Image by Kyra Garske

Sometimes after exercising (my sport club is nearby) I meet friends in Aurel for a sparkling rhubarb juice or caipirinha (happy hour daily till 21:00, Caipirinha €4,00 and Mojito €5,50).

Especially around 18:00 it becomes very crowed and often too loud for profound talks. After work people let the day fade away in a cozy gold-red atmosphere. They have a very uncommon but tasty beer called “Große Freiheit” (great freedom) for €1,50 (small) to €2,50 (big). If you are with your wine lover friends, this is the first place I found for ordering a bottle (0,75l) of really good wine for only €11.00, last time it was even an 1-l-bottle!

The ambience is retro and mainly red, good music, mixed people, free pretzel sticks on every table. A big self-service bar, an amazing room with coloured windows in the back of first room. Beside that there is a cozy booth for only two people (in love?). Cute!

Don’t be surprised or afraid on the toilet. First of all it is volitional! Cheeps of whales in the ocean. Cute!

In summertime you can sit outside, if you can find a chair – if not: many people sit on the most frequented (of Hamburg?) road kerb with their drinks and immerse themselves in the vibrant life of Ottensen.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Aurel | Bars, Coffee & tea | Small beer € 1.50
Bahrenfelder Str. 157 | Altona & Ottensen | +49403902727
Mon – Thu from 12:00, Fri – Sat from 10:00, Sun from 11:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Hamburg

Image by Kyra Garske

Well, how to describe a hall which looks like an old, over-years-unused barn or abandoned freight depot which is fairly new built during shooting a film “Soulkitchen” by Fatih Akın? In 2009 the movie “Soulkitchen” was the best German movie of the year. As a kind of lovestory to my beloved city Hamburg, it is about people around a restaurant which is threatened to close.

Now the filmcrew is gone and the Soulkitchen hall is still there. A non-commercial place for art, culture and come together. It is open during events like swing-dance-workshops, concerts, board game parties and many more. Volunteers from Hamburgs district Wilhelmsburg are working there for free.

A small bar with beer, wine, coke and juice you’ll find there beside a cozy couch area for chilling. If it’s not crowded you can rummage in the vinyl collection to be a DJ for a time.

It’s a very nice and very alternative place with loads of good and active people – the opposite of the posh in-crowd.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Soulkitchen Halle | Art & culture, Bars, Music
Industriestr. 101 | Harbour
Check website for events

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Hamburg

Image by Kyra Garske

The Strandperle has since many years been the only simple snack stall at the beach. Under the sunshades, the free chairs or at the sandy beach you can sit down and relax.

Sometimes it seems all Hamburgers (from students to seniors) are here standing in line for drinks & (the best!) french fries from the fast and friendly service. The atmosphere is easy-going and relaxed.

At the beach you can listen to the rushing Elbe and to the seagulls. The container-dockyards from the opposite are still working day and night. Listen to the deep, hard sound. Ships from all over the world loaded with containers, no one can guess what’s inside, the ships will turn around in front of you.

There are 3 options to get here: (1) bus nr 36 from city center or St. Pauli to “Liebermannstr.”, then steeply downhill, across very luxurious mansions, back into the Strandperle or (2) take the ferry nr 62 from Landungsbrücken to Övelgönne/Neumühlen or (3) bus nr 112 from main trainstation or St Pauli or Altona to Övelgönne/Neumühlen (final destination).

PS: Surprisingly I heard that in former times the Strandperle was a milk stand and people came here for a glass of milk after bathing in the river Elbe. It closed during the WWII & reopened 1949 as a restaurant. The owner changed in 1973, so the Strandperle (as we know it) was born. 2006 the owner changed again but kept the idea.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Strandperle | Bars, Relaxing | French fries around € 2.00
Övelgönne 60 | Harbour | +49408801112
Summer (Apr – Oct) 11:00 – 23:00 daily (weather-dependent) | Winter (Nov – Mar) Sat – Sun from 11:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Hamburg

Image by Kyra Garske

This convivial welcoming place is always very crowed, because you’ll get really good food. More important for a few people: real big portions for little money during the whole day.

