Image by Kyra Garske

Close to 1-Euro-shops, cheap bakeries, turkish snack bars, vegetable bazars and the big deconstruction area (formerly Frappant, they will build an Ikea soon) Laib & Liebe (in English: Loaf and Love) is located on the Große Bergstrasse, right beside Claus Kröger.

The café Laib & Liebe offers delicious delicatessen like mediterrian Focaccia, Antipasti, sinful cake – all homemade. The lunch dishes are super-yummy and affordable (for what you get it’s fair in price). Their salads, fresh pasta, soups, fish- and meat and vegetables are based on seasonal ingredients and always different. Fresh paninis start at 2.00 Euro.

Ginger tea is my favorite, but during the summer time I adore the lemonade. For all coffee junkies out there: go there – it’ll leave nothing to be desired: there is an espresso bar too.

Upstairs you’ll find a wonderful dinning room – lovely made with every nut, bolt and screw. Outside you can sit in the sun with blankets and a view of the heavily contested deconstruction area.

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Laib & Liebe | Coffee & tea, Snacks, Restaurants (Mediterran) | Pasta Beef bourguignon € 6.90
Große Bergstraße 243 | Altona & Ottensen | +494038904950
Mon – Fri 10:00 – 18:30, Sat 09:00 – 15:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Hamburg

Image by 25hours hotel hafencity

Since we did our last project in Hamburgs Hafencity we were more or less forced to hang around there. Locals are really sceptical towards the Hafencity, because it is an very fast growing and expensive area, dozens of new buildings and quays were built within the last years. The Hafencity is blamed to be a very clean and cold place, with no heart and no life in it. Frankly spoken – it needs to grow, it needs people who live there, cafés, bars and more shops. But if you embark on this area, it is amazing – at least that is what I feel. 

The place I love most there is Heimat Küche und Bar. It is the gastronomic part of the Designhotel 25hours. They offer breakfast, lunch and dinner, often with DJ’s. And since it is one of few bars there it is often really crowded.

The food is based on local ingredients and simple but really good. Try fish’n chips, that’s awesome. The interior is inspired by the world of shipping, harbour and Hamburgs warehouse district in combination with some design classics. I would be happy to have their chairs round my dinner table. 

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HEIMAT Küche und Bar | Bars, Coffee & tea, Music, Restaurants (Local) | Main Dish € 15.00
Überseeallee 5 | City center
12:00 – 00:00 daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Hamburg

Image by Fleischberg

You should go to the Oberhafenkantine by foot because the walk is beautiful: You start at the Deichtorhallen (see article Deichtorhallen), walk over the Oberhafenbrücke and at the bridges’ end it is on the left side. The Oberhafenkantine is a very special place with a long history. And it looks very special, because of many storm tides and undercutting it is so crooked that I sometimes feel a bit queasy when I walk in! 

Since its opening in 1925 it was a place for dockworkers who got their coffee and their burger there. When landlady Anita died in 1997 (she worked there from 1925 to 1997!) the Oberhafenkantine was closed and then restored and reopened in 2006. It is a lovely place where you can enjoy some regional specialties. Everything is fresh and handmade. And in summer it is perfect when you sit outside next to the water and have some drinks. Next to the Oberhafenkantine is the Zollamt-Oberhafen a small off-gallery for contemporary art.  

By the way: The Oberhafenkantine marks the starting point of the Oberhafencity which is a huge area with epic free space and old warehouses directly at the Elbe. It is expected to develop within the next decades and is the antipole to the Hafencity. 

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Oberhafenkantine | Bars, Coffee & tea, Music, Snacks, Restaurants (Regional) | Main Dish € 12.00
Stockmeyerstraße 39 | City center
12:00 – 22:00 daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Hamburg

Image by Oberstübchen

The guys from the Krug (check the Krug Weinstubezi article) opened up a new space this summer: Oberstübchen. The Oberstübchen is located directly over the club Pudel Club (check the Golden Pudel Club article) in the Park Fiction (check the Parc Fiction article). 

In the summer you sit on their awesome terrace. Now in winter you hang out in a very cosy room, with lots of wooden interior and with a fantastic view over the harbor. You can enjoy different dishes, from soups and salads, to pasta or coq au vin. They have some cultural events in the evening as well, so you might check their facebookpage for that. Throughout the winter months they are only open in the evening during the week, on the weekends they are open from 11:00 for breakfast!

Not much to say, it is a nice place, with good food and good wine. You should go there. 

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Oberstübchen | Art & culture, Bars, Restaurants (Intern.) | Main dish € 14.90
St. Pauli Fischmarkt 27 | Sankt Pauli | +4915112200488
Tue – Fri 18:00 – 00:00, Sat: 11:00 – 01:00, Sun 11:00 – 19:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Hamburg

Image by Louise Kunth

The Krug is located in St Pauli, Paul-Roosen-Straße. You’ll get some really good south German food there, reaching from simple things like German “Abendbrot” or sausage salad to simple but good pasta to pig-ling with pumpkin-potatoe-puree for example. And they have a great selection of wine. Last time we went there with friends and tried several bottles of red wine which were all amazing. The service was really good, she could tell us a lot about the wine. 

I like the simple interior with lots of wood and the bar with its open kitchen behind. Every time we went there, there was one cook, who was doing his job there all alone (which could be the reason for waiting for the food a little while). Before you go there you should definitely make a reservation as it is always very crowded. 

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KRUG Weinstubezi | Restaurants (German) | Main dish € 14.00
Paul-Roosen-Straße 35 | Sankt Pauli | +4915114075934
Mon – Sat from 18:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Hamburg

Image by Louise Kunth

As I LOVE everything about cooking, food and eating (I read cookbooks like other people read novels) this place is one of my favorite spots.

