If ever a bar were aptly named, it would have to be Trust, the new venture from the owners of two of Berlin’s most well-known clubs—Cookies (Cookie) and Weekend (Marcus Trojan)—and photographer Sascha Kramer. Through an unmarked doorway on Torstraße where one must ring a bell, into a small, cozy space that could be someone’s living room, you’ll soon begin to see why this is the kind of place frequenters of clubs like the late-great Scala were always dreaming about. While the nightlife pedigree of two of Trust’s three founders ensures an unforgettable night out, the profession of the third perhaps makes for an aesthetic experience that is quintessential Berlin: gritty-cool, with faded gold walls lending an air of classic glamour, the art lending a more modern touch.

But “trust” is the name of this game in more ways than one: whether you’re cozying up to complete strangers on the double bed that lies next to the DJ booth, wondering who is going to pop in on you in the interconnected toilets, or finding people to drink with—Alcohols like vodka or champagne come in small (0,2 litre) or large (0,5 litre) “Trust” brand bottles with mixers, meaning you are practically railroaded into cozying up to new drinking buddies once you get settled in. So like it or not, you’ll have to let go and open up to those around you, a new and unusual experience in a nightlife scene that can all too often be hectic and impersonal.