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.

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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

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.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
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 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

This is one of my favourite places in Hamburg. Till last week I thought you could only reach it by car, but that’s actually not true. Before I start to explain how to get there, I’ll give you an idea of the place.

Actually it’s just a normal bridge called “photographers bridge” close to the airport Hamburg Fuhlsbüttel. The first time, I was there, it was in the middle of the night and I saw many landing strip lights and some air-crafts landing late at night.

During the day with good weather, it’s a great choice for watching air-crafts taking off and landing. There is a small Café where you can get affordable Latte Macchiato for 2,40 Euro or a Beck’s beer for 2,30 Euro. Snacks like Sausages, hotdogs and donuts.

Coffee-to-Fly is open 365 days a year – spring, summer, autumn, winter – always. Have a small holiday while watching other people going by on the hundred of planes that pass here daily.

Give it a try, you won’t regret! And the best of ALL: it’s for free!! If you’re on a short budget, don’t drink anything in the Café, but bring your thermos flask or cold coke with you.

How to get there: Take bus #24 from Langenhorn Markt [U1] or Niendorf Markt [U2] or bus #193 from Poppenbüttel [S1] or Langenhorn Markt [U1] to Station “Wrangelkoppel”, follow the sign “Aussichtsplattform” for around 15 minutes, there you are!

PS: thanks 4 all the wonderful mails I got – it’s wonderful you liked it there.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Coffee-to-Fly | Coffee & tea, Relaxing, Snacks | Latte Macchiato € 2.40
Holtkoppel 100 | Hamburg North | +4917623487017
Daily when aircrafts take off or land

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

Several times a year I go to Willkomm Höft in Wedel at the Elbe River. Starting in 1952 Hamburg’s welcoming and goodbye-ing all ships which come to the harbour.

This welcome point (footbridge) is dipping the flags and an oldschool voice saying “Willkommen in Hamburg, wir freuen uns, Sie in unserem Hafen begrüßen zu können” (“Welcome to Hamburg, we’re happy to welcome you in our harbour.”). Followed by the national hymn of the ship and many interesting technical facts like how long, how big, how many cargo tons the freighter has loaded, told by one of the six Welcome-Captains from a cabin at the Schulauer-Fährhaus. Now it’s mainly computer-controlled (but still not every Captain uses it), but there are still many cassettes with the 150 national hymns and speeches in 45 languages.

The Schulauer-Fährhaus is a restaurant which I only recommend for a coffee in between many white hairy people, the main dishes are quite expensive and not so good. On the way to toilet you’ll find a permanent and free photo exhibition about the fatal storm floods in 1962 and 1976.

Outside Willkomm Höft there is one of the best fish bistros I know (Strandweg 3, 22880 Wedel). Cheaper than Landungsbrücken and pretty damn tasty. I’d recommend the Schollenfilet in Brötchen (baked plaice filet in bread with salad and remoulade) for around 3,80 Euro or fish cake with potato salad. Go for it!

If you like to check the Willkomm Höft from home, here is a webcam and ships arrival and departure info.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Willkomm Höft | Art & culture, Relaxing, Snacks | Free
Parnaßstraße 29 | Harbour
Daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Hamburg

Image by Kyra Garske

In the middle of the scenic street called Schulterblatt there is “Transmontana”, a small Portuguese café.

When the sun shines you can sit at one of the countless tables outside on the Piazza and have a great view to the alternative Rote Flora (check the Rote Flora article). Watch the fashionable, stylish but as well as the alternative crowd with big sunglasses.

Inside it is very cosy, but sometimes a bit noisy in the rush hour. A neighbourly, Portuguese family built up this fine café-place, which has a simple, but one of the best independent breakfasts in town.

A delicious and tasty combination is an individual filled toast or croissant and fresh orange juice. The “Galão” (Portuguese milk-coffee) is not the best, but it is the local drink here.

Try the very sweet but original, traditional “Pasteis de Nata”. The service is friendly and in not-busy-times they tell you more about the family-pictures behind the bar.

Oh, and by the way, in the evenings don’t miss the Sagres (Portuguese beer).

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Transmontana | Coffee & tea, Snacks | Galão € 2.00
Schulterblatt 86 | Schanze | +494043184006
07:00 – 20:00 daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Hamburg

Image by Kyra Garske

Located in the red-light district, at the Hans-Albers-Platz, the Pizzeria Alt Hamburg is famous and well known by many people here. If you come late at night, a big bunch of people stand in line in front of the small window.

Simple signs, simple pizza, simple prices = simply good!

With a big fire oven in the background, the staff is always absolutely stressed, even if there’re only 3 people waiting. My favourite pizza is Pizza Napoletaner with anchovies!! Delicious!

You also could sit inside, but nobody does it. No plates, no cutlery – just Pizza in a table napkin.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Pizzeria Alt Hamburg | Snacks | All Pizza € 2.00
Hans-Albers-Platz 5-6 | Sankt Pauli | +494031796470
12:00 – 04:00 daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Hamburg

Image by LilliSu Hamburg (by: Kyra Garske)

Actually the Café LilliSu looks a bit kitschy and if I would describe most of the people who go there as young mothers with well-behaved children called Richard or Leonard. On the other hand: it’s a good spot for young ladies to chat about everything.

I would say this place is not alternative enough for me to become my favourite place but in a way I really like it. The atmosphere is light, simple and cosy. The furniture is mainly Nordic white. Inside there are big shelves with lovely organic products like coffee and tea, chocolate and self-made jam you can buy as presents for friends or just for yourself.

The owners are two women who have been living in Ottensen for many years, always creating new, really tasty dishes like filled pasta (some with tomato-mincemeat and fresh-fruity sauce, others with ricotta-spinach and red-pesto-sauce). Or if you are more into sweets, check out the cake-counter! Fair-trade, organic (therefore political correct) coffee rounds out the time at LilliSu. They have great breakfast too, mmmmh.

Wonderful, lovely place -outside in the sun as well (during the wintertime with warm blankets).

Details about this spot (Show on map)
LilliSu | Coffee & tea, Snacks | Latte Macchiato € 2.60
Große Rainstraße 18 | Altona & Ottensen | +49403902491
Mon – Fri 9:00 – 19:00, Sat – Sun 10:00 – 19:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Hamburg

Image by Kyra Garske

Since 20 years Lee Asia Shop is on Große Bergstraße in Altona. It was founded by a Korean couple and now managed by their daughter Gina Lee and her husband David. Lee Asia Shop is a small shop where you can buy everything from peanuts oil to Miso-soup. If you want to cook something different, go there.

Gina and David both have a huge knowledge about spices, how to prepare, what you need and which rice is the best for what. The expert advices are possible in German, Spanish, English or Korean – how cool is that?? Well-assorted, affordable prices, no frills! A shop where Asian people or chefs buy their secret ingredients! Try also the organic range of food, delicious!

My mouth just started watering, can’t wait to go there soon again.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Lee Asia Shop | Shopping, Snacks | Teriyaki Marinade € 2.95
Grosse Bergstrasse 197 | Altona & Ottensen | +494038612946
Mon – Fri 10:00 – 18:00, Sat 10:00 – 16:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Hamburg