Thanks for the help. HSV I was in Munich 2 years ago so I got my taste of Bavarian food. Loved it.

Yes, I shall be in town :-)

To add a bit to the confusion, I have really contemplated on the subject and I find it hard to define what German food really is.

Well, with Bavarian food, that's rather obvious. Think of Weisswurst (white sausages), pork roast, pork knuckles and potato or bread dumplings. Throw in some Sauerkraut where applicable and that's about pretty (stereo-)typical.

North German cuisine is rather different. While pork is on the menu almost everywhere in Germany, its style differs significantly. Typical of North German cuisine is a combination of sweet and sour. So roast pork might e.g. likely be combined with apples and prunes.

Signature North German dishes include Bauernfruehstueck, which is an omelette with fried potatoes, bacon, onions and served along with some pickled cucumbers and often raw smoked ham.
Bratkartoffeln (fried potatoes) are much more prevalent here than in the South of Germany - and there are different theories on how they are to be prepared. While some prefer them lightly browned and soft, others swear they should be rather crispy. It is also debated whether they are to be made with bacon and onions, just with bacon, just onions and so forth. You get the idea.
Then there is the seafood.
Plaice is rather popular and can be found fried in bacon or butter on many menus. But fillets of plaice may also be poached and served along with some spinach. Matjes is a pickled raw herring that is widely popular and comes in different styles - although I cannot pursuade myself to gulp something of that sort.
As DAX mentioned, game dishes are popular, too, but usually are reserved for more festive occasions as they usually come at a price. Roast venison e.g. is a delcacy, though.
For desserts, Rote Gruetze is a favourite. It is a compote prepared from red berries (but traditionally no strawberries). The Hamburg style traditionally is of homogenuous texture. But that is hardly found anymore. In most restaurants one is able to determine which berries have been included jsut by looking at the dish. Nowadays it is also served with a vanilla sauce as most tourists seem to like it best that way. Among locals, just plain milk and a splash of liquid cream may be considered the better option.

What is rather evident is that German cuisine changes. Traditional recipes tend to be altered using lighter preparations, different ingredients are being combined creating new dishes etc. And when we are recommending an excellent place like Cox here, a few others also deserve to be mentioned:

Suellberg Bistro is located on Hamburg's highest hill overlooking the River Elbe in Blankenese. It is the more affordable counterpart to Karl Heinz Hauser's (former chef in the Berlin Adlon Hotel and advising Donald Trump on his Trump International project in Florida) Seven Seas gourmet restaurant in the same complex. Service is friendly and trying but a bit servile at times for my taste.

http://www.suellberg-hamburg.de/gastronomie-bistro.html

Schlachterboerse (Butchers' exchange)of Wolfgang Suesse is a classic in an unimpressive building right next to the Hamburg meat market (and I don't mean the brothels and hookers along the nearby Reeperbahn :-) ). Great Argentine steaks along with good Bratkartoffeln. Lots of (local and international) celebrities frequent it. The food is a bit pricey, though.

http://www.schlachterboerse.de/

And for the game loving crowd: After dealing with bancruptcy issues of the Insel (a formerly famous hang-out for the nouveau-riche of the city, and predominantly its suburbs ;-) ) on the Outer Alster Lake, Michael Wollenberg has revived the "Wattkorn", formerly part of celebrity chef Viehauser's empire on the outskirts of Hamburg (he had to file for bancruptcy, too). I have not yet been there, but it has been getting great reviews for its game focused menu and dishes. Located on Tangstedter Landstr. 230, a long drive from the center.

http://www.wattkorn.de/

And for a quality "Imbiss" (snack) style place: Oberhafenkantine on Stockmeyerstr. no. 39 is a classic coffee house for the port workers that has been revived by German celebrity and TV chef Tim Maelzer (Germany's equivalent of Jamie Oliver). Managed by his mother, the out of the way place keeps drawing some crowds indulging into potato salad and curry wursts to its location slightly off the beaten path in the re-development district of HafenCity.
Nothing fancy, though, as at his (mostly sold-out) restaurant Das Weisse Haus right by the River Elbe on Neumuehlen no. 50, right by the Oevelgoenne berth and Museum Harbour. The latter place is not at all pricey, though, but serves only a set three- or four course surprise dinner at nights (they usually will accomodate some dislikes, however).

http://www.das-weisse-haus.de/

Good pub grub with a few local dishes thrown in can also be found at Borchers, a traditional "Kneipe" in the nice residential neighbourhood of Eppendorf. Geschwister-Scholl-Str. no. 1-3.

http://www.cafe-borchers.de

And finally one more tip regarding the fish restaurants, I had suggested before.

Fischereihafen Restaurant is the most upscale - and most expensive.
Fischmarkt (which notably is not located on or even near Fischmarkt) comes in second, but offers a truly nice ambiance and great service. Slightly less expensive than Fischereihafen Restaurant.
Fischerhaus is very down-to-earth and nothing to charm. It has two sections: A newer one upstairs that is reasonably modern (and slightly bland) and offers a view of the port. The ground floor section has hardly been redecorated since the 1930s as it looks and at best has a rough charm. It is slightly cheaper than its upstairs counterpart. This is where you'll find the locals who would not care for the upstairs section. Best for some unpretentious fried fish. The sides are nothing to write home about, but the fish is fresh and comes in large portions.

hsv:
Enjoyed reading your discussion about what German food may actually be beyond the stereotypical Bavarian dishes and sausages. It's food for thought how different each regional cuisine can be. I have yet to acquire the taste for currywurst. The first time I heard about it was when I read Currywurst & Russendisko in Berlin. One strange soup I recently discovered and thoroughly enjoyed at a brunch in Berlin this year was the Mecklenburg soup which is a hot creamy milk soup with pear slices and spaetzle-like pasta.

