Hamburg: Speicherstadt Food Tour, 7+ Tastings & Labskaus
Eat your way through Hamburg's historic Speicherstadt and old town, tasting Franzbrötchen, Fischbrötchen, Labskaus and a mystery Secret Dish with a local guide.
Matjes is young, lightly-cured Atlantic herring, eaten raw with onion and apple, the canonical North Sea catch on a Fischbroetchen or a cold plate with fried potatoes and gherkin.
Matjes-curing dates to 15th-century Dutch fishermen who developed the gibbing technique of removing only the gills and intestine, leaving the pancreas to cure the herring with its own enzymes. The Hamburg Fischmarkt has sold Matjes since 1703. The Matjes season runs June to August, when the herring is at its fattest pre-spawning; the first Matjes catch each year is celebrated at the Hamburg Fischmarkt with public tastings on the dock.
4 editor picks for Matjes in Hamburg, ranked by editorial score. All Hamburg signature dishes · Matjes across every city.
Fischmarkt Altona ★ 4.7
altona · Grosse Elbstrasse 9, 22767 Hamburg
Fischmarkt Altona on Grosse Elbstrasse in Hamburg has run every Sunday morning since 1703 and is the city's defining harbour market, with 70,000 weekly.
Bruecke 10 ★ 4.6
st-pauli · Bei den St Pauli-Landungsbruecken 10, 20359 Hamburg
Bruecke 10 on the Landungsbruecken in Hamburg has run the canonical Fischbroetchen counter on the harbour boardwalk for decades, with views of the Elbe.
Fishbar Originale Hamburger Fischbroetchen ★ 4.4
st-pauli · Bei den St Pauli-Landungsbruecken 7, 20359 Hamburg
Fishbar Originale on the Landungsbruecken in Hamburg sells the harbour-front classics in Fischbroetchen form, Backfisch, Krabben and Matjes from a kiosk.
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.
Learn to cook it, or eat it with a guide
Matjes makes more sense with someone from Hamburg explaining it. These are the classes and tours we have checked, with booking links.
Book food experiences in Hamburg
Elphi Plaza and HafenCity Culinary – The Food Tour
3-hour culinary city tour through the HafenCity, ending at the Störtebeker on the Elbphilharmonie Plaza. Five different specialties to taste.
Hamburg Traditional Food Tour: Full Meal and Drinks
Embark on a Hamburg Guided Food Tour and savor bretzel, labkaus, fish sandwich, pastry and currywurst, while discovering the city’s rich culinary traditions.