The quirky neighbourhood of Sankt Pauli is one of the best areas to eat in the beautiful city of Hamburg, Germany. Independent, locally-owned restaurants line the streets, all full of character and some downright delicious taste sensations. Here are my favourite St Pauli restaurants for when you’re in the area and feeling peckish.
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Pauli Pizza
An unobtrusive pizza hole-in-the-wall just off of the Reeperbahn. The tiny room is completely covered in stickers declaring anti-fascist slogans, rainbow flags, and Sankt Pauli skull and bones logos, and pizzas are made-to-order in the pizza oven that sits in the corner. The pizza is both tasty and inexpensive, and although there are often a few tables outside on the street, Pauli Pizza is my go-to option for takeaway pizza in Sankt Pauli.
Pauli Pizza, Talstraße 22
Mexico Straße
Fun fact: when I walked by and saw that a brand new Mexican restaurant was being built just around the corner from my flat, I was so enthralled by the exterior that I walked into a lamp post.
Mexico Straße is possibly my favourite of all the Sankt Pauli restaurants, with colourful but cozy Mexican-inspired decor and an inviting atmosphere to match. The tacos here are insanely incredibly mouthwateringly delicious, and there’s a decent selection of meat, fish, vegetarian and vegan options available. Order a combination of different flavours (tacos are on the small side) and wash them down with any cocktail that involves tequila. You’ll thank me later.
Mexico Straße, Detlev-Bremer-Straße 43
Jolie
I’ll be honest; German food is not my favourite of all the cuisines this world has to offer. But it’s not bad. If you want to try German food in Germany, then Jolie is probably your best bet of all the St Pauli restaurants: schnitzel, pickled herring, spätzle and all the beer you could ever need, in a rustic olde-worlde German sitting. Or in summer, sit on one of the pavement tables and watch the world go by. (Fun fact: it’s completely normal to drink beer with breakfast in Germany)
Jolie, Clemens-Schultz-Straße 42
Grilly Idol
When in Hamburg, eat hamburgers.
This lovely little burger joint has some super-friendly staff and serves up delicious homemade burgers and amazing fries, with optional extras. Try the homemade lemonade and don’t scrimp on a slaw to accompany your burger.
Grilly Idol, Clemens-Schultz-Straße 40
YuYu
YuYu is a cute little Vietnamese fusion restaurant which serves exquisitely-plated, mouthwatering dishes, in a cozy but modern setting. This truly is ‘fusion’ cooking, so although you can order Vietnamese dishes, there’s often a European or (another Asian nation’s) twist, with a scattering of edible flowers to boot. Beautiful. Scrumptious. I love it.
YuYu, Beim Grünen Jäger 1
Maharaja
It’s likely that you’ll smell Maharaja before you see it (although the garlands of orange and pink flowers draped around the exterior of the building are also a bit of a giveaway). Maharaja is a family-run Indian restaurant which serves up some of the most delicious curries I’ve had in a long old time, and the lavish theme of decor only adds to the experience.
Maharaja, Detlev-Bremer-Straße 41
Copper House
The Copper House is a stylish, cavernous Asian buffet, which serves up all manner of dishes including Thai, Indian, and Chinese, as well as sushi. Wok dishes are cooked live in front of your very own eyes, and the sushi is unlimited and amazing. Eat all you can for €32.90 per person, plus the price of drinks.
This St Pauli restaurant can get super busy, so at weekends it’s worth making a reservation.
Copper House, Davidstraße 37
Trattoria Remo’s
I love how cozy this little restaurant on a corner is. Head off the street and down the stairs to Remo’s, for delicious authentic Italian food by candlight. Somehow the fact that you have to walk down a couple of steps to enter takes me back to New York’s Little Italy, and I love it even more for that.
Trattoria Remo’s, Hein-Hoyer-Straße 75
The Bird
Talking of NYC, The Bird is a New York style burger restaurant using the freshest ingredients; and if you don’t fancy a burger, the also offers steak to hungry customers. Not suitable for vegans. It is however, perfect for bigger groups; The Bird is slightly bigger than Grilly Idol and is the other side of the Reeperbahn.
The Bird, Trommelstraße 4
East Hotel
The East Hotel Hamburg is a special occasion kind of a location. Or a splashing out just because you feel like it occasion. Either way, there’s a ‘casual elegant’ dress code, so don’t even try entering in hot pants or flip-flops. The atmosphere is a bit like a sleek club, and the prices are high to match the standards. Insane sushi boats, classy vibes, go for the cocktails too. They’re worth it.
East Hotel, Simon-von-Utrecht-Straße 31
EM Breakfast Club
The clue’s in the name with this one; this is definitely a breakfast and brunch restaurant. But the menu and portion sizes are so extraordinary that it definitely deserves to be on the St Pauli restaurants list. The dishes on offer are stunning, the coffee is great, and the restaurant itself has a trendy but relaxed vibe. There’s a lot of velvet upholstery and cacti going on, you know?
EM Breakfast Club, Neuer Pferdemarkt 14
Trattoria Palermo
Another beautiful little Italian where the waiters never hesitate to offer up all the limoncello once you’re done with dinner. Palermo is closer to the Reeperbahn than Trattoria Remo’s, so tends to be slightly busier.
Trattoria Palermo, Hein-Hoyer-Straße 11
Of course, there are plenty more restaurants to choose from in Sankt Pauli, and even more across the rest of the city. If you feel like exploring outside of St Pauli restaurants, I recommend heading to Altona, or alternatively the nearby Portuguese district. Chances are though that whatever food it is you’re craving, Hamburg has it.