Hamburg's canonical sailor's hash combines corned beef, mashed potato, beetroot and onion into a pink mash, served with a fried egg on top, pickled herring (Rollmops) on the side, and gherkins.
Labskaus originated as a Hanseatic and British sailors' dish, a way to mash whatever was on board into one plate (potato, beef, fish, beetroot) on long voyages. The name comes from the English lobscouse, traced to Liverpool in the 18th century, with the Hamburg version codified by the 19th century. The Old Commercial Room on Englische Planke (opened 1795) is the city's canonical Labskaus address. By Hanseatic tradition the dish includes a fried egg, Rollmops and gherkin alongside.
3 editor picks for Labskaus in Hamburg, ranked by editorial score. All Hamburg signature dishes · Labskaus across every city.
Old Commercial Room ★ 4.4
neustadt · Englische Planke 10, 20459 Hamburg
Old Commercial Room opposite the Michel in Hamburg has cooked Hanseatic harbour food since 1795 and is the city's canonical Labskaus address.
Fischereihafen Restaurant ★ 4.3
altona · Grosse Elbstrasse 143, 22767 Hamburg
Fischereihafen Restaurant on Grosse Elbstrasse in Hamburg-Altona has cooked classical Hanseatic seafood since 1981, with daily catch from the harbour below.
Deichgraf ★ 4.2
neustadt · Deichstrasse 23, 20459 Hamburg
Deichgraf on the historic Deichstrasse in Hamburg's Neustadt cooks traditional Hanseatic dishes on the city's oldest canal-side street, rebuilt after the great 1842 fire.