To me, this place feels a lot like New York! 

This museum of photography is really great, and the highlight for me after the inspiring exhibitions is the good coffee and great cakes at their coffee place. I find myself there almost every second week for a drink and a slice of cake. The food is perfect, the ambiance is nice and it's really alive as a lot of people are coming directly from the running exhibition. At the entrance you can find an interesting bookstore and the best photoautomat of the city right outside. Last but not least, it's only some meters from the Helmut Newton Fondation ( which doesn't have a nice coffee place itself yet ).

Cinema with original fifties interior, close to Hermann Platz. Like all cinemas from the York Cinema Group in Berlin, it features a diverse program of independent movies (mostly original versions with German subtitles).

KINDL- Center for Contemporary Art. It’s an old brewery that has been transformed into an Art Center, … both galleries often have unusual, beautiful and thought provoking shows.

This cinema is nothing special if you're looking for that comercial combo big screens + major sound system, but it has its own sidewalk charm and decadent glam. Also it makes a good option for a date. You have plenty to choose for dinner and drinks all around Kottbusser Tor.