Hamburg's Culinary Scene

In Hamburg, you can get a taste of the real thing. Food lovers are spoilt for choice, thanks to the city‘s honest and authentically regional cuisine. Hamburg has it all, from Michelin-starred restaurants to trendy snack bars and traditional Nordic eateries with plenty of fish (of course). The Hanseatic city embraces the global trend by offering its unparalleled food and hospitality as a reason to visit, thanks to its well-known chefs, sustainable and Nordic treats, reinterpreted classics, internationally renowned eateries, and its restaurants which boast incomparable waterfront views.

There is no more delicious way to explore a city than your taste buds and foodies can expect a relaxed, authentic, and exclusive culinary scene in Hamburg. You can taste “real Hamburg food“ with a plate of “Bratkartoffeln“ (hearty fried potatoes) at the legendary Erika‘s Eck, for example, or you can bite into some crispy fried fish at the VeddelerFischgaststätte. Served without fanfare, or “Chi Chi,“ or “Tüddelkram,“ as the Hamburgers say, you can find understated, down-to-earth dishes served in cosy restaurants here.

Along with down-to-earth Hanseatic cuisine, connoisseurs will also find restaurants reaching for the stars in Hamburg. These restaurants offer Nordic-influenced, modern and progressive cooking, light, fresh, and far removed from places with dusty silverware. Like the hip Haebel restaurant, owned by chef Fabio Haebel, which celebrates exciting fusion cuisine and serves seasonal and locally sourced surprise menus in the middle of St. Pauli. You can find sustainable menus at WolfsJunge in Uhlenhorst. These restaurants, along with the now legendary 100/200 restaurant, owned by Thomas Imbusch, have all been awarded “Green Stars“ by Guide Michelin, by the way.

All together at the table in Hamburg

Culinary delights are part of Hamburg‘s history and DNA thanks to the incoming ships, which have brought spices, coffee, fish, and other global specialties to the port city for centuries. People came, traded, experimented, feasted, and dined. This has not changed to this day. The only difference is that today, food is more than just a necessity. Food is “joie de vivre,“ - and it connects people in various delicious and beautiful ways. Hamburg‘s restaurants are unique, and, for them, solidarity is just as important as authenticity.

Hamburg on everyone‘s lips – “Nordish by nature“ for every taste

In Hamburg, you just eat “fischbrötchen“ (fish sandwiches) all day, right? Sure - if you want to, you can try our beloved fischbrötchen in many different delicious ways. Hamburgs fish market offers an abundance of freshly caught fish and seafood, which the city‘s bistros and restaurants turn into tasty specialties. “Butter bei die Fische“ (buttered fish) is available at Brücke 10 on the Landungsbrücken, for example, where fischbrötchen can be enjoyed while looking out over a stunning view of the harbour. If you have time to sit down, you can look forward to casual dining with special fish and seafood menus at the well-known Jellyfish, which is located rather inconspicuously in the trendy Sternschanze district. Or you can opt for a finer dining experience at the classic Fischereihafenrestaurant, which sits on the harbour.

But Hamburg‘s chefs have so much more to offer than just fish. International, seasonal, regional, vegetarian, vegan – visitors can get a taste of Hamburg in all kinds of dishes from all over the world. So, whether you choose to tuck into the best tacos at Mexikostraße, enjoy Japanese bento boxes from Café by Dokuwa while strolling around the Karoviertel, or sit down for a meal in the traditional Landhaus Scherrer, or in the restaurant in the Hotel Louis C. Jacob with a view of the Elbe, Hamburg is the gateway to the world and the food you find here is a testament to this. But, of course, these dishes are best enjoyed sitting at a table looking out over the Elbe, the harbour, or the Alster.

The culinary cosmos of the Hanseatic city is endless. You can enjoy food at restaurant tables, on bar stools in St. Pauli, at weekly markets such as the Isemarkt, in the Hobenköök market hall located in the Oberhafen quarter, at events or as snacks to eat on the move. From the North Sea coast to the beautiful sightseeing routes, to the banks of the Elbe, to the creative art districts of the city, smart city snackers can make use of the Hamburg CARD Gourmet Upgrade when they visit Hamburg to gain access to exclusive promotions and discounts in Hamburg‘s restaurants.