The Klippkroog is a lovely café and restaurant which opened up not too long ago at Große Bergstraße in Altona. I became aware of this spot because some friends of ours hijacked the kitchen for two months last summer (everything legal, take a look at their homepage). They offer breakfast, lunch and dinner and pretty good coffee specialties. All their food is is made with regional and seasonal ingredients, it’s fresh and delicious. I love their interior, it is arranged with products from PLY, a great shop for retro industrial furniture. As the weather is just perfect at the moment you can enjoy their outdoor area.

Some background information: The große Bergstraße is a street which is in focus of Hamburgs political discussion because it is pretty much concerned by a gentrification process. Especially the fact that IKEA is going to open there, causes an ongoing storm of protests. Even if the Klipkroog is one of the new spots there I like it a lot. I would appreciate a mix of new and old. Lets see how it works. 

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Klippkroog | Bars, Coffee & tea, Restaurants (Regional) | Main dish € 9.90
Große Bergstraße 255 | Altona & Ottensen
Tue – Sat 08:00 – 00:00, Sun – Mon 09:00 – 18:00

“Voilà, mademoiselle, c’est ça!”

“Oh la la, mon dieu – c’est tellement bon que je pourrais tout manger!”

Here, in the middle of lively Altona/Ottensen, you can explore a small french island. More than 6 people will never fit in that small cafe, but if you’re lucky and you’re one of them better try all of the tons of lovely handmade french delicatessen like Eclairs (of course), Baguettes, Croissants, Mille-feuilles, Brioche, Petit Pains, Tarte, Tartelettes etcetera and the coffee there is “trés delicious” as well.

If you want to buy something “to-go” you’ll get it like a small present. The staff is french and very charming. No toilets available. Always a place to jump in, drink a coffee, speak french or not, talk to people coming in, or read “Le Monde” or just relax… (listen to music like this).

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Eclair au café | Coffee & tea, Snacks | Café au lait € 2.50
Kleine Rainstraße 6 | Altona & Ottensen | +494074109022
Tue – Fri 07:00 – 18:00, Sat – Sun 08:00 – 18:00

If you wanna go for a walk and are interested in flowers, plants, trees, dessert, … at least nature! Check out the Botanical Garden in Hamburg. It’s awesome!

Even the last drizzly weekend I was there and was really impressed again. So many different flowers. Have a look in the fragrance-tactile-garden – there I found a flower that smells like chocolate. Hilarious! Small labels and big “try-it-yourself” walls inform you about plants and their smell, touch and use. Discover the Botanical Garden, through all the different theme gardens from “plants of the bible” to “evolution of the rose” through all the continents.

The blue futuristic Loki-Schmidt-Building is a museum for economic plants encouraged by the ZEIT foundation.

One of my favorite places is the dessert garden with glas pyramids (which was a present of United Arab Emirates).

Special programs: The ‘Green School’ (A joint effort by the state institute of teacher training and school development and the faculty of biology of the University of Hamburg) hand out indoor plants and test plants for cytology, as well also carnivorous plants, succulents, etc. for learning.

Relaxing excursion: The Palme – the palm, is an outside café for some chilled coffee, ice cream and lovely cake. Also you’ll get sausages and potato salad there for absolutely affordable prices. (opens from April to October at 11:00 to 19:00)

Music excursion: Every first Thursday in the month there is a concert for free!

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Botanical Garden | Art & culture, Music, Relaxing | Free
Ohnhorststraße 18 | Altona & Ottensen | +494042816476
09:00 – till 1 1/2 hour before sunset daily

If you feeling like having a good cocktail, the Blaues Barhaus (blue barhouse) is the best place to go.

The barkeeper there are the best cocktail mixer I know here around. They have so many new ideas and of course they know all classic drinks. If you don’t know what to drink – the menu is full of many many many different drinks – they’ll give you good advices due to your feeling of the day or what you prefer or what you never tried.

The barkeepers have a good feeling for how you feel. The music is very varied, from good DJ’s. It is not the cheapest bar around, but one of the best.

Super Insiders Advice: Check out the impressive and creative restrooms. Like a small disco itself small LED spots showing the pretty damn cool formed washbasins. Don’t be surprised if you wanna freshen up, there is a really small window between the mirrows to the male restroom.

Blue Hour: Tuesday to Saturday from 18:00 – 22:00, also Sunday and Monday (except ahead holidays) Cocktail and Long-drinks for 5 Euro. This is my time for drinking my lovely, rare to find ‘Pimm’s Rangoon’.

If you looking for a dignified place to go… here you are in good hands.

Hurry Up: All their fights against plans for closing and tearing down the house were fruitful – they can stay till the beginning of 2014.

