Hamburg is Germany’s second biggest town. However it feels distinctly different than the capital, Berlin. Our Hansestadt is only a fraction of its size, and definitely feels much more cozy. It’s neighborhoods are covered in green, with small parks hidden everywwhere. The famous harbor is what gives it an international flair. There, you’ll find the UNESCO world heritage area Speicherstadt as well as the sceptizied Elbphilharmonic. I find both breathtaking.
However, there are more suited areas for café hopping, like Eimsbüttel, Sternschanze and Ottensen. Below are ALL MY CAFÉ AND RESTAURANT TIPPS: from hipster breakfast cafés and specialty coffee shops, to creative pizza and burger venues, comforting vegan hotspots, fine nordic cuisine, as well as artisan ice cream parlors, gluten-free bakeries, and the doughiest cafés for mouth-watering cinnamon rolls.
And one day, as I always promise, more cultural highlights, street art and local individual shops will appear on Ookie Dough too. But let me start with my food guide for Hamburg:
My Hamburg Food Guide
Here are my café values, so that you can know if Ookie Dough matches your preferences. Not all of these values apply to the following eateries, but a good bunch always should.
- individual and personal
- local, organic or vegan
- innovative
- ethnic foods
- authentic interior and food styling
Some places that rank especially high in these values of mine are the following. They are my ALL TIME FAVORITE food and coffee spots in Hamburg:
Kropkå, Happen Pappen, Less Political, Törnqvist, Nord Coast, Ti Breizh, DAS HEAT, Hobenköok, Luicella’s, Eis & Innig
In short, you might define my favorite spots as hipster, or in France they would call them bobo. Hamburg doesn't rank very high for these places, but I make the best out of our options which makes me value them even more. But apart from the hipster cafés I’m also a big advocate of real bohemian and authentic eateries.
Below I will sort the Ookie Dough recommendations by:
1. MEAL (breakfast, specialty coffee, lunch, dinner)
2. FOOD (avocado toast, poke bowls, ice cream, pastries)
3. DIET (vegan, gluten-free)
Comment below, if you wish for any other categories!
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BY MEAL:
Breakfast
Hamburgers don't break the fast as savory as my favorite cafés in most metropolitan cities. The first ones listed below are as close as our town gets to that. The others present more traditional German breakfasts with bread, fruit and simple eggs in a modern way.
Rain Cafeatery, Nord Coast, Kropkå, DAS HEAT, Café Boy, Hobenköok, Moki’s Goodies, Törnqvist, Balz und Balz, Glück und Selig, Hej Papa, Paledo, Alpenkantine, Café Leev, Klippkroog, Eclair au Café, Marktzeit (Saturdays)
Specialty Coffee Shops – more here
Berlin used to be the only German city with established specialty coffee shops. Not any more – Flat Whites are popping up on more and more menus around Hamburg. Beans by our best local coffee roasters can be found in supermarkets and the following cafés are gaining more reputation and locations.
Less Political, Törnqvist, Blackline, Balz und Balz, Nord Coast Coffee Roastery, Playground Coffee, CODOS brewbar, Surf Shop Roastery, Elbgold, Milch, Stockholm Espresso Club, Hunt Brothers Coffee soon: Surf Shop Roastery Crossroads in Eimsbüttel
→ find a quick guide on this post or my descriptive article on European Coffee Trip
Casual Lunch & Dinner
Hamburg is renowned for their great food truck scene. But also to dine-in, they have Germany's most extensive hamburger scene. But especially the last year Neapolitan pizzerias, Vietnamese pho restaurants and vegan bistros have been posing competition!
only lunch places are marked with (L) and only dinner places with (D)
Pizza: HEAT, Piazza Trapani, Jill Neapolitan Pizza, Überquell, Pizza Social Club, Tazzi Pizza (NEW) Slim Jims, Burgers: Otto’s Burger, Most Wanted Burger, Happen Pappen (D), Grilly Idol, Edelsatt, Vincent Vegan, Williamsburger (read more about burgers here) Galettes: Bistro Tati, Ti Breizh Pho: VØ, Ban Canteen, Xêom Alpine: Alpenkantine, Zum Spätzle, Marend, Harbor Cake (L) Other: Erste Liebe Bar (L), Bootshaus Kombüse (L), PAN Café & Bar (L), Café Nasch (L), Happen Pappen (daily lunches, burgers only for dinner), Jimmy Elsass (D), Street Food Session St. Pauli (D), Christmas Market Apostelkirche (in December)
Sophisticated Dinner:
I don't know go to eat a "sophisticated dinner" very often. But if there is a special occasion, this is my list of places. You don't have to wear your finest attire to them, but I wouldn't advise to come sweaty from sport either. Here you will definitely have professional table service and real napkins.
