Hamburg Food Guide: Best Eats Near Sightseeing Stops

Sightseeing makes you hungry. But bus stops are often surrounded by overpriced tourist traps. Here is a guide to good, honest, or special food near the main stops.

Stop: Landungsbrücken

• Avoid: The generic glass pavilions directly on the bridge strip (unless you just want a beer with a view).
• Go To: Brücke 10. Located at the far end of the piers. It serves the absolute best Fischbrötchen (fish sandwich) with tiny North Sea shrimp (Krabben). Fresh, crunchy bun, generous filling.
• Sit Down: Walk 5 minutes to the Portuguese Quarter for grilled fish at Ola Lisboa or L'Ollie.

Stop: Rathaus (Town Hall)

• Go To: Daniel Wischer. A Hamburg institution for fish and chips, serving locals for decades. Simple, fast, delicious, and reasonably priced for the center.

Stop: Michel (St. Michael's)

• Go To: Old Commercial Room. It’s famous, yes, but it’s the place to try Labskaus. This sailor's dish (corned beef, potatoes, beetroot, egg, herring) looks strange (like pink mush) but tastes like salty comfort food. This place is legendary.

Stop: Speicherstadt / HafenCity

• Go To: Kaffeerösterei. In an old warehouse, they roast coffee on site and serve great cake. Smells divine.
• Go To: Oberhafen Kantine. A bit of a walk, but this crooked hut serves authentic, heavy German food (Frikadellen, potato salad).

Stop: Reeperbahn

• Go To: Lucullus. A standing snack bar that serves legendary Currywurst. It's the fuel of the Kiez night shift. Open late.
• Go To: Kleine Pause. A cult snack bar for burgers and beer.

Rule of Thumb: If a restaurant has pictures of the food on a plastic board outside, keep walking. If it smells like roasted coffee, fresh fish, or has a line of locals speaking German, go in!