise, like the Trust of old, it’s all about bottles of Champagne and spirits (available in 0.2 or 0.7 liter) and they’ve even made the concession of stocking beers as well. If you order one, though, you’ve missed the point and will have to endure the ignominy of having it served in a brown paper bag. Because nothing decimates a hip cat’s image more than drinking hobo-street style.

It can be tough living in the shadow of a big sibling. Lava, the little bro of acclaim-hoarder Lavanderia Vecchia, is having none of that—having taken over the front of the same Flughafenstraße building. By no means is Lava content playing a mere supporting role, it’s not even going after the same formula. Replace the belly-busting set menu with a more refined à la carte offering and a focus that stretches beyond the Italian peninsula into the wider Med.

The first room doubles up as a deli-type establishment, with a mamma-mia meat counter housing a deluge of carefully-cured hams and stink-tastic cheeses—from which you can whip up your own delicacies zu Hause. Then, follow through to the other rooms—one with an LED-light adorned leaking bathtub (art, presumably) and the other a more intimate, low-lit affair of surrealist dark greens and black-white checkerboards. It all lends the Trattoria, a curious Alice-in-Wonderland feel that detracts from the food not a jot. Lava is a sequel, but its top-notch cuisine and quirky touches are the match of its original, no doubt about that.

Sunken at the forefront of the RAW maze-like compound, Urban Spree is a graffiti-laden brick and concrete self-proclaimed “(re)creative space”—but don’t let that put you off. Pretentious parentheses in the description aside, if you walk on by you’re missing out. Upstairs, an artist’s laboratory and workshop rings with buzz-words of Berlin’s urbanization: engage, interact, collaborate, fuck off Media Spree etc. With the multifaceted city itself as an inspirational source, the program of events is fittingly schizophrenic. Previous times have seen the space give a temporary home to a Flohmarkt, a short film festival, Berlin fashion week, even a Korean food night, plus all the usuals – so keep your eyes on their schedule as there’s no telling what’ll come next.

Three years back, the clipper-wielding debonair Viktor Leske opened his first salon in Kreuzberg. Many million shards of hair, a few awards, and thousands of life-changing hairstyles later, the list of punters vying for a booking has outgrown his precious tunnel-sized space in Lausitzer Platz. Time to expand, then? Better believe it…

The plucky Frenchman has skipped across town to bring his love of a good cut to the Mitte masses, with this flawless execution of a new vision—a high-end salon experience that takes the successful formula of his first outlet, doubles the size of the space, and throws a wall-to-wall strip of disco lights on top. No joke—there’s a party happening in these here walls.

For starters, the dystopian concrete lines of the interior simply smacks of class, urban modernism and an eye for detail—meaning you get a polished steel mirror (who needs glass anyway) yielding the best view of your good self whilst your barnet upgrade is in progress. The bottom line: Whether you’re after an edgy asymmetrical coif or some pretty layers, come with an open mind and trust the team to execute that deadly new style you’ve been after.

Offering traditional French cuisine with a Mediterranean twist, Le Faubourg is a classic Parisian Brasserie with a contemporary edge. Set in Hotel Concorde, Le Faubourg offers a variety of exquisite French dishes, presented either in their daily menus or a la carte. Paired with their fine selection of reds and whites, this Parisian-style restaurant makes for a memorable gastronomic experience. The set lunch menu is particularly worthwhile, offering a competitively priced 2 course option. During the summer, be sure to nab a spot on its outdoor terrace where you can enjoy a few drinks and relish their cuisine in style.