Chefs Warehouse Hamburg. The restaurant tip from HafenCity

For a belated birthday celebration my friend Annett took me to a restaurant I had been meaning to try for a while: Chefs Warehouse in Hamburg HafenCity, right at Sandtorkai. It sits inside the hotel The Tide, in a historic warehouse with a view across the fleet. The walk there leads over the cobblestones of the Speicherstadt, and every time I pass through this part of Hamburg I am glad it is on my doorstep.

The concept comes from Cape Town. It combines restaurant and bar under one roof, with an open kitchen, a cosy bar area at the back and the quiet, well curated art of the hotel around it. We picked a table outside: the sun still hung low over the fleet, the old brick warehouses stood on the opposite side and the little fairy lights along the terrace railing were waiting to be turned on.

We started with an Amalfi Spritz Zero, non alcoholic, refreshing, and with that golden yellow that I love on summer evenings. When I am the one driving, this is my favourite alternative.

My starter was the Salt and Pepper Squid, crisp and served with a sweet-spicy dip. Annett chose the Acquerello Risotto with seasonal vegetables, parmesan and butter. For my main course came my personal favourite of the evening: Tandoori cauliflower with coconut and fried curry leaves, in a turquoise bowl. The combination of Indian spices, toasted coconut and the creamy sauce underneath really surprised me. Annett had the Catch of the Day with prawns as her main.

While we were eating it slowly grew dark. The warehouses across the fleet were lit up warmly, the light reflected on the water, and the terrace settled into exactly the mood people drive to the HafenCity for in the evening. It is in moments like this that you remember how beautiful Hamburg actually is.

After dinner we wanted a drink, and this is the beauty of this house: the bar sits at the back of the restaurant, with brick walls, high tables and the characteristic rust orange bar stools. You move from the dining area to the bar seamlessly, without leaving the building.

Before we left I took a moment for the portrait painting on the raw concrete wall of the hotel. The art here fits the place, the whole house is curated with a lot of calm, and you notice in many small details that someone has thought about them.

If you are going

Chefs Warehouse Canteen and Bar, Am Sandtorkai 29, 20457 Hamburg, inside the hotel The Tide. chefswarehouse.de. My tip: sit outside if the weather allows. The view across the fleet and the old warehouses is the reason you come back.

Why my brand carries my sister’s name is explained in the piece Why Trixi Gronau. Handmade gifts and paper works from the atelier are available in the Concept Store.

Trixi Gronau has been running her concept store in Hamburg since 1995, with her own printing atelier. In the 1990s she was a regular customer at Susanne Otto (at the time the only Chanel address in Hamburg, Milchstrasse), at Ina Gaertner’s boutique Amica and at Mary Burose’s Chippis Bazar. Invited to openings at Galerie Levy (Pop Art and Surrealism, Hamburg-Poeseldorf).

Warm regards from Hamburg