Who We Are
Hafenguide Hamburg started in the spring of 2024 with a simple premise: Hamburg deserves better food writing. Not press-release rewrites, not influencer content dressed up as journalism — just honest, well-reported stories about the people and places feeding this city.
We are a small team of writers and editors based in Hamburg. We pay for every meal we review. We take no advertising, no sponsored content, and no comped dinners. If a restaurant appears on this site, it's because one of us ate there, paid the bill, and thought the experience was worth writing about.
What We Cover
Our focus is Hamburg's food culture in the broadest sense. That means the Michelin-tracked places in the Innenstadt, but it also means the Fischbrötchen stand at Landungsbrücken, the Turkish bakery in Billstedt, the Portuguese family kitchen behind the harbour. We write about ingredients, seasons, traditions, and the people behind the stove.
We don't do star ratings. We don't rank restaurants against each other. We try to understand what a place is attempting and whether it succeeds on its own terms. A perfect Döner is as worthy of serious writing as a twelve-course tasting menu.
The Team
Lena Voss
Former restaurant critic at Hamburger Abendblatt. Lena has been writing about food in northern Germany for over a decade. She founded Hafenguide after growing tired of advertorial-driven food media.
Moritz Brandt
Moritz covers Hamburg's bar and drinks scene alongside neighbourhood deep-dives. Previously wrote for Mixology Magazine and ran a small wine bar in Ottensen for three years.
Sara Oliveira
Born in Porto, raised in Hamburg. Sara writes about the city's immigrant food traditions and the Portuguese quarter she grew up in. She also handles our seasonal cooking features.
Jan-Hendrik Kruse
Jan covers street food markets, pop-ups, and Hamburg's evolving food truck scene. He is also responsible for our popular Fischbrötchen Index series, now in its second year.
Our Standards
- We pay for all meals anonymously. No exceptions.
- We accept no advertising or sponsored content.
- We visit a restaurant at least twice before publishing a review.
- We correct errors promptly and transparently.
- We disclose any personal connections to the people or places we write about.
If you have questions about our editorial process, please don't hesitate to get in touch.