Hamburg has a strong food scene that owes more to its port than to traditional German cooking. Fish — herring, sole, cod — turns up everywhere, from the takeaway Fischbrötchen (a fresh bread roll stuffed with pickled fish, onion and remoulade) to the smart restaurants along the Elbe in Övelgönne. Labskaus, a sailor's hash of corned beef, beetroot and herring with a fried egg on top, is the local oddity worth trying once.
The best eating is away from the centre. The Schanzenviertel around the Schulterblatt and Schanzenstrasse is the all-round destination — Portuguese, Turkish, Eritrean, Italian and German bistros packed shoulder to shoulder. The Univiertel north of the centre has good cheap food. The Portuguese Quarter between St. Michaelis and the harbour is full of small grills and vinho verde. For street food, the stalls in front of the Rathaus are pricey but reliable.