The history of this over 200-year-old ‘white house’, originally a farm house, could fill many pages all on its own. Located directly at Blankenese’s Hirschpark, the restaurant offers more than just a destination for those taking a stroll and looking forward to a relaxing cup of tea in the afternoon.  
We reserved a table for the evening in advance and found it abundantly decorated with ivy and rose petals and located in a quiet part of the restaurant, which features a light-coloured interior. For us, it was a beautiful alternative to the otherwise stand-ard paper notes found at many other restaurants. With a refreshing fruity cocktail and Prosecco with rhubarb in hand, we chose the latest four-course meal (EUR 33 each). The ‘classic’ menu included a summery romaine-lettuce salad with strips of spring-chicken breast and balsamic strawberries, a Mediterranean fish soup, filet of young pork in a spicy honey crust with an unbelievably delicious red wine sauce and a chili-chocolate parfait on top a caramel-banana.
The ‘fit’ menu, on the other hand, scored points with a salad featuring raspberry-honey dressing and nuts, a surprisingly good parmesan foam soup with chorizo, and a Scottish wild salmon in filo dough on foamy horseradish. The desert for this meal almost caused a ruckus, as both of us restaurant critics thoroughly enjoy mille-feuille of mango mousse and, above all, the accompanying basil-lemon sorbet. The service personnel, who were continually attentive however never pushy, recommended a Grauburgunder, which complemented both meals well.
We also thought that the subtly placed display case with a range of specialities for taking home was also very practical. That way we could purchase a jar of homemade wild berry marmalade for the babysitter. Small gifts foster friendship.
Conclusion: even if a bad restaurant review is more interesting to read, we couldn’t find a single weak point by any stretch of the imagination. The previously mentioned friendly service team was always present and served all courses, which were perfectly prepared and warm, outstandingly. A cosy restaurant for an enjoy-able evening.

Open daily from 2 pm to 11 pm, Sundays and bank holidays from 10 am to 11 pm. Restaurant open Tues-Sun from 7 pm to 11 pm.

Witthüs
Elbchaussee 499
22587 Hamburg
fon 040 - 86 01 73
More information at www.witthues.com (German).

Success came with a woman

In 1703, the Elbe fishermen received permission from the city of Altona to ‘sell fish at the pier Sunday mornings in future’. Now, over 300 years later, this has been the location of Hamburg’s famous Fischmarkt. And for over 20 years, it’s been home to the ‘Alt Helgoländer Fischerstube’. The restaurateur Brigitte Estner has turned the fish tavern into a success. ‘The restaurant’s name is thanks to family ties to Helgoland’, explains the owner the connection to the North Sea island. Today, the restaurant (seating for 120, and 100 on the terrace) is one of Hamburg’s most popular food temples.
In addition to eel, filet of plaice, monkfish medallions and pikeperch, you can enjoy meat dishes, too, of course. From Monday to Friday (12 noon to 3 pm), lunch specials (two dishes) are on offer. Both under ten euros. The menu changes week-ly, so you might be able to choose from: Fried Red Mullet Filet with Wild Garlic Ribbon Noodles (EUR 8.90), Seasonal Salad with a Skewer of Fried Scampi (EUR 9.50), Salad Plate with Fried Chicken Liver and Apple Wedges (EUR 7.90), Zurich-style Turkey Strips with Hash Browns (EUR 9.80) or a Small Pork Steak with Brussel Sprouts and Salted Potatoes (EUR 9.50).
The first-class cuisine as well as the friendly and quick service crew ensured that everyone, including the many regulars, was always satisfied.
-Horst Dammasch-

Serving warm dishes Mon-Sun from 12 noon to 10 pm.

Alt Helgoländer Fischerstube
Fischmarkt 4 a - c
22767 Hamburg
fon 040 - 319 46 96
www.althelgolaenderfischerstube.de (English and German)

Curry sausage by a gourmet chef

You don’t see this every day: an award-winning chef pre-paring barley soup and curry sausage. Heinz Wehmann from Landhaus Scherrer (who has had a Michelin Star since 1977) normally serves his guests meals from the daily menu (4 to 6 courses) for 89 to 98 euros - bringing lobster, turbot or goose liver to the table. The most affordable main dish starts at EUR 24.50.

But at cosy Ö1, located right next door, you can enjoy curry sausage with potato salad for EUR 4.50, or burley, lentil and pea soup for EUR 5.50 to 7.50. You can also choose a pasta dish in this low price range. Everything is prepared by highly talent-ed Heinz Wehmann and his team. If you’d like to try something else, order the delicious cheese platter for EUR 9.50, or a pretzel with butter and a small Königs Pilsener beer for a mere EUR 2.30. All in all: Scherrer cuisine at Ö1 is a great pleasure. No wonder that, at these prices, the restaurant is always well visited - and everyone has fun. Praise also goes to the service.
-Horst Dammasch-

Landhaus Scherrer: open Mon-Sat from 12 noon to 3.30 pm and from 6 pm.
Ö1: open 7 days a week from 12 noon to 12 midnight.

