Hamburg Restaurants

Hamburg is fish heaven. The seafood is so fresh it practically leaps off the plate. In addition to the local catch, prime Breton lobster and Nordic salmon show up regularly on Hamburg menus. Regional cuisine is typified by dishes like Aalsuppe (a complex, savory, and somewhat sweet eel soup with vegetables, dumplings, and dried fruit), Kieler Sprotten (smoked Kiel sprats, a coastal fish that resembles herring), and Bohnen, Birnen, und Speck (green beans, pears, and bacon-flavored with savory). The food-loving ex-Chancellor Helmut Kohl does not consider a trip to Hamburg complete without Labskaus, a sailors hash of corned beef fortified with pickled beets, a rolled-up herring, and a fried egg.

The small taverns crowding the harbor offer standard renditions of these dishes and the catch of the day, but for those who want to do the town in style and try the very best in traditional fare, weve checked out some of Hamburgs most venerable institutions for good cooking and good value.

If we could have only one meal to savor the "real" Hamburg, we would leave the fashionable hotels behind and head for Fischereihafen in Altona. Widely regarded as the best seafood place in town, it turns out impeccably fresh regional specialties in a quiet, secluded corner of the port overlooking the Elbe.

Fischereihafen is Hamburg in miniature: conservative yet comfortable; understated elegance with a nautical flair. On our final evening in the city, we exchanged greetings with the lonely-looking doorman and swept up the stairs past tanks of lobsters and crabs. At the top, we were met by an enormous, terribly handsome dog who fixed us with a gravely polite stare but was too dignified to come any closer.

The small, paneled dining rooms hung with gleaming brass fixtures and pictures of old sailing ships balance traditional gentility with a light modern touch. Likewise, the service is old-fashioned without being stuffy. (To obtain a table by the window and a view of the harbor, you must call early and request one.) As we were seated, we spotted the lead tenor from the previous nights opera performance sitting nearby with a companion.

The menu is practically a textbook of orthodox Hamburg cuisine, with a section of sushi and dim sum thrown in for good measure. Appetizers include smoked trout, oysters on the half shell, lobster, and caviar (16-35 DM/$8-$20, 56 DM/$31 for the caviar), as well as that famous eel soup (13.50 DM/$8). Main courses feature fish prepared every possible way, starting from 28 DM ($16) on up to "Market Price." We take it as a good sign that the menu changes to reflect the best of the days catch. The wine list, which features mostly German and French whites, and a good deal of champagne, is adequate but not particularly brilliant.

For a mere 65 DM ($36) we ordered the "Regional-Menu" and got a four-course tour of Hamburg. Every dish represented a landmark in the local culinary landscape. It began with salty bites of house-marinated chopped herring served on rounds of dense, fragrant black bread, followed by the celebrated Labskaus. The main course was a double feature pairing Hamburger Pfannfisch (haddock, Hamburg style) with the most exquisite piece of salmon we have ever encountered, draped in a delicate mustard-butter sauce. Wisely, the kitchen ignores the temptation to do too much to fish, letting its freshness and quality speak eloquently for itself. Dishes are formally presented, yet maintain a down-home quality.

Dessert was Rote Grtze, a velvety red berry compote with homemade vanilla bean ice cream and topped with custard cream. By now, our waiter Klaus was so enchanted by our having paid his hometown the compliment of polishing off every bite that he shook our hands and reminisced about sailing to America on a yacht 40 years ago. We nodded to the opera singer, lifted our glasses in a good-bye toast to the ships sailing out of the harbor below.

Dinner for two without drinks: 120 DM ($67).

Landhaus Scherrer is the acknowledged grande dame of Hamburg restaurants. Well-heeled locals head to this prestigious address among the mansions in Hamburgs wealthiest suburb to celebrate special occasions and entertain important guests. The question is, should food-loving travelers do the same?

Why, certainly ...as long they have the time and inclination to take the five-mile taxi ride from the city center and cost is no object. The bad news is that Landhaus Scherrer is not conveniently located except to those lucky enough to be staying at the Jacob Hotel or heading back from a day in Blankenese. Also, a meal from the regular menu runs from 90-170 DM ($50-$95) per person, not counting wine. A sumptuous prix fixe menu is available for 198 DM ($111).

These serious drawbacks aside, Landhaus Scherrer does have a highly imaginative and talented chef and a well-stocked wine cellar to complement his innovative interpretations of traditional regional cuisine.

A snowstorm blasted us through the front door, but we were immediately thawed out by the warm welcome and gracious surroundings. We sipped a Kir Royale and took in the muted peaches-and-cream tones of the spacious, contemporary dining room with its Art Nouveau touches, particularly noting the barely clad female figures prancing across the plates.

