17 Best Restaurants in Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein and the Baltic Coast

A proud owner of a Michelin star since it opened its doors in 1978, Landhaus Scherrer continues to be one of the city's best-known and most celebrated restaurants. The focus is on the use of organic, sustainable ingredients to produce classic and modern German cuisine with international touches, and unsurprisingly, the accompanying wine list is exceptional.

The kitchen at this much-loved little bistro in Eimsbüttel officially opens for business at 7 pm, but Vienna opens its doors early in the afternoon for those wanting an espresso or aperitif from their tiny bar. Early arrivers might still be asked to share a table in the dining room or outside in the courtyard, but given the lovingly prepared sausages, fresh fish dishes, and hearty desserts coming out of the kitchen, it will matter little to most.

Still a shining star in the row of romantic restaurants that sit along Hamburg's riverfront, Am Kai, in keeping with its location, has a menu heavy on seafood. Raw oysters and sashimi share the menu with offerings of tuna and North Sea sole, and amongst the beef dishes there’s a Surf and Turf to keep lovers of both worlds happy.

Tucked away close to a lively square full of bars with a more local vibe not far from the Reeperbahn, The Bird is a New York-style restaurant serving some of the best and most creative hamburgers and steaks in town and a great selection of domestic and international beers.

This extension of the Louis C. Jacob Hotel consists of a relaxed Bistro, a wine bar, and a more formal Brasserie that boasts a large bay window with excellent views of ships gliding up the Elbe. But it's the brasserie that stands out, offering a unique take on French dishes with seasonal northern German ingredients as well as local fish delicacies.

Hamburg’s highest restaurant and bar awaits you on the 23rd floor of the \"Tanzende Türme” (Dancing Towers) skyscrapers, dazzling with floor-to-ceiling views over the city, excellent cocktails, and creative crossover cuisine cooked in an open kitchen. The culinary focus here is on a variety of different steaks and cuts of meat.

Cox has delighted guests with its nouvelle German cuisine for years, and with a cool, dark interior and red-leather banquettes reminiscent of a French brasserie, it remains one of the hippest places around. Friday and Saturday night sees its two large rooms swell with diners, and consequently service can slow a little. However, dishes such as truffle ragout fin of calf's tongue served in a puff pastry patty, and a friendly, knowledgeable staff, easily compensate.

This bright-red lightship served in the English Channel before it retired to the city harbor in 1989 and became a landmark restaurant, guesthouse, and pub. Local favorites such as Hamburger Pannfisch (panfried fish with mustard sauce) and Labskaus (a mixture of corned beef, potato, onion, beet, and gherkins) are on the ship's extensive menu, along with Argentine steaks and rack of lamb.

Located in an old merchant house decorated with oil paintings featuring 19th-century sailing ships, this small and elegant seafood restaurant is a Hamburg classic. It's one of the best places to get traditional dishes such as Hamburger pannfisch (fried catch of the day in a wine-and-mustard sauce) at a very reasonable price.

Venture beyond the grand exterior of this 19th-century bank building and you'll find yourself in an elegant bar and brasserie lighted by opulent chandeliers set in a ceiling supported by handsome black columns. Diners can feast on steaks, goose, and sashimi at white-clothed tables or out on the restaurant's spacious, sunny terrace.

For some of the best fish in Hamburg, book a table at this splendid portside restaurant, which looks plain from the outside, but feels like a dining room aboard a luxury liner inside. The menu changes daily according to what's available in the fish market that morning; the elegant oyster bar here is a favorite with the city's beau monde.

This restaurant embodies the idea of “think global, act local” and brings American food to your table through its menu, which is inspired by Creole and Cajun cuisines in Louisiana. Kitchens's concept is rooted in travel experiences and culinary adaptation in an elegant environment. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner, and anyone can also enjoy cocktails on its rooftop bar Moon 46 overlooking the HafenCity.

Snugly sited beneath vaulted ceilings in the cellar of the city's town hall, this elegant old pub turned restaurant and cocktail bar serves no-nonsense meat and seafood meals, including shrimp fresh from the North Sea, with a light touch of German nouvelle cuisine. Popular with local businesspeople during and after work, it's also a nice spot for a frothy beer and some Flammkuchen, Alsace's take on pizza, between traipsing around the nearby sights.

The simple but cool style, excellent service, and high-quality food (seasonal variations using local produce) at this busy bistro keep the locals coming back. Inventive four-course menus merge typical German cuisine with international flavors.

It would be difficult to find a better spot in town than this handsome seafood restaurant to watch big boats cruise by while satisfying your appetite for fresh lobster, sashimi, bouillabaisse, Scottish salmon, Dover sole, and oysters. Its ample sun terrace sits just above the Elbe, while the large open-plan dining room has ceiling-high windows facing downstream toward the city and the Elbe Philharmonic Hall.

On the edge of a canal and beneath the arches of the elegant Alster arcade, this popular Syrian meze restaurant enjoys superb views of Hamburg’s town hall. While it specializes in lamb, including homemade lamb sausages, Saliba’s menu also caters to vegetarian and vegan diners with offerings of falafel and eggplant dishes.

Hamburg may not have many good Japanese restaurants, but this modern bistro-style restaurant has developed a loyal clientele of locals and Japanese expats through its warm service and modern interpretation of Japanese haute cuisine. As well as the typical offerings of sushi and tempura udon, the menu here features such treats as wagyu beef with dipping sauces and duck and eggplant in red miso sauce.