This is a truly one-of-a-kind find in Berlin. Locals will shun you until you chit chat. It's very small, sweaty, and fab hidden cocktail joint. Bartender is proper and interesting . Make it your mission to find it! read more

BEST BAR EVER! I went to this bar last Christmas after seeing it in a picture book. Rum is my favourite tipple so I thought it deserved a visit. When we reached it after traipsing through thick snow I thought it was shut but alas I saw a door bell so gave it a go. The place is tiny inside, could not fit more then 10-15 people I'd say. The barman looked liked Jeeves and had a very dry sense of humour. The choice of drinks is small: Rum, Gin or Champagne, no mixers just straight. I got Jeeves to recommend a rum and it was delicious ( A Venezuelan rum called Diplimatico). I wish I could of stayed there all night but a member of the party was tiring. When I return to Berlin I will most definitely be going to the Rum Trader again. read more

Rum Trader - Lounges Near Me - Berlin, BE

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Headline: Herschel blends rum better than anyone. After dinner last night, we headed to Rum Trader, a small bar in Berlin that serves (unsurprisingly) rum drinks. It has maybe eight bar stools and can hold about fifteen. Herschel, the bar tender and gate keeper to this bar, is a character who can swap between german to perfect english to make a point and can blend rum drinks like no-one else I know. We waited outside until Herschel came out and invited us in. "You are obviously American, and too loud. Now I shall make your drink" Sure, you can ask for a specific drink with a specific rum. But why do that? What you want to do is let Herschel choose the drink. Order a Level one, two, three, or - if you dare, four. The level 2 drink I ordered was a wonderful fruity mix, where I didn't know I was drinking rum. The level 3 drink leveled my friend. This is another place (see also "The Bird") that you should put on your must-visit list. read more

They really know their stuff (and so they should, since they've been around since the 70's). Can be a bit uptight about what you're wearing (no shorts or trousers even an inch too short ;)). Also no pictures, we were told. Will definitely visit again, dressed in a tuxedo. read more

Outstanding!! If you want a real low key experience, then this is your place. Cash only Rum only, but they will mix a cocktail to your liking. read more

Spent a weekend with a friend in Berlin. We had heard about this mythical bar. After knocking on the door and the bartender let us in we we're served REALLY good drinks/cocktails. The choice is between rum or gin and if you want it sweet or sour. If you're in Berlin and enjoy really well made cocktails/drinks this is the place!! Be early since it's a very small bar. read more

Rum Trader - Lounges Near Me - Berlin, BE

Rum Trader was by far my favorite bar I visited during my short stay in Germany. I was lucky enough to have an open seat at the bar, considering the entire place probably only seats 15 people or so. I got the sense that some of the patrons in there were regulars, like perhaps I got to witness their Thursday night ritual of Rum and Cigars. The bartender was very welcoming and seemed a bit surprised I had even heard of the place. I let him pick a couple cocktails to make for me, told him I was enthusiastic about rum and tropical rum cocktails. While Rum Trader can certainly do "tropical cocktails", this was by no means a "tropical bar". I felt more like I was drinking in a grandfather's parlor or something along those lines. Between the vintage music, the cigar smoke, and the excellent selection of Rum, I felt transported to somewhere timeless and not necessarily German either. Rum Trader is definitely top of the list for the next time I visit Berlin. read more

A little world of its own, a tiny place with just a few seats but a proper cocktail bar (with a slightly vintage/speakeasy twist. That could get old.) Immaculate daiquiri, which we didn't even get beyond it was so perfect. Tiny is the word, so a great chance of it being full. Worth the detour! (If you don't like smoking, you might find its tiny crowd of inveterate puffers a bit heavy going, yet another good reason to get there at opening time - for a few minutes of smoke free drinking...) read more

Rum Trader has almost a mythical reputation among barflies, and for good reason. Though I've given it five stars, it is certainly not a place for everyone. In fact, it's probably not a place for anyone who isn't a hardcore cocktail enthusiast. It's also not for the shy or easily offended. I sought out Rum Trader on an icy Tuesday night in February. When I found it, the door was closed and locked. It was a little early by Berlin standards - 10:00 PM - and so I explored the neighborhood a little before returning. When I returned, a couple happened to be leaving and so I snuck past them through the open door. The owner was standing there in an elegant and perfectly tailored suit. He literally looked down his nose at me (which is hard to do since I'm 6'3") and asked, in German, if I had a reservation. I said in polite phrasebook German that I didn't. When he said something else to me in rapid German I asked him politely if perhaps he spoke English. "Of course I speak English, young man. The question is why don't you speak German?" As it happens, I speak three languages very well -- it's just that none of them happen to be Deutsch. In any case, he quite openly appraised me and, judging my suit and trousers of sufficient quality, invited me to take a seat. The service was, to put it mildly, leisurely. He would interrupt the making of a drink - a process that takes about ten minutes or so -- to chat on the phone or have a conversation with another customer. He was also unhelpful when it came to suggestions, offering me limitless options instead but offering no direction when I explained that I was unfamiliar with several of them. Two Germans happened to come in and sit next to me. As we chatted in French, the one language we had in common, one of them asked me if the owner had given me a hard time when I came in. I said he had. The German smiled and said he does that to everyone, even his regulars, and not to feel too badly about it. In the end, the atmosphere is unlike any other bar I've visited. The joint is tiny and extremely intimate. The cocktails were exceptional and are easily among the best I've ever had. Rum Trader is an experience not be missed if you're a dedicated cocktail snob. That said, if your tastes are more conventional, the service can be intimidating. One has the feeling that the owner does this not so much as a business but as a labor of love. He seems to care little for what others think and enjoys crafting his artful cocktails purely for the pleasure of doing so. One feels like a guest in the man's home, which, in a way, you are. read more

In regards to the below review, and with respect, you didn't deal with "Herschel", you were served by Herr Scholl (Mr. Scholl).

Quite rude and arrogant staff, the young bartender yelled at us for ringing the bell twice and then told us we can have a seat if we wait at least 30 minutes (in Winter) in front of the door as "there is no way you can get a seat now". I have been to the bar in the past and if the owner is in it is actually quite nice - he always finds a seat no matter how full and no made-up prices for the drinks (there is actually a menu including a price list), but he obviously has bad taste in picking his staff. read more