Review: BER Lounge Tegel at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER): Clean Design and an Expansive Menu (with Photos)
Situated on the northern edge of the terminal, Berlin’s BER Lounge Tegel has evolved since its 2023 opening. With a new catering partner, upgraded furniture, and a recent round of applause from SkyTrax, writer Dan Latif stops in for a pint and a pretzel.
Highs: A genuinely affordable lounge considering the quality of the food on offer and the price of entry.
Lows: No towels are provided for the showers unless you pay €50, although you do leave with the towel at that price. Somewhat limited hours.
Verdict: This is a lounge for living in. You can work here, unwind here, and discover quality products that are also pleasantly original, from sweets to unusual drinks. The hot dishes and buffet offer a surprising variety, almost homestyle in spirit, and far more enticing than the bland trays so often served in lounges.
Getting in: BER Lounge Tegel at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER)
Signage for BER Lounge Tegel at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER). Image: Dan Latif.
Following a trend of European airports consolidating airline-specific lounges into mega lounges, access to the BER Lounge Tegel is determined by airline agreements and travel programs. Business and first class passengers on certain airlines are typically admitted, along with eligible frequent flyers within alliances such as SkyTeam and Star Alliance. We gained access thanks to status with Air France, as part of SkyTeam. Additionally, participants in contracted travel programs such as Priority Pass, Dragonpass, OnPass, LoungeMe, India-based DreamFolks, and Türkiye-based TAS Passport can access the lounge.
Entrance to BER Lounge Tegel at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER). Image: Dan Latif.
BER Lounge Tegel is one of two lounges at Berlin Brandenburg Airport. The other, larger one is BER Lounge Templehof, also named after a different closed airport. Both of these lounges are located in BER’s Terminal 1.
Where is BER Lounge Tegel? I thought Tegel closed.
This lounge is located in Berlin’s new Brandenburg Airport, not Tegel Airport, which has been closed since May 2021. The name of the lounge is simply derived from the Tegel airport.
Lounge entry at BER Lounge Tegel at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER). Image: Dan Latif.
At the time of writing, you can buy a day pass (single entrance) for the BER Lounge Tegel. The pass is priced at €36.00 plus taxes, or around USD $41.00. It can be purchased on-site. The lounge is located after security near gate B17.
Layout of BER Lounge Tegel at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER)
Snacks at BER Lounge Tegel at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER). Image: Dan Latif.
BER Lounge Tegel comes in around 600 m2, or just under 7,000 square feet and the lounge is divided into several distinct spaces. There is one area for the buffets and drinks. Then a seating area with plenty of banquettes, chairs and high tables, presided over by a television tuned to American news channels.
TVs and comfortable seating at BER Lounge Tegel at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER). Image: Dan Latif.
Conference room at BER Lounge Tegel at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER). Image: Dan Latif.
Unlike the confusing name of the lounge, the rest of the place is logically labelled. Walk down the corridor and you pass the “Relax Lounge”, fitted with six Kusch+Co armchairs and matching footstools to stretch your legs properly. There are also conference rooms and workstation areas.
“Relax” Lounge at BER Lounge Tegel at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER). Image: Dan Latif.
Settle into a seat that feels like the first sketch of a business-class cocoon and all that remains is to make the most of the airport’s free Wi-Fi, rest your documents, laptop and even your drink on the tablet armrest to your left, and enjoy the moment. There is even a reading light, a power socket and two USB-A ports at your disposal.
Right next door is another room simply called “Lounge”. The main attraction in this lounge within the lounge is the candy bar of movie-theater quality, jars lined up for anyone ready to relive childhood through HARIBO sweets: cola gummies, berry candies, gummy bears and mixed gummy licorice.
Candy bar by Knalle Popkornditorei at BER Lounge Tegel at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER). Image: Dan Latif.
A salty and savory range of tortilla chips, roasted and salted peanuts, roasted and salted corn comes with a robust selection of popcorns: dark chocolate roasted almond popcorn, butterscotch Tahitian vanilla popcorn and even truffle fleur de sel popcorn, all from Berlin’s own Knalle Popkornditorei.
Food at BER Lounge Tegel at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER): German Bread, Hot Dishes, and Desserts
Buffet at BER Lounge Tegel at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER). Image: Dan Latif.