Breakfast from 09:00 and lunch from 11:30. Actually I could recommend everything on the menu. My favourite is Pasta Marco Polo with fried chicken slices, broccoli and tomato sauce for €6.90. The French Fries there are the best in the Schanze. If you wanna go for breakfast, they have student breakfast with bread, butter, jam, honey, cheese, sausage, orange juice, fruit salad and (all you can drink) coffee.

Sometimes you cannot find a place. Ask the super friendly staff if there will be a free table soon and just wait few minutes.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Oma’s Apotheke | Bars, Snacks | Main meal from € 4.00
Schanzenstraße 87 | Schanze | +4940436620
Sun – Thu 09:00 – 01:00, Fri – Sat 09:00 – 02:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Hamburg

Image by Kyra Garske

During the day „Die Herren Simpel” is a classic breakfast café with a good variety of breakfast and snacks. The coffee is great! During mornings you’ll find a calm place here to enjoy the “Herrengedeck” (cake and hot beverage). In the evening “Die Herren Simpel” is a classic bar with cocktails, beer and wine, small snacks.

The ambience and interior kindly stand out from the crowd of the Schanze. It is a bit too scenic and hip sometimes, but a great chill-out area with different compartments. All guests are relaxed and everybody does their own thing. By the way, here is W-LAN, too!

The staff is different like the weather in Hamburg. It’s like playing the lottery. Sometimes they are fast, friendly, careful guys, but sometimes the clueless “I-have-forgotton-your-order-in-the-first-second-you-opened-your-mouth” temporary employee works on my nerves. So, help yourself, and order at the bar, especially on weekend, when it is crowded.

I really adore the big cherry blossoms behind the Bar.

BTW: Ask the staff for an English menu.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Die Herren Simpel | Bars, Coffee & tea, Snacks | Breakfast from € 4.90
Schulterblatt 75 | Schanze | +494038684600
Mon 14:00 – 01:00, Tue – Sat 14:00 – open end, Sun 14:00 – 20.00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Hamburg

Image by Kyra Garske

An amazing place for starting the day, best with relaxing breakfast in sunshine and with a great view over the Elbe river!

Inside it is hip and cozy, if you find a place to sit. To brave the cold weather, just go outside (especially in wintertime) – it is unbeatable – here you’ll find warm blankets. It is not very cheap there (fresh orange juice for 2,90 Euro), it no-frills, and not alternative.

It is one of my favourite breakfast points in this town. It’s a great spot for staying after long breakfast/lunch, sipping slowly and thoroughly enjoying your latte and trying the cake in the afternoon. Talking, watching and staying for the first wine and taking the day to the blue hour, the night comes, the harbour lights shines – that’s like a visual soundtrack of the Hamburg harbour!

By the way 1: There is also a big playground for kids in front of the Amphore Café.

By the way 2: Here I always bought my sparkling rhubarb juice to go to Park Fiction (see the Park Ficton article).

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Café Bar Amphore | Bars, Coffee & tea, Relaxing, Snacks | Orange Juice € 2.90
St. Pauli Hafenstr. 140 | Harbour | +494031793880
From 10:00 daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Hamburg

Image by Kyra Garske

Blauer Peter (blue peter) is a phrase from seaman’s language. It comes from the blue-white signal flag, which means the ship sets sail in the next 24 hours and let the seaman on their shore leave know, they have to come back to the ship and let the local pubs know they needed to make out their invoices. The Blauer Peter (meanwhile number IV) has a long pub tradition in the Kiez (Reeperbahn-area).

It’s a good start for a Kiez-tour. Prices are cheap (Astra beer for 1,50 Euro), they have rock and punk music, sometimes a DJ, but this is not a place to listen to high-quality music. The staff is monosyllabic, but quaint. The pub is raunchy and uncomfortable, but a nice place to go after a FC Sankt Pauli soccer game. Oh, and by the way, officially over 18 years only! It was the first pub in Hamburg I’ve seen.