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Blaues Barhaus | Bars | Pimm’s Rangoon € 6.00
Grosse Brunnenstr. 55 | Altona & Ottensen | +494039905842
From 18:00 daily

The black box with big white letters stands inconspicuously on the Altonaer Balkon (Altoner balcony) in the beautiful harbour scenery. If the sun is shining – don’t be scared, just go in and close the door behind you.

You have to wait few minutes till your eyes acclimatise to the dark. You’ll see the harbour upside down moving projected picture on a white wall.

The Camera Obscura is deemed to be the forerunner of photo cameras. Invented in times of Renaissance also know as pinhole camera. It is a camera without a lens and a single very small aperture. The smaller the hole, the sharper the projection, an upside down and right-left reversed picture.

It’s a pretty nice experience! And for free!

BTW: The current projected picture can also be seen in the foyer of the Altonaer Museum.

You could also try to take a picture (without flash) of the projection and yourself.

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Camera Obscura | Art & culture, Relaxing | Free
Palmaille 75 | Altona & Ottensen
Tue – Sun 10:00 – 17:00

Around the corner in my neighborhood, a cosy Café/Bar in Altona Altstadt was established – the El Brujito!

El Brujito means little witch and is a small, pretty comfortable place. You’ll get breakfast with fair-trade coffee, awesome cakes, all kind of toasts and (ordered in advance) fresh Argentinean empanadas, South American stuffed pastry.

The always smiling, amiable crew has a good knowledge of their large wine list (house wine starts at €2,50). My favorite is the cheese plate (also available: meat plate) in two different sizes.

You can sit inside on chairs and armchairs, in front of the door on a bench (great during the day) or in the beer-garden in the backyard.

Last week I enjoyed a surprise concert in this cosy ambiance! Absolutely new: poetry slams at Brujito (Brujito slam) every 2nd Thursday of the month (starts 20:30, entry 19:00, costs: 3 euro).

Have a look at the revolutionary wall paintings and quotes, and the awesome photos of revolution.

All in all one of my new favorite spots in Hamburg and I hope it stays in Altona Altstadt for a looooong time. Viva la revolution, viva El Brujito!

Important facts: Sunday is brunch-time (from 10:00 to 15:00 for 8 euro) and Tatort-time (from 20:15 for free)

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El Brujito | Bars, Coffee & tea, Snacks | Cheese Plate € 4.00
Lornsenplatz 7 | Altona & Ottensen | +494080607103
Mon – Fri 12:00 – 15:00 & 18:00 – 00:00, Sat 12:00 – 00:00, Sun 10:00 – 23:00

Beside the Aurel in Ottensen you can find the Familieneck (family corner) which is always a nice spot for listen to different music every night from electronic to reggae and a last beer before going home.

The DJ is under the roof in the middle of all the alcoholic beverages and can watch down to the whole scenery. The barkeeper, especially Hubertus, is like a diva and always up for chats. If you come here you never know how the night end. Everything seems to be unpredictable. The bar is always full, also late at night!

The people at Familieneck are weird, extroverted and muddle-headed – don’t mind if a woman dances on a table with a Tequila in one hand or three guys with cowboy hats trying to order their 17th beer.

Small, dark, loud, crowd – Familieneck.

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Familieneck | Bars | Beer € 2.80
Friedensallee 4 | Altona & Ottensen | +49403907497
18:00 – 04:00 daily

People who like cooking, knitting, backing, working with wood, gardening, sewing are maybe the so called “do-it-youself (DIY)-individuals. But it’s not just a trend phase – it was, is and will be always up to date.

When I saw the shop Frau Tulpe (Mrs Tulip) the first time, I was a bit pissed because an old-Altona’er herbs shop Kräuter Kühne was forced out and Frau Tulpe moved in. I passed the shop so many time before I stepped in and it was … beautiful. Full of love, colors and knowledge. I found so many beautiful textiles that I was blown away. Colorful buttons, fabulous drapery, fantastic braids, new scandinavian and japanese pattern, … you can also buy some ready mades like umbrellas, handbags, washbags, … The drapery has wonderful names like: Fridolin, Teo, Yola, Roxanne or Singing Bird, Falling Apple, Moskau Matroschka.

The first shop was opened by Tanja and René in Berlin. Dagmar, a families friend, has now opened a new shop in Hamburg.

Beside that they offer sewing courses for beginners and intermediates.

Go there and be inspired!

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Frau Tulpe | Shopping | New collection drapery € 15
Große Bergstr. 213 | Altona & Ottensen | +494022604863
Mon – Fri 10:00 – 19:00, Sat 10:00 – 16:00

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.

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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

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).

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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