Berlin Perfume Guide: Parfums Lubner Pop-Up Store

With Parfums Lubner, a brightly shining star has entered Berlin’s fragrance atmosphere. The brand-new shop in Münzstrasse 22 is a space filled exceptional artistic fragrances. The big windows reveal a plethora of interesting brands. Even I was impressed when I saw the complete Ormaie, Ormonde Jayne and Les Bains Guerbois lineups in one place. Many of the brands are touching ground in Berlin for the first time. People who work there are passionate and knowledgeable about scents, so your visit is guaranteed to be rewarded with many beautiful perfume discoveries.

BUT… With great news like this, there is always a but, isn’t it? This time it’s the addition of “pop-up” to the “store”. Unfortunately, from what I know today, Parfums Lubner (in Hamburg since 2000) are only staying in the capital till the end of April 2023. Let’s hope they will be able to find a permanent address soon!

Luckily, we still have some time left, so let me tell you about my visit and why you should check the place out too.

The atmosphere inside is clean and light-filled. The interior design with cool metal shelves and warm wooden accents has the vibe of a lab repurposed for an artsy showroom. The space isn’t big, and it houses a surprisingly large number of perfume bottles, but nothing feels cramped. You can move around, spray and sniff without the fear of knocking something valuable off with your back.

And oh my, there is indeed a lot to smell and discover there! Let’s start of with my most unexpected find – Fueguia 1833. It’s a brand I so far have only seen in their own Milan store (which is beautiful – you have to check it out if you are in town!). The brand is a next level cool and very discerning when it comes to retail. So discovering their bottles hiding on one of the lower shelves of Lubner pop-up was a wonderful surprise.

I particularly love the Berlin connection and Lubner celebrating some of the home-grown perfume creators like Schwarzlose, Aer, Roelen and Atelier Oblique.

Overall, the selection of perfume houses is fantastic. Some are new and very conceptual, some represent niche fragrance aristocracy with decades-long tradition, some are successfully riding the social media hype wave, some quietly strive for perfection and rely on word-of-mouth only. From futuristic to classic, hidden gems to smashing hits, there is a lot to try and enjoy.

Here are the brands I’ve spotted at Lubner pop-up store:

Every brand in the store has an info plate next to it with a photo of the founders and a short version of their story. It’s very helpful if you need some context while browsing the shelves.

No info plate can take you on a tour of discovery like the resident experts working there, though. Both times I visited Parfums Lubner pop-up shop, I’ve been greeted by Florian. A perfume lover himself, Florian introduced me to some new releases (Caravansérail Intense from Nicolai), showed exclusives (a Parfums Lubner exclusive from Ormonde Jayne, anyone?), talked about both his favorite exquisite classics and super niche-y scents (Pernoire come to mind), pointed out some under-hyped gems (Thomas de Monaco) and sprayed on mega-hits like Marc-Antoine Barrois’ Ganymede.

Regardless of the direction our conversation took, his knowledge about perfumers, founders, materials and scent culture was incredible. So, even if you have no clue about the artistic side of the perfume world, go to Lubner and talk to Florian. I am sure you will leave with a next level understanding of this fragrance market segment. And if you already know your ingredients, styles and favorite perfume houses, you will have a great time going on a deep dive while smelling the new and the unexpected.

The address is Münzstr. 22, 10178 Berlin. (It used to house a fashion boutique that closed a couple of months ago.) This area of Mitte is lively with both tourists who come to see Hackesche Höfe, and locals who hang out in the countless artisanal cafés and shop at the many fashion-forward boutiques. Recently, it has also turned into a formidable fragrance cluster. Diptyque, Breathe, Address, Wheadon, Le Labo and Jo Malone London are just around the corner, and if you are up for a little walk, you can also swing by A Different Scent. Rumor has it, Chanel will be returning with their beauty & perfume boutique soon. So Parfums Lubner fit right in.

In fact, they have moved straight to the pole position. Given the scope and quality of their offering, if you are in the neighborhood, I would recommend visiting them first. But you will have to hurry – the pop-up is only staying till the end of April 2023 (or beginning of May).

As for me – because my dog and I have to pass their windows on our daily walks, I am tempted to go in and stay for several hours every day. Luckily, my dachshund is more concerned with sniffing the ground in the park than shopping for perfume. Otherwise, I’d be spending all my money at Lubner. I will certainly be very sorry to see the shop go. That’s why I secretly hope they will find a more permanent Berlin home after the days of the pop-up venue are over.

Check out the photo gallery below! Ready to pay them a visit?

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