you can call me a berliner now
A reprieve for live music lovers - the North Loop was blessed earlier this year with a brand new jazz bar. In between the decadence of Minneapolis eateries is Berlin - an art nouveau influenced space that welcomes the lucky with classic cocktails and an intimate evening of instrumental music. Berlin does not currently take reservations, forcing patrons to practice patience or trust in divine timing in order to snag a spot in the dimly lit bar.
My friends and I met up on the sidewalk and put in a request for a table for five. Despite the full bar and dining room, we were met by a wait of only ten minutes or so and were able to order drinks in the meantime. We arrived between the first and second set, which serendipitously opened up the perfect corner booth for us to cozy into and catch up.
The cocktail list was straightforward and uncomplicated, so I went with an old fashioned to start my experience off and I was not disappointed. No frills, no special tinctures or flavored whiskeys, just a simple cocktail made well. As I sipped the jazz trio hopped on to the stage and started playing with a kind of unbridled joy and whimsy that I find to sometimes be lacking the ever-serious nature of high brow jazz artists.
The trio consisted of an upright bass, drums, and a vibraphone - which I did not know was the name of the instrument until the band introduced its members. They riffed off each other and each passionately executed their solo’s. As they played I grew fond of their dynamic, partaking in their joy as they teased each other and giggled through their second set - which I accompanied with a deliciously effortless espresso martini once my first cocktail was downed.
The low-lit velvet curtained walls wrapped us up in the moment. I was allowed to truly be present for the music as well as the whispered company of my friends, our arms around each other as we swapped anecdotes and shared our thoughts on our first experience. It felt like a wormhole to another place and time where the romantically exclusive vibe of the evening left us giddy and wholly satisfied. I’m eager to go back knowing full well that each night at Berlin will promise an exquisite experience different from the last.
