Food · Hamburg · Germany
What to eat in Hamburg
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Hamburg, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Fish sandwich, Franzbrötchen and Labskaus. Arrive early on Sunday morning at the Altona fish market for fresh Fischbrötchen, market-crier banter and live music in the old auction hall. Many restaurants offer a weekday lunch menu (Mittagstisch) that is much cheaper than dinner.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Fish sandwich
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 3
- Tipping
- Round up or add about 5–10% for table service, telling the server the total when you pay…
- Food experiences
- 4
10 foods to try
Street food
1.Fish sandwich (Fischbrötchen)
A crusty roll filled with pickled Bismarck herring, Matjes, smoked salmon, fried fish or North Sea brown shrimp, with onions and remoulade. It is Hamburg's defining snack.
Where: Kiosks along the Landungsbrücken, the Sunday fish market and fishmongers across the city.
Breakfast · Vegetarian
2.Franzbrötchen
A flattened, buttery cinnamon-sugar pastry related to the croissant, sticky and caramelised; bakeries also sell versions with raisins, chocolate or poppy seeds.
Where: Every Hamburg bakery; it is rarely found outside the north of Germany.
Dish
3.Labskaus
A sailor's dish of corned beef, potato and beetroot mashed together, topped with a fried egg and served with pickled gherkin and rollmops herring. It looks odd and tastes deeply savoury.
Where: Traditional harbour restaurants around the Landungsbrücken and the Deichstraße.
Dish
4.Hamburg fish pan (Pannfisch)
Pan-fried pieces of white fish served with fried potatoes and a mustard sauce, originally a way of using up the day's leftover catch.
Where: Fish restaurants in the Altstadt, Altona and along the harbour.
Dish
5.Finkenwerder plaice (Finkenwerder Scholle)
Whole plaice fried in butter with diced bacon, sometimes topped with North Sea shrimp, served with potato salad or boiled potatoes. It is at its best in early summer.
Where: Fish restaurants along the Elbe and in Finkenwerder, reached by ferry 62.
Dish
6.Hamburg eel soup (Hamburger Aalsuppe)
A sweet-and-sour broth with dried fruit, vegetables, dumplings and ham; recipes vary, and despite the name not every version contains eel.
Where: Traditional Hamburg restaurants; it is now a rarity, so look for it on seasonal menus.
Dish
7.Pears, beans and bacon (Birnen, Bohnen und Speck)
A late-summer stew of green beans, small cooking pears and smoked bacon with potatoes, a classic sweet-savoury northern German combination.
Where: Traditional restaurants in late summer and early autumn.
Dessert · Vegetarian
8.Red berry pudding (Rote Grütze)
Red berries and cherries cooked into a thick compote, served cold with vanilla sauce, cream or ice cream.
Where: Restaurants and cafés across the city, especially in summer.
Dish
9.Matjes herring
Young, mildly cured herring, best in early summer when the new season's catch arrives, served with onion, apple and sour cream sauce and potatoes.
Where: Fishmongers and fish restaurants, especially from June.
Drink · Vegetarian
10.Astra beer
Hamburg's cult lager, sold in squat bottles with a heart-and-anchor logo, is the unofficial drink of St. Pauli bars and the Elbe beaches.
Where: Kiosks and bars across St. Pauli, the Schanze and the waterfront.
Food experiences
Sunday fish market
Arrive early on Sunday morning at the Altona fish market for fresh Fischbrötchen, market-crier banter and live music in the old auction hall.
Coffee in the Speicherstadt
Hamburg was Europe's great coffee port; a roastery in a Speicherstadt warehouse serves freshly roasted coffee with a view of the canal.
Isemarkt
On Tuesday and Friday mornings, hundreds of stalls fill the space beneath the elevated U-Bahn line between Hoheluftbrücke and Eppendorfer Baum, one of the longest markets in Europe.
Elbe beach bar
On summer evenings, locals drink at beach bars on the sand at Övelgönne while container ships glide past.
Quick bites and street food
- Fish sandwich — Kiosks along the Landungsbrücken, the Sunday fish market and fishmongers across the city.
- Franzbrötchen — Every Hamburg bakery; it is rarely found outside the north of Germany.
Vegetarian options
Of the 10 foods in this guide, 3 are usually vegetarian: Franzbrötchen, Red berry pudding and Astra beer. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Many restaurants offer a weekday lunch menu (Mittagstisch) that is much cheaper than dinner.
- Some smaller places and kiosks are cash-only; carry some euros.
- Tap water is good, but restaurants rarely serve it unasked and may charge for it.
- Book ahead for popular restaurants in the Schanze, Ottensen and HafenCity on Fridays and Saturdays.
- Many bakeries open on Sunday mornings, while most supermarkets and shops close on Sundays.
Tipping
Round up or add about 5–10% for table service, telling the server the total when you pay rather than leaving cash on the table.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Moin | Hello (northern German, any time of day) |
| Danke schön | Thank you very much |
| Die Rechnung, bitte | The bill, please |
| Tschüss | Bye |
| Ein Fischbrötchen, bitte | A fish sandwich, please |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Hamburg famous for?
Fish sandwich, Franzbrötchen, Labskaus and Hamburg fish pan. A crusty roll filled with pickled Bismarck herring, Matjes, smoked salmon, fried fish or North Sea brown shrimp, with onions and remoulade.
+Is Hamburg good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Franzbrötchen, Red berry pudding and Astra beer.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Hamburg?
Round up or add about 5–10% for table service, telling the server the total when you pay rather than leaving cash on the table.