Every shopping street in Hamburg has at least one cosy cafés where you can rest a bit and have a nice drink or snack. Even better, many of these also have outdoor seating, perfect for watching passers-by or enjoying the sun. See our list below for some of the nicest cafés with outdoor seating the city has to offer.
Café Borchers (Eppendorf)
Geschwister-Scholl-Straße 1, 20251 Hamburg
A mixture of bar, café and restaurant, Borchers has been a fixture in Eppendorf for over 100 years. The traditional and extensive German menu means nobody leaves with an empty stomach: Tarte flambée, pizza, pasta, soups, salads or burgers - Borchers has it all. The Sunday breakfast buffet is beloved by Eppendorf locals, while the daily selection of homemade cakes is reason enough for anyone to visit.
Cafe Canale (Winterhude)
Poelchaukamp 7, 22301 Hamburg
As the name suggests, Cafe Canale is located directly by a canal - the Mühlenkamp canal to be precise. So close is the café to the water that coffee and cake can be served directly into passing canoes and kayaks - simply ring the bell and enjoy a welcome break from your boat trip. The rest of the café is very comfortable as well, and the canal view certainly doesn’t hurt. The home-made fruit-filled streusel cakes with whipped cream are legendary. On Sundays, hungry visitors will find a large breakfast buffet.
Caffé Centrale (Ottensen)
Nöltingstraße 4, 22765 Hamburg
This small café in the heart of Ottensen is a dream for any lover of italian food. The homemade pasta and small plates are made fresh daily and the rotating menu (featuring many seasonal items) will keep you coming back again and again. Those looking for something lighter will find a full coffee and espresso menu as well as a nice selection of baked goods.
Café Galᾶo (Winterhude)
Alsterdorfer Str. 48, 22299 Hamburg
Looking for Portuguese treats in Hamburg? You might think first of the Portuguese quarter near the harbour, but these delicacies can be found in Winterhude too. Café Galᾶo offers snacks like traditional nata custard tarts, tosta mista, and tapas. The menu varies on a daily basis, bringing you away to Portugal for the length of a lunch break. The eponymous galᾶo coffee is always a good choice too.
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 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.
Café Minah (HafenCity)
Kajen 1, 20459 Hamburg
The café in this riverside glass gazebo opposite the warehouses of Speicherstadt offers coffee, icecream, cake and other treats throughout the year. The terrace and the light-flooded interior are both perfect for watching the sun set on the HafenCity port.
Café Panter (Karoviertel)
Marktstraße 3, 20357 Hamburg
The food at Café Panter is freshly prepared and most of the ingredients come from organically controlled cultivation. There are salads and warm dishes like pasta, as well as homemade paninis, cakes and brownies. The large café is furnished with wooden and leather furniture inviting you bask in its cosy atmosphere for hours.
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.
Entenwerder 1 (Rothenburgsort)
Entenwerder 1, 20539 Hamburg
‘Hey, how about coffee by the river?’ – ‘Sounds good, but coffee on the river is even better!’ That’s right, Entenwerder 1 sits on a pontoon that’s actually floating on the Elbe river off the Entenwerder Park in Rothenburgsort. The perfect place for a break during a bike tour along the Elbe, this cosy and richly detailed café is still a real hidden gem. And beside the artistic architecture of the Golden Pavilion and the stunning view of the Elbbrücken bridges at sunset, the delicious coffee (roasted at Public Coffee Roasters just next door), cakes, craft beer and small meals alone are worth a visit. So put up your feet and relax in this unique spot just a few inches above the water.
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.
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.
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.
Kaiserperle (HafenCity)
Am Kaiserkai 47, 20457 Hamburg
This little bistro with the large terrace is right by the river Elbe, and the Dalmannkai stairs in front are perfect for lingering with a cup of coffee and some homemade cake while watching the passing cruise ships.
Par Ici (Winterhude)
Maria-Louisen-Straße 1, 22301 Hamburg
Guests at the Par Ici café can 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.
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.
Trinkhalle im Stadtpark (Winterhude)
Südring 1, 22303 Hamburg
The historic Trinkhalle in the Stadtpark city park used to be a kiosk until it underwent extensive renovations and remodelling. It reopened in early 2013 as a café with a beer garden and event location. The menu features coffee, cake, soups and cold drinks. Weather permitting, barbecues can be enjoyed on the spacious terrace overlooking the vast park. Other than special events, hours are limited to weekend afternoons, so be sure to plan ahead.
Weltcafé ElbFaire (HafenCity)
Shanghaiallee 12, 20457 Hamburg
Fair and fresh is the motto at Weltcafé ElbFaire in HafenCity, which serves cakes and small dishes like soups and salads as well as a variety of coffees, teas, juices and wines. The café opens onto a green courtyard with a large terrace and playground. A varied vegetarian lunch menu is available Monday through Friday from 12 to 2:30.
Zuckermonarchie (St. Pauli)
Taubenstraße 15, 20359 Hamburg
This small café off the Reeperbahn on Taubenstrasse offers guests an enticing variety of cupcakes, cake pops, slices of cake and other sweet treats, as well as hot and cold drinks. These delicasies can also be packed up and taken to go. There is even a breakfast menu at the weekend.
