We've just moved into a former theatre in the Altona district, The Box, a very large post-industrial space where we've even installed a café so that our visitors can enjoy the place in comfort. But for an important lunch, I'm opting for Henssler & Henssler, an establishment located nearby, in front of the new container port. The chef has worked his way up from one of the biggest sushi restaurants in Los Angeles. I like the sober, black and white setting, which is perfect for business meetings.
For a long time, our gallery's address was vexstraße, in a bohemian district in the centre of Hamburg, and I'm still loyal to the restaurant die Bank. as its name suggests, it's a former bank, grandiose, with high ceilings, mouldings, huge windows and a beautiful terrace for the summer. the atmosphere is chic, discreet and resolutely contemporary. The restaurant serves exceptional seafood, as well as excellent meats. The chef, Thomas Fischer, is a Michelin-starred chef. For less formal get-togethers, I prefer the café at the museum of applied arts. It's an unusual place, decorated with old paintings and mismatched 19th-century chandeliers. it's ideal for the traditional kaffeekuchen, a coffee accompanied by a slice of cake, a sweet break that Germans like to indulge in in the afternoon.
Afterwards, a visit to the Kunsthalle art museum is a must, if only to admire the famous Traveller above the sea of clouds by Caspar David Friedrich. In the same district, there are still two former halls from the early 20th century, the Deichtorhallen, which have been completely renovated and now host contemporary art exhibitions. In one of them, the Fillet of Soul restaurant is very popular with Hamburgers, who love its hip atmosphere, especially in the evenings. It serves traditional German cuisine with a twist, including venison goulash, sausages and Baltic herring.
After dinner, I recommend Skybar 20 Up, on the 20th floor of the Empire Riverside Hotel, although unfortunately it has become a little too touristy. However, the view over the harbour is truly breathtaking. For a more intimate atmosphere, I prefer the East Hotel, with its psychedelic decor and delicious cocktails. To show that you know Hamburg like the back of your hand, you can make a date at the Literaturhaus, just in front of the Alster, set back from the city centre. It's a magnificent nineteenth-century mansion where authors like Amos Oz and Umberto Eco come to read, and the regulars have breakfast here while reading the paper. If you still have a bit of time left, you can visit manufactum, an incredible shop selling everything from hunting clothes to designer crockery, organic soaps and food products from all over the world. For a bit of fun and a little local gift, you can visit Nivea Haus, the very first shop dedicated to the famous beauty cream, which was launched in Hamburg in 1900. Or you might prefer to shop at mont-Blanc, the other famous Hamburg brand.
The good addresses of jan van rossem......
LAZY DOG GALLER,c/o The Box, Borselstraße 16 F
Email : info@lazydog-gallery.com
Phone: +49 151 2263 3399
Internet: www.lazydog-gallery.com
HENSSLER UND HENSSLER, Große Elbstraße 160
Phone: +49 40 38 69 90 00
Email : info@hensslerhenssler.de
Internet: www.hensslerhenssler.de
DIE BANK, Hohe Bleichen 17
Phone: +49 40 23 800 30
Email : info@diebank-brasserie.de
Internet: www.diebank-brasserie.de
MUSEUM FÜR KUNST UND GEWERBE (Museum of Applied Arts), Steintorplatz
Phone: +49 40 428 134 880
Email : service@mkg-hamburg.de
Internet: www.mkg-hamburg.de
HAMBURGER KUNSTHALLE, Glockengießerwall
Phone: +49 40 428 131 200
Email : info@hamburger-kunsthalle.de
Internet: www.hamburger-kunsthalle.de
DEICHTORHALLEN, Deichtorstraße 1-2
Phone: +49 40 32 10 30
Email : mail@deichtorhallen.de
Internet: www.deichtorhallen.de
FILLET OF SOUL, Deichtorstraße 2
Phone: +49 40 707 580
Email : info@fllet-of-soul.de
Internet: www.fllet-of-soul.de
SKYBAR "UP 20" - EMPIRE RIVERSIDE HOTEL, Bernhard-Nocht-Straße 97
Phone: +49 40 3111 90
Email : empire@hotel-hamburg.de
Internet: www.empire-riverside.de
EAST HOTEL, Simon-von-Utrecht-Straße 31
Phone: +49 40 30 99 30
Email : info@east-hamburg.de
Internet: www.east-hamburg.de
LITERATURHAUS, Schwanenwik 38
Phone: +49 40 22 70 20 11
Email : info@literaturhaus-hamburg.de
Internet: www.literaturhaus-hamburg.de
MANUFACTUM, Warenhaus im Chilehaus. Fischertwiete 2
Phone: +49 40 30 08 77 43
Email : hamburg@manufactum.de
Internet: www.manufactum.de
NIVEA HAUS, Jungfernstieg 51
Phone: +49 40 822 247 0
Internet: www.nivea.de
MONTBLANC, Alstertal-Einkaufzentrum, Heegbarg 31
Phone: +49 40 602 995 32
Internet: www.montblanc.com/de
