The welcoming dance bar where everyone's equal and the future is bright!
Dancing, Live Acts, Theme Nights and some of Chicago's Best DJs.

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What They're Saying:

3rd Annual Nightlife Awards 2016
Nightclub of the Year

Chicago Reader's "Best of Chicago 2014"
Best Anything Goes Bar
Runner Up: Best Gay Bar

CBS Chicago "Best Clubs For Pop Music In Chicago"
Even if you’re not ripping up the expansive dance floor, Lakeview’s Berlin may be the best space in town for people watching, attracting a range of types from freaks and hetero hipsters to gay men and women (the Chicago stalwart commonly wins awards as both Best Gay Bar and Best Non Gay Bar). Heavy synth 80s, House Music spectacles, disco, New Wave, live acts, fun theme nights, plus reasonably priced, sturdy drinks insure Berlin’s success for decades to come.

Chicagoist's "7 Best Nightclubs That Don't Suck"
One of our picks for the best gay and lesbian bars in Chicago also makes this list for its eclectic DJ lineup and its welcome, accommodating vibe. Regardless of your sexual orientation, all are welcome on the dance floor, as has been the case for 30 years, and the scene picks up significantly here after midnight, when the 24-hour party people converge to dance until the morning light. —Chuck Sudo

Chicago Reader's "Best of Chicago 2013"
Berlin Best Gay Bar
Best LGBT Dance Party: Stardust
Best Local Dance Promoter: Alinka (of Twirl!)
Best Local DJ: Teen Witch (of Total Therapy)
Best Subversive DJ Who Plays Top 40-pop: Teen Witch (Total Therapy)
Best Anything Goes Bar: Berlin
Runner Up Best Non Gay Bar: Berlin
Best Party Promoter: Scott Cramer (of Stardust)
Best Poster Gig Designer Runner Up: Matthew Scheer (Flyers)
Best Nightlife Blogger: ASL Media (Photos)

Time Out Chicago; Critics Pick, June 2013 "10 best dance club events this June"
Cosmix: Pride Fest weekend kick-off With nothing more than a healthy bit of sweat-drenched dancing as his goal, DJ Greg Haus steps into the booth every Friday to mix it up with dance tunes of every flavor, giving hipsters, freaks and club kids alike something to get excited about. On Jun 21, Cosmix kicks off Pride weekend and Berlin's 30th anniversary celebratons in a big, bold way with "Slaves of Rhythm—An Ode to Grace Jones and Keith Haring." Local club icon Jojo Baby will be on hand to put in some hard werque. It's going to be bananas, folks.

Chicago Reader's "Best of Chicago 2012"
Winner: BEST GAY BAR, BEST NON-GAY BAR, BEST ANYTHING-GOES CLUB, BEST LGBT DANCE PARTY "STARDUST THURSDAYS"

Chicago Reader's "Best of Chicago 2011
Winner: BEST NONGAY GAY BAR
First Runner Up: BEST GAY BAR; GLBT DANCE PARTY "Stardust", BEST DANCE CLUB

Time Out Chicago, 2010
By no means is Berlin above blasting Madonna, but when it comes to the queer cutting edge, there’s no other bar in town that can top it. DJ Greg Haus, who has helmed Cosmix for more than a decade, leads the charge into 2011 with progressive dance styles and support from local electro lovers DAAN, who perform their synthy ’80s-ish pop live.

OUT Magazine, August, 2009
If you want to get off the Boystown strip (which can start to feel inbred). Berlin is another local institution, known for its inclusive, neo-hippie vibe and a no-frills boxy dance floor designed for serious movement. Though the crowd can veer toward mixed on weekends, the thumpin disco music mostly draws Art Institute students and the bohos who love them.

Time Out Chicago, 2009
Top 5 House Music Nights:
Get Get Down at Berlin
As this shindig at the always-adventurous Berlin is a newcomer, it's got a newer generation of house heads behind the decks. DJs Zebo and Popstatic’s goal is to showcase all that's great about house music, new and old. On a given night, you can hear cutting-edge dance-floor nuggets just released on Get Physical side-by-side with tried-and-true classics. Couple that with Berlin's colorful crowd and you've got a lively night on your hands.

Time Out Chicago, 2009
Top 10 Clubs:
This bi, curious and gay friendly establishment in Wrigleyville, bucks the traditional club culture prevailing these days and stays true to its roots as an eclectic alternative dance hub. It features everything from boompity Wednesday night house music extravaganza’s to drag shows and Industrial nights, offering up a little something for everyone.

about.com
A friendly dance club along Boystown's busy Belmont Avenue, Berlin has been a gay nightlife mainstay in Chicago for many years, its success due largely to its come-one-come-all vibe - on any given night you might see hot muscle twinks, baby dykes snogging on the dance floor, trannies, curious heteros, salt-and-pepper-haired yuppies, alt-goths - you name it. It's a fun place early or late, and you can always count on interestig, dance-worthy music. It's just around the corner from Halsted Street and the many gay bars along there. © Andrew Collins.

10Best.com
Top 10 Dance Clubs in Chicago...
#2, Berlin  "Rolling Stone" magazine named it "Best Dance Club" in Chicago for good reason. This intimate joint has two bars, a small dance floor with a tiny stage, and bass cabinets that double as platforms for drag queens, exotic dancers, or fetish shows that perform on occasion. Video screens run "out there" reels that are put together by DJs. Music varies from new wave to house, and the third Sunday of the month is disco night. Not for the closed-minded; a mixed crowd prevails.

The NIle Guide
The heyday of Belmont Avenue's punk scene is long since gone, but Berlin is somewhat of a holdover from the area's Bohemian past. No longer punk, Berlin has a gay and lesbian clientele and holds attraction for many others, as well. If you like dark, loud and eclectic, this is a safe bet. There's a disco night once a month, so you may want to call ahead to see if you should wear your bell bottoms. © Wcities

Fodor's  2009
Berlin, a multicultural, pansexual dance club near the Belmont El station, has progressive electronic dance music and fun theme nights—Madonna and Prince are celebrated on the first and last Sunday of the month.

CitySearch
Practically anything goes at this flamboyant Lakeview dance club.

The Scene:
Long known as one of the city's premier gay bars, this hetero-friendly spot still pulls out all the stops, thanks to grinding beats and no-holds-barred dancing. Whether cutely coiffed, shirtless or dressed in all-out drag, guys here (and their female entourages) know how to get down and dirty, making the vivid '60s-meets-'70s decor--wood-paneled walls with bold polka-dot cutouts--a mere backdrop; dark exterior windows keep inside antics under wraps.

The Draw:
This is raciness at its best, particularly past midnight. Berlin is full of gay, gay-curious and gay-loving individuals chugging Jager shots, froufrou drinks and standard mixed potions. Rotating DJs regularly spin danceables from Fischerspooner, the Streets and Ladytron, but the vibe can vary greatly from night to night. For a dance club, drinks are surprisingly cheap and hefty.   by Jennifer Olvera

Time Out Chicago
This freak-friendly dance destination in Lakeview built its reputation back in the mid-’80s with a mix of German new-wave music, art installations and even transvestite shows. These days, it’s still quirky but more retro, with Prince-tribute, disco and ’80s nostalgia nights. Goths and gays are extra welcome, but the scene here is made up of almost everyone.