PS: Forget the toilets – naaaaasty!

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Blauer Peter | Bars, Music | Astra Beer € 1.50
Hamburger Berg 19 | Sankt Pauli | +49403194685
Tue – Sat from 20:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Hamburg

Image by Kyra Garske

After a long day in university or city daytrip it’s one of the best places to relax. Similar to Zoë Bar (check the Zoe Bar article) it is filled with many couches, but they are separate. That makes you feel like you are in a friend’s house.

Good for relaxing with an old friend or serious talks. The wine is awesome there and costs around 3 Euro. An Astra Beer is under 2 Euro. The staff is like the music; veeeeery laid-back and easy-going. It’s perfect for a little break between day and night. In summer they’ll open the big windows again and so you’ve the feeling of sitting outside on a couch!

The atmosphere is a bit oriental, maybe because it is located in a former Turkish culture center. Not as crowded as it is in the Schanze or in the Kiez (St. Pauli). Alternative and simple, thus great!

Bar Roosen installed security cameras, as many other bars did in St Pauli.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Bar Roosen | Bars, Coffee & tea, Relaxing | Wine € 3.00
Paul-Roosen-Str. 28 | Sankt Pauli | +494076975926
Mon – Thu 12:00 – 02:00, Fri – Sun 12:00 – open end

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Hamburg

Image by Kyra Garske

“Have you never been to a private party in Hamburg? Welcome in our 3-Zimmer-Wohnung (3 room apartment).

The first room: here is our quirky living room with the big cosy couch. Just sit down and relax! Oh, first of all you wanna see our nice apartment? Ok, I’ll show you around: we have a second living room, because many friends come for drinks every day.

Feel free in our colorful rooms with the awesome lights. Here we go, this is our bedroom – if you want, just lay down on the bed, pssssst: there is a PlayStation (with projector!!) in the bedside cabinet, if you are feeling bored play some games or check out the table soccer (kicker). The small corridor is great for smalltalk.

In our open kitchen beside the cooker and fridge, you will find the bar, where you’ll get all drinks and beer. It is always crowed there like in every private party in Hamburg – the kitchen is the place to be. Feel free and have fun, I have to take great care of all my other guests.

Nice to have you here! Cheers!”

BTW: Downstairs you’ll find another room, sometimes with private parties, table soccer champions league or electronic parties (cost entrance fee). In former times it was a dildo factory in the redlight district.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
3-Zimmer-Wohnung | Bars, Relaxing | Beer € 2.50
Talstrasse 22 | Sankt Pauli | +4916090361519
From 20:00 daily (in summer from 21:00)

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Hamburg

Image by ZoeBar Hamburg (by: Kyra Garske)

“Dear Zoë,

how do you feel today?

I’d like to say to you, how stunning you are. You are perfect to meet friends or strangers or both and it’s like they already know each other. Always you welcomed me with open arms, no matter if I was stressed out or absolutely relaxed, there was a place for me and a smile on your face.Your drinks are cheap and groovy. Your cosy couches and the yellow-red lamp shades in the back rooms are reminiscent of my grandmother´s warm living room. About the secrets and mystics in your vault, we have to talk next time once more. The rooms are a bit shabby and rustic – but it’s honest! Let’s face it: You are the real Zoë, the authentic Zoë!

All my Love, Kyra.

PS: By the way: good choice to provide rooms with movies like “Gegen die Wand” or “Absolute Giganten“.

PSPS: I was seriously pissed seeing that you raised all prices all of a sudden without even talking to anyone. You’re on the same level as all the other places now. Please tell me why!”

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Zoë Bar | Bars, Cinemas, Coffee & tea, Relaxing | redwine € 2.60
Clemens-Schultz-Str. 96 | Sankt Pauli | +494031792323
Thu – Sat from 20:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Hamburg