I'm impressed with Borcher Cafe website. It looks more like a sophisticated Eppendorf yuppie club/cafe with live band concerts rather than just another neighborhood Kneipe. Don't tell me that most Kneipen in Hamburg are like that.

I'm beginning to stereotype the rustic/traditional places that serve game in Germany. The Schlachterboerse looks like a German restaurant that I used to go for game in Carmel,CA.

DAX,

Café Borchers is not at all yuppie-ish. It has been around for about 100 years and the way things are going I should expect it to last quite a few more.
It has been my favourite hang-out for many of the World Cup's matches and there always is an interesting and mixed crowd present (along with nice and big temporary flat screen TVs set up on their terrace under shady old trees). Definitely no dress-code. Are all neighbourhood Kneipen like that?- No, but there are quite a few that serve decent food. Of those, the Borchers is one of the most casual places that I know. And then, of course, I am trying to recommend some of the better places.

hsv,

My mistake, I took one quick glance at the picture of the red room which looked somewhat clubbish and didn't even read the events carefully assuming they were scheduled rockbands! I don't how that happened. Probably because we just spent 4 days hanging out in Hollywood & Santa Monica places to get together with old friends. I definitely made the wrong conclusion based on rushed assumptions.

Well, now, Borchers actually looks like a nice relaxed kneipe and the menu is rather eclectic from tandoori to tortellini, not exactly your old grandpa's Kneipe.

If I may reply in general terms, I advise three lines. One is to look for a Ratskeller restaurant under the town hall. Another is to look for a pub on the central market place. The Ratskeller will be the more expensive, but both will be good, as no German town or city dare have poor food in these two landmark places. Mayors have been voted out for less. Then at lunchtime many big department stores have lifts up to slightly soul-less restaurants, with standard food at moderate prices, but I think no beer.

That covers city centres. Suburbs are a problem, as (like English suburbs) they are rich in every kind of restaurant but their own. You want Greek, Turkish, Italian, Yugoslav, Chinese, Indian, Vietnamese – jawohl, zur Befehl. You want German – ach, es tut mir leid. Sometimes a local sausage and local beer, taken standing, are the most German food you’ll find, and not bad.

Bnen Haines, London
[email protected]

another good place to eat, especially at luch-time, can be at the local "konditorei" or cake shop ,most of which will serve light lunches, omlettes, and TORTEN[that's cakes/gateaux to the non-german speakers]. yum yum.

From my own experience and from some of the posts here, I'm beginning to believe that Fruh am Dom in Cologne is a rarity: a bad restaurant that's bleoved by the locals. I was in Cologne last year and spent a very pleasant morning with a German colleague who had gone to grad school in the States in the early '80s. As I left for the train station, he told me that I should have "himmel und erbe" (heaven and earth) at Fruh am Dom for lunch. I made a point of finding it, even asking an elderly gentleman for directions along the way. He was gracious enough to walk with me to show me the way. But the himmel und erbe--mashed potatoes, apple sauce and sausage--was dreadful.

Joe, you summed it up beautifully. I think it's all a matter of what a person grew up with.

>himmel und erbe
heaven and inheritance ;-)

Himmel und Erde
heaven and earth ;-)

Try Brauerei zur Malzmuele in Heumarkt 6. It was great when I was an exchange studen in the late 70's and it's still great (my wife and I went last year). Note that Heumarkt is divided into two parts north and south of the Deutzer Bridge. The restarant is in the southern part of Heumarkt. This restaurant is a typical German brewpub serving what many Koelners consider to be th ebest Koelsch brewed in the city. It is hard to find elsewhere. Even Bill Clinton went there. When you are seated you will meet the most important person in Cologne--the Kobes, who wears the traditional blue apron. Why is he the most important person in Cologne? He's the guy that brings you your beer! Kobes are known for their sarcastic humor (a Cologne tradition). If your German's up to it--try joking with them. Beware, however, of some traditional Cologne delacaies as they are not what they seem--"Halver Hahn" is *not* half a chicken but cheese on a roll and Kolsche Kaviar is blood sausage. These names go hand in hand with the typical Koelner's sense of humor--a bit dry and wry. You won't find anything like it in the rest of Germany. Another good choice, this time in the main part of Heumarkt, is Bangkok Restaurant. We had a very good meal there. There's a hole in the wall behind Hotel Kayk (which is on the river just north of the Deutzer Bridge) that had good Doners (like a gyro) and other middle-eastern specialities. I do not recall the name, but it is directly opposite the back door of the hotel on an alley. One good spot for people watching is the outdoor area in Alter Markt in front of the Gaffel Koelsch Brewpub.Order a Koelsch and watch the world go by. In Northern germany, do try Currywurst mit pommes if you can--basically a wurst with curry ketsup/sauce (very good) and french fries. Quick, tasty, filling, and usually cheap.