The buffet is impressive, with each item is well-stocked. Since late 2025, both Lounge Tegel and Lounge Templehof feature Munich-based Feinkost Käfer as the primary catering vendor. For cold starters, the choice of salads is broad enough to leave you hesitating: parmesan, olive and tomato salad, potato salad with pumpkin seeds and pumpkin seed oil, carrot salad, or a Mediterranean rice salad.
Buffet at BER Lounge Tegel at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER). Image: Dan Latif.
I enjoyed a kale soup, then moved on to sweet-and-sour chicken stir-fry with curry rice, mashed potatoes and boiled eggs with mustard sauce.
Germany is famed for its bread culture, one of the richest in the world, with more than 3,000 varieties reflecting regional traditions and craftsmanship. From hearty rye loaves to crusty wheat breads, bread is a daily staple at every meal. In 2014, UNESCO recognized German bread culture as an intangible cultural heritage.
Bread bar at BER Lounge Tegel at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER). Image: Dan Latif.
The soup is the perfect excuse to try one of these breads, including traditional sourdough: fresh, fragrant and unmistakably German. And of course, it is impossible to pass up the pretzels.
Nothing has been forgotten when it comes to the pleasures of the table, as shown by the line-up of Tabasco bottles in different versions: chipotle, habanero and a milder jalapeño.
Cakes and cookies at BER Lounge Tegel at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER). Image: Dan Latif.
And like a good restaurant, the desserts are genuinely good and only grow more tempting as you look around: chocolate coconut cake, rhubarb strawberry cake, mini cocoa cream desserts and chocolate cookies.
Drinks Selection: Beer on Tap, Custom Coffee, and Aperitif Spirits
Stock of drinks at BER Lounge Tegel at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER). Image: Dan Latif.
The usual sodas are hardly worth mentioning, but the colorful Thomas Henry bottles do deserve a nod, with ginger beer, tonic water, bitter lemon and ginger ale.
Beer taps at BER Lounge Tegel at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER). Image: Dan Latif.
Then there are the two beer taps, pouring Munich’s Paulaner Münchner Hell and Paulaner Weissbier, which may cause you to question your ability to pour a proper beer the way they do in advertisements. The flow is so fast that even a German traveller might be caught off guard and end up with a glass overflowing with foam.
Self-service coffee and syrups at BER Lounge Tegel at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER). Image: Dan Latif.
One unexpected curiosity is the line-up of Monin syrup bottles. The French specialist remains the reference in flavored syrups, and here the selection is as tempting as ever, with flavors such as pumpkin spice and white chocolate. Set casually beside the coffee machine, they instantly invite you to play barista and customize your coffee, latte macchiato, flat white or even hot chocolate milk. Endless wasser mit gas (sparkling water) is on tap.
Tea drinkers have not been forgotten either, with a selection of Dammann Frères “Cristal” sachets including chamomile herbal infusion, Earl Grey Yin Zhen black tea, breakfast black tea, peppermint infusion, Sencha Fukuyu green tea, citrus fruits rooibos and a Provence flavored blend style fruit infusion.
Drink, water, and tea at BER Lounge Tegel at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER). Image: Dan Latif.
A handsome cabinet nearby makes a strong case for aperitif hour, displaying an array of more singular bottles: St. Kilian Single Malt whisky, St. Kilian Distillers Cream liqueur, Bombay Sapphire Distilled London Dry Gin and its Sunset edition infused with white cardamom, turmeric and sun-dried mandarin peel, white and red vermouth by Waalem, Bacardi Carta Oro Superior Gold Rum, Carta Blanca and Spiced, and Noilly Prat Original Dry, to name only the most distinctive.
Amenities and Practical Details at BER Lounge Tegel.
Flip-flop keychain for the shower at BER Lounge Tegel. Image: Dan Latif.
The lounge also has showers and toilets. One amusing detail: the key is attached to a flip-flop, so guests do not accidentally walk away with it. Bring your own towel, otherwise the lounge will provide one for €50. At that price, you do leave with the towel and a pair of flip-flops.
The hours of the lounge are surprisingly constrained for such a large airport, closing nightly at 21:00 or 9:00 PM. Guests can arrive around three to four hours prior to their departure time. The Interior Review can recommend at the lounge for resting during its opening hours, and for the quality of food. Peak hours can lead to queuing.
BER Lounge Tegel at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) is located at Willy-Brandt-Platz 1, 12529 Schönefeld, Germany. Opening times and more information here.
Splitting a focus on unusual restorative treatments and strong gastronomic offering, the Air France Lounge at JFK is an elegant escape in Terminal 1.