Ö1 at Landhaus Scherrer
Elbchaussee 130, 22763 Hamburg
fon 040 - 880 13 25

The Tai Tan at Kaiserkai is locat-ed in the heart of Hamburg’s new HafenCity. The three window fronts guarantee a wonderful view from every table: the historical Speicherstadt on one side and the ‘architectonic “cough up of blocks”’ of Hafen-
City (architect Hadi Teherani) on the other. In the seating area, these opposing contrasts have been brought together beautifully, and you’ll find typical playful decoration in a modern ambience.
The very charming service brought us invariably delicious and wonderfully complementing dishes. We chose to accept the recommendation in the menu’s introduction and ordered a host of colourful meals in order to experience the contrasts of the Thai kitchen as small explosions of flavour. Satay Gai (EUR 6.50) is delicious: chicken skewers spiced with coconut curry. Tom Yam Gung (EUR 7.50) is a ‘light’ mild shrimp soup with mushrooms and Thai herbs. The crispy breast of duck on splendid fresh vegetables, Ped Grob Pak Raum (EUR 16.50), and Pad Krabraw Gai (EUR 14), a very spicy chicken with garlic, chilli and Thai basil. Plus, a light white wine from the small but finely composed wine card - and we slowly start to understand what the menu’s introduction was talking about.
This visit has made us hungry for more - and curious about the other taste explosions that await us from the diverse menu.

Open Mon-Fri from 12 noon to 3 pm and 6 pm to 12 midnight, Sat & Sun from  5 pm to 12 midnight. Kitchen serving till 11 pm. Credit cards accepted: EC, AMEX, VISA, MasterCard.

Tai Tan
Am Kaiserkai 56, 20457 Hamburg
fon 040 - 419 19 355
more information at www.taitan-restaurant.de (multi-lingual table booking)

Another surprise from the Beaumont Family in the picturesque Bot River Valley (near the whale watching areal in Hermanus, along the central garden route of South Africa) is the hand-picked Mourvèdre 2006.
Although the vineyard has recently been honoured with numerous international awards, Sebastian Beaumont hasn’t increased the prices for his customers.
Mourvèdre, called Monastrell in Spain and often known as Mataro in Australia, is a very difficult grape variety to cultivate, as it is susceptible to blight. Small, thick-skinned berries often create highly alcoholic wine, making it difficult to prevent oxidation and absolutely necessary to have a trained hand during the entire wine-making process.
Sebastian Beaumont’s sample, now freshly opened, shows church windows and an alcohol volume of 14.5%. Bramble is reflected in colour and bouquet, as much as elderberry, herbs and a light note of varnish.
Freshly tasted from a highly recommended and breathable glass by Eisch, the Mourvèdre delivers violet, sour black cherry, well-integrated wood and a strong note of brute.
Depth, elegance and complexity turn into a very dangerous ‘drug’ - meat from the grill (maybe even modern at 800°C …), well-hung venison and truffles are the best accompaniment.
Why do I always think of bear fur in front of the fireplace when enjoying such wines? In case you didn’t know, there’s now a movement away from single life in the city - during cold autumn, the trend is togetherness!
The entire excellent assortment from the Beaumont Family is available from Markus van Riesen (Annenstr. 5, 20359 Hamburg. Tel.: 040 - 31 77 13 502.        www.beauwine.com). Here you can also discover when you’ll be able to see  Sebastian Beaumont live in Hamburg … it’s worth a visit!
Wishing you and your loved one a little bit of joy with a good wine.

He was supposed to be a priest and, instead, became the steakhouse king. But he still goes regularly to church with his wife Christa - and always pays his ‘steak empire’ a visit. Now his son Dirk is in charge.
Eugen Block, accredited restaurateur and HSV sports club member, opened his first restaurant in 1968 in Dorotheenstraße. It’s name: Block House.
He imported the idea from the United States and it soon became a success in Germany. Today, there are 34 Block House restaurants nationwide, 14 of which are located in Hamburg. They’re the perfect place for lunch - Monday to Friday. Good, friendly service and quality products at fair prices.
I visited the steakhouse, situated at the main railway station and open since 1989, in the former Boccaccio, where you could once dance the tango and waltzes every afternoon. Now, you can enjoy Wiener schnitzel here, among other dishes. For lunch, choose from three dishes, all under 10 euros, every day: for example, Stuffed Cabbage Leaf, Chicken Breast, Königsberger Meatballs (EUR 7.20 per dish) or Pan-fried Vegetables with Spinach, Baked Potato and Sour Cream (EUR 7.60). I decided on the Friday special: Ocean Perch with Rémoulade Sauce, Lemon and Potato-cucumber Salad (EUR 7.20). After a meal like this, what more could I want - I was completely satisfied.
Another convenient serv-ice: you can take the Lunch Menu - valid for one to two weeks in advance - with you and prepare for your next visit.

