Marlene is a queer bar on the Ölberg, the hill quarter above Elberfeld's Nordstadt. It is named after Marlene Dietrich and the room says so before anyone does: pictures, posters, postcards and paintings of her cover the walls, and the fittings were picked to match.
The bar has been going since the mid-1980s and has been in these rooms since 1998. It is a gay place first, though the live music pulls in a mixed crowd. Regulars have their own seats at the counter.
A small hall at the back has a stage and a grand piano. What happens there is irregular and covers travesty, song evenings and jazz.
