I was a bit sceptical when we decided to go to CARLS AN DER ELBPHILHARMONIE because it’s literally right next to Hamburg’s current biggest tourist attraction – the Elbphilharmonie. It’s been years in the making and finally Hamburg has a brand new concert hall, which looks suspiciously like the Sydney Opera House… No matter, imitation is the highest form of flattery, right? It’s definitely worth checking out though because it’s a really impressive building. But, like with some of the eateries around the Sydney Opera House, I thought CARLS was going to be a huge tourist trap with dodgy food.
There’s actually two sections to CARLS. There’s the more casual bistro which, from what I could see, serves things like pizza and bruschetta. The brasserie, on the other hand, has a bit more of a formal menu. It looked like the kind of place you’d go for a nice lunch with your colleagues or for a business meetings. I actually think my mother and I were the only tourists there!
One things I love about eating in Germany is this concept of the ‘Mittagstisch’. It’s like a lunch special, different every day but always really good. I almost always pick the Mittagstisch when I eat out for lunch, because it’s also always pretty cheap. Even at a nice restaurant like CARLS the 3 ‘plat du jour’ options were all €11.50, the equivalent of AU$18-ish for a top quality, large meal.
Mother and I both got dishes from the ‘plat du jour’ selection, although all their a la carte options looked great too! Mother had the Sea bass fillet with braised cucumbers, dill, speck and croutons (€11.50) which also came with a side of Salzkartoffeln (boiled potatoes). Mother said it was absolutely delicious and tasted really fresh. I really like the addition of the speck and croutons on top of the fish to add some extra flavour and texture! And of course, a side of potatoes. Can’t really get more German than that!
I had the Macaroni gratin with comté and tomato salad (€11.50). I’m pretty sure ‘macaroni gratin’ is just a fancy way of saying mac ‘n’ cheese. Of course, this dish was ridiculously tasty. It’s great that they used real cheese too and not some weird cheese mixture. It was, however, also quite a heavy dish and I’m glad it was paired with a tomato salad to balance everything out. This definitely got the double tick from me. Would have again!
I didn’t really have any room left for dessert, plus I’m trying to be healthier this trip! So I had a cup of tea instead. I love that they really give you a BIG cup of tea, and also that there’s always a little biscuit or sweet on the side for you to enjoy.
All in all, I think CARLS is a great option if you’re wanting to dine next to the Elbphilharmonie. The ‘plat du jour’ is always changing to ensure you get the freshest ingredients. I think they even have a pre-theatre menu, too! Another bonus is that you get to enjoy a view of the Elbphilharmonie as well as all the hustle and bustle of the harbour.
CARLS AN DER ELBPHILHARMONIE
AM KAISERKAI 69
HAFENCITY, HAMBURG
GERMANY
https://carls-brasserie.de/en/