The Kochkontor is a mixture of bookstore and restaurant. They sell cookbooks of all shades, from different countries, about different topics – everything your culinary heart could wish for.

Included in this shop is a big open-space kitchen and a few tables. Every day they select one of their incredible plenty of books and cook one or two dishes for lunch. You should go there early as there are only a few tables for many potential guests. If you liked your dish you may just buy the appropriate book or any other book that caught your eye.

If you have the possibility and you speak German you can also participate in one of their cooking classes. I haven’t done this yet, but it’s definitely on my agenda. I would probably choose „Classique – French cuisine”. Have a look at the dates on their homepage. Many classes are booked out long before.

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Kochkontor | Coffee & tea, Shopping, Snacks, Restaurants | Lunch dish € 8.00
Karolinenstraße 27 | Karoviertel | +494043216036
Mon – Fri 10:00 – 19:00, Sat 10:00 – 17:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Hamburg

Image by Louise Kunth

Mooi means beautiful in Dutch and that is a perfect description for this restaurant. Mooi is a very charming small place in a backyard in the Karolinenstraße / Karoviertel. They offer very good food, high quality and kind of extravagant. It’s not cheap, especially in the evening, but it is worth its prices.

Don’t worry, it is not that kind of snobby or affected place. The atmosphere is very warm, cosy and down-to-earth, the interior is simple but elegant. That’s what I like so much, to have really upper-class food in a pleasant atmosphere with nice guests and a lovely service.

Mooi offers seasonal ingredients now in winter for example winterly salads with hazelnut and avocado, roast goose with walnut-cream and marzipan-quark-dumplings. Furthermore they provide really creative and fine aperitives such as cremont with ginger.

During the week they are only open for lunch, on Friday and Saturday you can have dinner there. You should book a table when you go there in the evening.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Mooi | Restaurants (Intern.) | Main dish € 18.00
Karolinenstraße 7, Backyard | Karoviertel | +494043190066
Mon 12:00 – 15:00, Tue – Fri 12:00 – 15:00 & 18:00 – 23:00
Sat 18:00 – 23:00, Sun 11:00 – 16:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Hamburg

Image by Louise Kunth

The Brachmanns is a combination of a restaurant with a small gallery in the basement and a nice bar. Some of our friends used to celebrate their birthdays there, as there is a room you can rent for a party after the dinner. The Brachmanns is located in central St. Pauli so it is a good starting point for a night out anyway.

Brachmanns Galeron’s kitchen is high quality plain fare with a Southern German touch. They have only a few dishes which are scheduled on the handwritten menu. You should definitely try the typical south german “Maultaschen” (pasta squares filled with meat and spinach) – tasty!

What I especially like is that they get their meat only from a traditional family-run Hamburg butcher. But you will get some very good vegetarian dishes their as well. I feel fine there because I like the atmosphere, the service, the clientèle and the warm interior.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Brachmanns Galeron | Art & culture, Restaurants (German) | Main dish € 12.00
Hein-Hoyer-Straße 60 | Sankt Pauli | +494067305123
Wed – Mon 18:30 – 23:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Hamburg

Image by Ute Kreitz

Synonymous with Hamburg’s artistic and gay scene, Lange Reihe was once a sketchy area, but meanwhile has evolved into a rather hip upscale neighborhood, and serves as the starting point for the annual Christopher Street Day parade.

Lange Reihe is a spot that distinguishes itself from other districts by offering an eclectic mix of multicultural shops, restaurants, supermarkets, boutiques, and bars. Dive into this diverse ethnic and cultural life, and travel around the world in one day!

Obtain some delicious rarities at the Asian supermarket or buy some authentic jewelry from India. Maybe you’ll find an interesting souvenir at one of the exclusive wine stores, the Tibetan art gallery, or the specialty shop selling wide range of herbs and teas. Koppel 66 houses several studios where artists work on their eclectic creations, and a cozy cafe on the ground level. On Fridays you can visit the “Ökomarkt“, an organic farmer’s market from 09:00 – 18:30.

If all that shopping has made you hungry, you could have some sushi, stop in one of the Chinese restaurants for the All-you-can-eat buffet (€11.80), or simply grab some quick chow at one of the eateries. Afterwards you might feel tempted by the sweet delights at a Persian pastry shop. You could round off the evening with a tasty drink at one of the trendy cocktail bars (happy hour: cocktails under €5.00).

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Lange Reihe | Art & culture, Bars, Coffee & tea, Shopping, Restaurants (International)
Lange Reihe | St Georg
Daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Hamburg

Image by Ute Kreitz

This cute little Arabic restaurant is tucked away on a little cobble stone street between Schanze and Karoviertel. As you enter the bistro, nestled in a row of beautiful art deco buildings, you’ll notice the wonderful mosaic décor on the floor, and the friendly faces of owner Fariz and his amiable staff behind the counter. Their warm welcome extended to all their patrons creates a very hospitable atmosphere.

Make yourself comfortable in the dining room, and choose from a wide selection of the finest vegetarian dishes. My favorite is any version of the falafel with creamy hummus, fresh lettuce and vegetables, and a delicious sesame-yogurt sauce. Try the Arabic lemonade or have a freshly brewed mint tea with your meal.

Periodically, they’ll have different forms of entertainment including live music, belly dance, and art exhibits (e.g. photography). This low-key setting with oriental decorations, quick service, and a good-humored owner who prepares and serves the food himself is the prefect change of pace for those looking for something authentically prepared in a casual and friendly environment. Due to its popularity, reservations are recommended on Fridays and Saturdays.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Azeitona | Restaurants (Oriental) | Falafel dish € 5.50
Beckstr. 17-19 | Schanze | +494068981481
Sun – Thu 12:00 – 23:00, Fri – Sat 12:00 – open end

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Hamburg