Salt & Silver, Brüder Lund, Ti Breizh, Das Standard, HACO, Brüdigams, Hadley’s, (Schweiz Ahoi, Cöllns, BertaEmilRichardSchneider, Perle, Hygge, Brechtmann’s Bistro)
Fine-Dining:
I advise wearing a clean shirt for these places. And make sure you're hungry, otherwise you'll walk out regretfully. But not too hungry, because then the fine dishes might not satisfy.
BY FOOD:
Avocado Toast:
Avocado Toast is my go-to google query, when trying to find "hipster cafés". While in Copenhagen it was neatly fanned at every café, and in France I found many artistically mushed – Hamburg's avocado toasts are too rare for me to classify them. However these few places ace them, all in a different way.
Nord Coast Coffee Roastery, RAIN Cafeatery, Kropkå, Moki’s Goodies, Törnqvist, Blackline, Brügge Café, Paledo, Public Coffee Roasters (Winterhude)
Poké Bowls:
The other day I learned that on Google Trends, you can research what google searches are trending. I experimented around from avocado toast to matcha latte. The most trending word in Hamburg was by far: Poké Bowls. Sure enough half a dozen new places opened within the last year:
Kailua Poke, Ombak Bagus, UF Poke Bar, Poké You, Maui Poké Guys,
Ice Cream:
Gelato, Ice Cream or Frozen Yogurt – Hamburg has them all by now. Most commonly you'll find traditional Italian parlours, but I treasure Hamburg's artisan places with homemade flavors the most.
Luicella’s, Eis & Innig, Eiskantine, Surf Shop Roastery, Eisprinzessinnen, Herr Max, (food truck), Eisliebe, Milkmade (on markets)
Cinnamon Rolls & Franzbrötchen
Franzbrötchen are a Hamburg local, that you will find almost nowhere else. Scandinavia's influence has brought some damn good Kanelbullar to town too. And in between them all you'll find mouth-watering rolls of cinnamon dough by traditional German bakers.
Törnqvist, Zeit für Brot, Mutterland, Balz und Balz, Café Luise, Die Kleine Konditorei
Pastries & Sweets:
"Hamburg has many girly cafés. White table cloths, macarons, pink cupcakes. . ." – I have heard this quote from multiple people, and it's true. Hamburg has a great offering of dainty treats in window sill corners, served with vintage silverware in bright, pastel surroundings. But don't worry, not all are like this, check out Kandie Shop for yourself. They make the best vegan banana bread!
Herr Max, Liebes Bisschen, Jo Makrönchen, Zuckermonarchie, Bunny & Scott, Willi’s Cakes, Happykappy Cupcakes, Black Line, Elbgold, CODOS, Mutterland, Le Petit Café, Kandies French: Café Par Ici, Die Patisserie, Eclair au Café, Mandelmehl & Zuckerei
BY DIET:
Vegan:
Today, you can go almost anywhere in Hamburg's main areas and not have difficulty finding vegan food. There are a great amount of purely vegan cafés, but also ones serving local happy meat have concretely added dishes sin-animal to their menu!
Happen Pappen (breakfast, lunch, burgers), Froindlichst (burgers, burritos, pizza, brunch), Vincent Vegan (burgers, brunch), Fränzi (lunch and burgers), Zum Spätzle (Spätzle), Ti Breizh (French Galettes), Moki’s Goodies (breakfast, lunch, pastries), Café Nasch (lunch), CODOS brewbar (pastries), Liberty (ice cream), Luicella’s (ice cream) // Christmas Market Apostelkirche (in December)
Gluten-free:
I took a gluten-free baking course once – just for the fun of it. A French women couldn't stop complaining about how bad Hamburg was in serving gluten-free foods. She just didn't know where to look. All organic stores have a plentiful selection, you can mingle your way through many restaurants as well, and the following eateries are real pros for this cuisine.
Ti Breizh, Bistro Tati, Moki’s Goodies, Paledo, Happen Pappen, Gregor’s Superfood Bakery