The first course was the work of a culinary artist at play: a potato-skin "nest" cradling a potato-encrusted scallop "egg" in a curried lentil sauce, topped with fanciful curls of crisply fried salsify. This sophisticated dish announced its peasant roots by arriving on a rustic bed of straw, surrounded by a ring of newly-dug potatoes.

After such an opening, the mixed salad with lobster seemed downright ordinary. The dressing even tasted a little like a thinned-down Thousand Island.

Next came an impossibly tender morsel of grain-fed poussin (young chicken) married to a thick slice of fresh black truffle, a single baked spinach-cheese raviolo, and a few tablespoons of truffled barley risotto. This intricate medley was followed by a moist and flavorful Steinbuttfilet (turbot) dressed in a deceptively simple beurre blanc.

We opted for dessert rather than the suggested cheese platter surely this was no time to hold back. Exotic tropical fruits came scattered like jewels around a strudel pouch of stewed plums and a scoop of red wine-mascarpone sorbet.

Throughout dinner, we enjoyed service that managed to hit that delicate balance of being attentive but unobtrusive. There is a quiet camaraderie among the staff that gives Landhaus Scherrer the air of a family establishment for all its elegance.

Feast for two that would have fed four, not counting wine: 396 DM ($221).

A less expensive, and not so elaborate, Landhaus Scherrer option is its bistro which serves fish and pasta dishes for 32-38 DM ($18-$21) as well as a three-course "business lunch" for 65 DM ($36) in a casual, wood-paneled room.

As if its exceptional amenities and lovely setting weren't enough, the Jacob Hotel is home to an up-and-coming restaurant offering a fresh, modern take on regional cuisine. The nouvelle French influence is also much in evidence in Chef Thomas Martins luxurious cuisine. This should come as no surprise, considering the building has housed a French-style restaurant since its opening in 1791. Chef Martins efforts are complemented by sommelier, Thomas Hendrick and their collaboration recently resulted in a coveted Michelin star. Last September, the restaurant was designated "Best of Award of Excellence" by Wine Spectator.

For the time being, however, the Jacob Hotel's restaurant remains a well-kept secret among visitors in the know. At present, dinners range from 65 to 100 DM ($36-$56), an absolute bargain by pricey Hamburg standards. Be warned, however, that recognition by the folks at Michelin is often accompanied by price increases.

We enjoyed lunch overlooking the famous Lindenterrasse that so inspired realist painter Max Liebermann (1847-1935). Dishes are neither wildly creative nor totally traditional in their conception, but the quality of the ingredients is impeccable and execution is solid. The truffled scallops with their endive jackets and butter sauce went beautifully with relaxed conversation; salmon gently poached in Pernod and then a delicate filet of veal with sauted spinach and gnocchi followed suit. We decided our diet was already long blown, so we said yes to the chocolate mousse cake and mocha ice cream.

As a final touch of finesse, tea came in individual teapots set over votive warmers, accompanied by a tiny hourglass to ensure proper steeping. And just in case we hadnt had enough dessert, silver tray of house-made petit fours appeared. Lovely dinner for two: 170 DM ($95).
 

Contact: Hotel Louis C. Jacob, Elbchausse 401, D-22609 Hamburg, tel. +49/040/82 25 50, fax 822 55 444.
Rating: Quality 17/20 Value 16/20

There are four different restaurants under Hotel Vier Jahreszeitens elegant roof, but Haerlin has been given the main burden of upholding the hotels reputation for unparalleled excellence. For the most part, it succeeds admirably. The dining room is probably the most beautiful in the city, enveloping diners in the utmost luxury while treating them to a spectacular view of the Alster.

The wine list, which is thicker than the local phone book, is considered one of the top three in Germany. Its architect is a shy young Iranian, Rakhshn Zhouleh, who left his country to pursue his forbidden passion for wine. Mr. Zhoulehs list represents many rare, unusual and even improbable finds, including an Arizona wine. He started us off with champagne, 1990 Dom Perignon, which both the restaurant and the bar pour by the glass. He then proceeded to create a marvelous experience for us, and his sensitive suggestions demonstrated a thorough understanding of chef Michael Hoffmans cuisine.

The food itself was very good, leaving nothing to be desired except that little extra something which elevates the very good to the transcendent. We feasted on a tiny schnitzel of tender lamb filet, salmon prepared five different ways, a lobster-filled potato croquette with a white bean sauce, and a perfect filet of broiled sea bass. Mercifully, dessert was a sparkling terrine of fresh oranges and prune ice cream. Dinner without wine is 100-150 DM ($84), and there is a vegetarian menu for 95 DM ($53) as well as an "Avantgarde" one for 175 DM ($98). The three-course lunch set menu is a particularly good value at 62 DM ($35).

Best of all, the service is beautiful, perfect in every way. We felt very much at home even in such unaccustomed luxury.

High style dinner for two: 298 DM ($166).