The most important meal of the day should be treated with due respect. Enjoy some early morning café visits ever so often.
Breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day - but sometimes it doesn't get the respect it deserves. Take some time every once in a while and dig into some early morning treats. For tourists, pensioners and all other people who find the time occasionally, here's a list of the best breakfast cafés in Hamburg.
Café du Passage (Winterhude)
Lattenstieg 4, 22299 Hamburg
Nestled away on a footpath between the busy Lattenkamp and Alsterdorfer streets is the little Café du Passage. The French owner prepares the café au lait just like in her home country. There is breakfast, daily specials, quiche, coffee and cake - all homemade. The café also has a small tea shop.
Café Paris (City Centre)
Rathausstraße 4, 20095 Hamburg
Café Paris is a bit tricky to define. Depending on the time of day and exactly what you're after, this beloved spot could be your new favourite café, restaurant or even bar. In the mornings, it tempts patrons with sandwiches, baguettes and croissants as well as a variety of international breakfast options. For late risers, breakfast is served until 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. At lunchtime, Café Paris serves delicacies such as salmon, beef medallions or the Plat du Jour - French finesse included. In the evenings, French classics such as oysters, steak-frites and bouillabaisse are on the menu.
Kafayas (Winterhude)
Semperstraße 64, 22303 Hamburg
Kafayas is a true insider tip for anyone looking for French cafés in Hamburg. It is extremely hidden on the corner of the Glindweg and Semperstraße streets, not too far from the famous shopping areas of Winterhude. Nevertheless, it is almost always full to the last seat. Not surprising since wonderful tarts and quiches are all baked in-house. Kafaya's owners bake around 20 different types of tarts, which can be ordered ahead. In addition to home-baked products, the Kafayas also offers sandwiches with bread from the organic bakery Bahde.
Café Klatsch (Karoviertel)
Glashüttenstraße 17, 20357 Hamburg
Café Klatsch is a cosy cellar café in the Karoviertel with alternative-casual (one might also say old-fashioned) decor befitting its location and a pleasant and charming atmosphere. The waffles are fresh and tasty and the breakfast is plentiful and served until 7.30 p.m. A good place to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the big city.
Par Ici (Winterhude)
Maria-Louisen-Straße 1, 22301 Hamburg
Guests at the Par Ici café treat themselves to a bit of the French way of life. Located at the intersection of the Winterhude, Harvestehude and Eppendorf districts, the café offers a petit déjeuner (breakfast) with freshly baked baguettes, croissants, chocolatines, brioche and much more. In the afternoon they offer a selection of savoury and sweet tarts. The lovely outdoor terrace is not to be missed, especially in summer.
Tarterie Jolie (HafenCity)
Am Kaiserkai 27, 20457 Hamburg
The small tarterie in HafenCity offers French delicacies like croissants, tarts, éclairs and quiche and breakfast is served from morning to night. In addition to delicious coffee and hot chocolate, the drinks menu also includes co*cktails, wine and champagne. The space also doubles as a gallery, with works by a variety of artists on display.
Tre Pazzi (Uhlenhorst)
Hofweg 101, 22085 Hamburg
There are many reasons to visit Winterhude's Tre Pazzi. From the coffee beverages made with local organic milk to the rotating menu of warm Italian dishes, this spot is worth a visit. But perhaps the most unique reason to stop by Tre Pazzi is the range of Italian pastries and baked goods, like sfogliatelli and cannoli, which are usually quite difficult (if not impossible) to find in Hamburg.
Liebes Bisschen (Ottensen)
Spritzenpl. 5, 22765 Hamburg
Liebes Bisschen, one of the original purveyors of American-style cupcakes in Hamburg, started as a tiny operation in Sternschanze over a decade ago. But since April 2016 the café has found a new (and bigger) home in Ottensen. The cake designer Laura Seebacher offers a delightful selection of artfully decorated cakes and biscuits with great dedication. All products are homemade and prepared with the best ingredients. The cupcakes, of course, are the house speciality and come in a plethora of varieties and flavours. In addition to the usual varieties such as buttermilk-lemon, mousse-au-chocolat, cookies & cream or white chocolate-blueberry, The selection is often complemented by seasonal fruit mixes. Vegans are not neglected either and will find menu items catered to their needs as well.
