Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [613]
More entertainment takes place in the adjoining Fischauktionshalle (Fish Auction Hall), where a live band cranks out ancient German pop songs. Down in the pit, sausage fumes waft and beer flows as if it were evening and not just past dawn. For those who actually know what time it is, breakfast is served on the gallery.
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Vienna ( 439 9182; Fettstrasse 2; mains €10-20; dinner Tue-Sun; Christuskirche) Hidden in a quiet residential street, with an overgrown garden screening its outdoor terrace, this German-Austrian restaurant is renowned Hamburg-wide for its authentic schnitzels, venison and fish. It doesn’t take reservations; your best bet for getting a table is to turn up early, at 6.45pm, or late, at 9pm.
Mazza ( 2841 9191; Moorkamp 5; lunch/dinner menu €11.50/28; lunch & dinner; ; Schlump) In the same swish building as YoHo – The Young Hotel but separately owned, this Syrian restaurant sticks to a simple formula when it comes to food, offering a choice of three-course lunch menus and five-course dinner menus made up of dishes like potatoes in lemon, olive oil and thyme, carrot in rose water, and lamb with mint yoghurt. The extensive wine list spans Lebanon to South Africa.
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Altona
In the villagelike area around Altona’s S-Bahn and train stations, you’ll find dozens of international eateries. For restaurants along Altona’s waterfront, see the Elbmeile section (right).
Eiscafe Eisliebe (Map; 3980 8482; Bei der Reitbahn 2; ice cream from €1.30; noon-9pm) Some of the yummiest ice cream you’ll ever taste is scooped from this little hole in the wall (look for the queues). On any given day, you’ll find around a dozen of its handmade, all-natural flavours like cherry-rippled poppy-seed or sticky crème brûlée.
Filmhauskneipe (Map; 3990 8025; Friedensallee 7; mains €5-9.20; noon-1am, kitchen closes 11pm) Within Altona’s Zeisehallen (cultural centre), wrapped around an old ship-propeller factory, this chilled cafe-bar is a favourite hang-out of students from the centre’s film school for its simple but wholesome food. In summer it spills onto a 100-seater terrace.
Schweizweit (Map; 3990 7000; Grosse Rainstrasse 2; mains €5.50-17.90; 10am-midnight Tue-Sat, 10am-6pm Sun) Noodle, meat and especially cheese dishes, along with homemade chocolate mousse, are the mainstays of this cute basement Swiss restaurant.
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Elbmeile
Hamburg’s western riverfront, from Altona to Övelgönne, known as the Elbmeile (Elbe Mile), has a dense concentration of mostly fish-oriented restaurants in a stark, industrial-style setting.
Fisch & So (Map; 389 3109; Grosse Elbstrasse 117; dishes €2.90-11.50; 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 11am-6pm Sat) For fresh fish at fantastically low prices, head to this little cafe’s clutch of blue-clothed tables to savour simple but delicious fish sandwiches, or perhaps Tintenfisch (calamari) with Bratkartoffeln (sautéed potatoes). It’s tucked away on the river side of the redbrick Fischmarkt Hamburg-Altona market hall.
Oh, It’s Fresh (Map; 3803 7861; Carsten-Rehder-Strasse 71; dishes €3.95-14.50; 6.30am-6.30pm Mon-Fri, 8am-6pm Sat & Sun; ) Part of a rapidly growing, health-food-oriented Hamburg minichain, red floral wallpaper and a series of world clocks decorate this light-filled, airy space. In addition to international breakfasts, it serves salads, bagels and baked treats, such as melt-in-your-mouth brownies, to eat in or take away.
Das Weisse Haus (Map; 390 9016; Neumühlen 50; lunch mains €6.90-10, dinner menus €28-42; lunch & dinner Mon-Sat) A converted fisherman’s cottage, the ‘White House’ is (unlike its US namesake) surprisingly cramped, given its status as a major culinary player. Diners book a month ahead to submit themselves to ‘surprise’ dinners (vegetarian and other dietary requirements can be accommodated to