A riverside bar and kitchen at Holzmarkt, grown from the old Bar 25. The Spree runs past the deck.
Katerschmaus sits at Holzmarktstrasse 25, on the Spree in Friedrichshain, inside the Holzmarkt creative complex. It carries the line of Bar 25 and KaterHolzig, the riverbank projects that shaped a chapter of Berlin nightlife. The room is now a full bar and restaurant rather than a club.
The setting is the headline. A wooden deck runs along the water, and the interior keeps the handmade, salvaged look of its Holzmarkt surroundings. Creme Guides describes it as a feel-good galley right on the Spree.
The room
Inside, the space is timber-lined and low-lit, with a bar that anchors the dining room. Outside, the deck and garden put tables a few steps from the river. The look is rough-edged by design, in keeping with the Holzmarkt build.
The riverside seats are the ones to ask for. They go first on warm evenings, so a booking helps. The interior holds the mood when the weather turns. The walk in from Holzmarktstrasse passes through the wider Holzmarkt site, a stretch of bars, studios, and a club that share the riverbank, so the approach sets the tone before the door.
The drinks
The bar pours a full cocktail list alongside German and natural-leaning wines and draft beer. Classic cocktails land in the 11 to 14 euro range, in line with a Berlin sit-down bar of this level. The kitchen runs a modern European menu, so the bar pairs well with a meal rather than standing alone. Order a cocktail on the deck before dinner, and let the kitchen steer the food. The wine list leans toward small German and Austrian producers, and the staff will match a glass to the plate on request. Spirits run to a solid range of gin and whisky for those who want a nightcap after the meal. The bar keeps later hours than the kitchen on busy nights, so a drink after dinner does not mean moving on.
The crowd
The crowd mixes Holzmarkt regulars, couples in for dinner, and visitors drawn by the Bar 25 lineage. It skews to people who want a riverside drink and a proper plate, not a club night. The room is calmest at the noon lunch service and warms through the dinner hours toward the 11pm close. It suits an unhurried evening more than a fast crawl. Summer pulls the heaviest trade to the deck, when the riverside tables stay full from early evening. The interior carries the colder months, when the timber room does the work the water cannot.
What regulars say
Reviewers on OpenTable and Tripadvisor return to the setting first. The Spree-side deck and the Holzmarkt atmosphere draw the strongest praise, and the kitchen earns steady marks. The common note is that the bill sits at the higher end, and that the rustic style will not suit everyone. Service draws mixed reads, warmer when the room is not full. Most agree the location and the back-story carry the visit.
Who it is for
It is for a riverside dinner, a relaxed cocktail by the water, or anyone curious about the Bar 25 legacy. Skip it if you want a budget night or a polished hotel bar. For more in this vein see Berlin's date night bars and the global hidden gems guide.
Best time to go
Go on a warm evening and ask for a deck table before the dinner rush fills them. Book ahead on weekends. Pair it with a wider plan from our Berlin bar guide and the city's cocktail bars.
Sources: Katerschmaus official site (2026); Creme Guides Berlin; OpenTable Katerschmaus reviews; Tripadvisor Katerschmaus reviews.