Klein und Kaiserlich (HafenCity)
Am Kaiserkai 26, 20457 Hamburg
The coffee house on Kaiserkai quai offers traditional Austrian coffee specialties, cake and breakfast. The look is modelled after classic Viennese coffee houses and channels this special inspiration well. Spots on the terrace offer a beautiful view of Vasco-da-Gama square and the museum port.
Café Kostbar (Sternschanze)
Susannenstraße 36, 20357 Hamburg
Located in the heart of Sternschanze, this unassuming café is much larger than it appears from the outside. That means there's nearly always a table free, perfect for setting up with a laptop and a coffee to get a little work done or meeting a friend for a classic German breakfast or lunch. In the evening, Café Kostbar becomes more of a bar and restaurant - a perfect place to begin an evening out in Schanze.
Gretchens Villa (Karoviertel)
Marktstraße 142, 20357 Hamburg
In charming Gretchens Villa on Marktstrasse you can eat like royalty. From breakfast treats to foccacia, salads and other tempting dishes from the menu of the day to sweet treats from the cake buffet, there is plenty to choose from. The café is decorated in turquoise and gold, and croissants, cookies and cakes are piled high on the countertop displays. The creamy coffee or fresh mint tea can also be enjoyed on the benches outside the shop. If you can't get a free spot, you might have more luck next door at Gretchens Zuckerbude - Patisserie & Cafe, which opened in August 2015.
Café Koppel (St. Georg)
Koppel 66, 20099 Hamburg
Located in a courtyard building parallel to the Lange Reihe street in St. Georg, it takes a little searching to find Café Koppel. But rest assured - the search is worth it! In summer visitors can sip their coffee or eat their cake in the garden. Most of the products are organic and many are homemade as well, but herbivores in particular are in good hands here: with a daily rotating menu of exclusively vegetarian and vegan dishes, there is no shortage of plant-based variety. Even the VEBU (Vegetarierbund Deutschland e.V.) are fans, having made Café Koppel a regular meeting place in Hamburg.
Café Unter den Linden (Sternschanze)
Juliusstraße 16, 22769 Hamburg
Café Unter den Linden is a small oasis of peace in the middle of the bustling Schanzenviertel. The friendly café has been spoiling its guests with home-made cakes and dishes since 1982. The furnishings are fondly reminiscent of a classic Viennese coffee house. In summer you can relax on the terrace with a coffee or a beer from 9:30 a.m. until 1 a.m., and the large selection of newspapers and magazines also ensures you'll never be bored.
El Rojito Café Ottensen (Ottensen)
Große Brunnenstraße 68, 22763 Hamburg
Located in the heart of Ottensen, this lovely café sells vegan cakes made with spelt flour from the Eichel organic pastry shop in Eimsbüttel. In addition to other sweet pastries, you can satisfy your hunger with hearty dishes, rolls and baguettes. A soy latte or cappuccino goes nicely as well, and it's worth noting that the fair trade coffee is particularly tasty here.
Kaffee Stark (St. Pauli)
Wohlwillstraße 18, 20359 Hamburg
The name says it all: here the coffee is '100% fair trade, 100% espresso, 100% strong'. The cakes are lovingly home-baked and many are also vegan and even gluten-free. In the evening the café is transformed into a cosy, shabby-chic bar, with fair beer prices and cosy sofas.
Hüftgold Café (Winterhude)
Winterhuder Weg 142, 22085 Hamburg
You needn’t be a morning person to enjoy breakfast at Café Hüftgold on Winterhuder Weg - the most important meal of the day can be enjoyed all day long. Visitors can also browse daily newspapers while the hearty flan, soup or salad is prepared. All cakes are homemade and highly recommended.
Café Lindtner (Eppendorf)
Eppendorfer Landstraße 88, 20249 Hamburg
At the Konditorei Lindtner café you can experience the traditional German coffee house culture of old. The freshly brewed coffee is served in a pot with a warmer, the cakes are traditional favourites like black forest, petit fours and German baumkuchen. Breakfast at Lindtner is a treat as well. Monday to Friday mornings diners can choose from a variety of à la carte options and on weekends there is a buffet.
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