 

Open daily from 11.30 am to 12 midnight, Lunch Mon-Fri from 12 noon to 3 pm.

Block House Kirchenallee, Kirchenallee 49 - 51, 20099 Hamburg
fon 040 - 24 33 50. More information at www.block-house.de (English and German)

 

Horst Dammasch
- October 2009 -

We Sommeliers don't have it easy ... we taste our way through alcohol and sacrifice our liver all for our guests!!!!

As we look in the mirror every morning with increasing worry to witness our growing age, we ask ourselves: Doesn't our job also offer a youth-giving elixir? And then we remember Queen Mum who up to her 102nd birthday, continued to wear high heels at horse races and regularly enjoyed gentlemen and gin.

Since 1919 Hamburg has been a utopia of the high-percentage liquor, namely at Weinquelle (Lübecker Str. 124). Owner Uwe Lühmann was immediately at my side when he noticed a certain disorientation on my face due to the diversity of the selection - and ultimately he offered me a small tasting of the youth drops.

BULLDOG Gin from the USA, London Dry Gin directly from New York.

Gin, originally Genever, came to England from Holland in the 18th century. Today, it's become a cult liquor, and not only as Gin Tonic for the gentlemen, but also on the rocks. Plus, gin has become more appreciated in light of the distillation processes and the ingredients used to make it.

Companies like Hendricks, Bombay Sapphire and Gabriel Boudier in Dijon come to mind here. The latter gin is aromatised with saffron. However, BULLDOG is distilled four times and has a minimum of 12 ingredents, including Dragon Eye fruit from China (related to the Lychee), and has a fine note of juniper, cherry and sloes - as well as an alcohol content of 40%. In general, it is soft and balanced in taste, and the bottle has a dog collar round it. It tastes excellent just as it is or as a Gin Fizz, Gimlet or classic Martini cocktail at a price of EUR 26 (0.7 litres). Now that you've brought a bit more youth to your life, you'll only need to ask your partner if it should be shaken or stirred.

In memory of Queen Mum, only the best for you.

 

-Oktober 2008-

At this time of year you get to see Hamburg's festive side: the early evenings, candles, the aroma of mulled wine, teeth-chattering cold... and lots of hectic people searching for harmony.

In need for an oasis of peace, I enter the small fine shop, owned by Horst Duske and located in Hanse-Viertel. It offers the best cigars, rum from around the world and an admirable selection of exquisite port wine. Mr Duske, very engaging and competent, offers me a bottle of Churchill's Reserve Tawny Port (EUR 14.90) and asks that I report back to him. As I always found Winston to be very congenial, keeping in mind his motto 'no sports', I opened the bottle that same evening and decided to keep my eyes peeled for a fireplace and bearskin rug.

The Bodega Churchill Graham was founded by Johnny Graham in 1981 who was a wine-maker with Cockburn and Taylors. Named after his wife Caroline Churchill, Winston's granddaughter, the Bodega rakes in medals and awards every year. One of the best locations in the Douro Valley of 'Cima Corgo' offers exclusively high-quality grapes that are handpicked and mashed by foot in large granite containers called Lagares.

When you take the first sip, the world of Port opens up. With my eyes closed, I understand why the English of all people, known for their dry humour and lightly cold wit, have loved this elixir for centuries. In contrast, it's also gentle on the palate, has a soft aftertaste and a balanced sweetness, plum flavour, very dark berries and a little of this warm flavour of harmony. Yes, Christmas is coming.

A perfect complement to this port would be cheese (Stilton!), chocolate fudge or select savoury biscuits at teatime in front of the fireplace.

Once opened, the Reserve Port should be enjoyed within three to four weeks and with a cigar if possible. According to Mr Duske, a Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No. 1 is the perfect cigar complement thanks to its elegance, fine flavour and strong herbal tones (EUR 9.50).

A well-known colleague of mine always listens to Fado music and distant barking when enjoying a glass of Port. And when you leave out a glass for St Nick, I'm certain you'll be blessed with harmony - not just during the holiday season.

And with that I wish you moving moments, harmony and winophile pleasures in the New Year too!