Looks Like You’ve Blown a Seal

Pinguin Club is our favorite neighborhood bar. It doubles as an ice cream shop called “des Pinguins Eisloch” (the penguin’s ice-hole).

Look how this bumper car cyclops smolders. The light turns on when you oggle. The bartender has a switch. He is a good bartender because he delights in things that must be old to him but are still new to others. Like always Christmas–forever waiting by the tree in the rainbow mamba dark. Once he pulled out a toy penguin push-flipper for us to play with. Another time he bolted in the front door wearing an emperor penguin costume and dashed to the back. We knew it was him because there was no one behind the bar. He returned tussled. Leaning against the bar he said nothing.

This is no common Americana kitsch. Somebody’s got a maggot crew hook up on the carcass of Coney Island.

Everything superb. Drinks, ambiance, bartender, music. Even the coat rack silhouettes. Superb.

And Pee Wee, if you’re out there, come have a drink with us at the Pinguin. My shout.

Pinguin Club

Wartburgstr. 54

10823 Berlin (Schöneberg)

030 781 30 05

http://www.pinguin-club.de/