Hofbräu an der Alster

Authentic, old school German atmosphere combined with some German Staples. It's a great environment to experience. And of course, the beer is plentiful.

Schnitzel and basically any Würst are safe choices for your first forray or 75th return visit.

Great place for the biergarten experience! I was on a mission to try German food since it was my first time in Germany and this place did not disappoint. There was live music and the vibe of this place is fun and laid back. Seems to be more geared towards males purely based off the rest of the diners but still worth going to none-the-less. Docking one star for slow service but that could be from the restaurant being busy

Whenever in Germany, I always make an effort to visit the Hofbräu house.

I've been to the other location here in Hamburg, but this location on Esplanade has a more authentic vibe based on the original Hofbräu Haus in Munich.
Came here this time with a large group from work (in Germany for an Expo), and everyone was pleased and enjoyed the evening.

Most of us ordered the Wienerschnitzel, which is my favorite.
You simply must make an effort to dine here.

Watched Deutschland lose their World Cup match here, which hurt the mood, but the food and beer were very good. I actually had the best Schweinshaxe ever and most of the time it is pretty good anywhere, you really need at least 2 people so don't order any apps if you go for that glorious piece of pork. Nice friendly service and good place to catch some sports action!

As expected, your typical Hofbrau house with the traditional hall seating setup! Traditional food as well with 1L beers at reasonable (but slightly pricier) prices. Recommend stopping by for the experience! Can also make reservations. They sell the steins and mugs as well.

In one phrase: very authentic Bavarian place.
Icecold genuine Bavarian beer served in huge Steins, typical Bavarian food, waiters in Bavarian clothes (dresses/Lederhosn), and, ehm, "nice" Bavarian music.
You really would not realize you are in the north of Germany if it did not read "Hamburg" on the Menu...
If you like Bavarian culture, you definitely will like this venue!

This HB location in Hamburg is not as good as the Haufbrauhaus in Munich, Berlin or Las Vegas. The food is all the same great quality however the atmosphere is not as festive as the others. We came in on a Thursday evening at about 6:45pm. We were met at the front door by two muscle bound ape security guards that seemed to intimidate customers by their presence. We, however were seated right away even though we did not have reservations. The service was good and prompt, however there was no live Bavarian music after 7pm like the others, just the football game on tv. The food and beer was good as expected, but not much fun after that.

It seems as if most major cities have a Hofbrahaus, and it's not a bad choice in my opinion since the food and beer are at least decent. I'm not German, so I can't speak for the authenticity of the cuisine. I can, however, speak for my satisfaction.

The English menu is pared down compared to the German menu, so look back and forth between the two to get a full understanding of the selection - especially the beers.

I ordered the pork shank. The skin was charred to a semi-darken crisp that enveloped the layers of succulent meat and gelatinous fat inside. Its entirety was sitting upon savory but slightly sour gravy. Served alongside were pickled root vegetables and a warm potato dumpling. While the food was appetizing, it was difficult to cut the pork without having the flakey skins fly everywhere. Fortunately I was wearing my throw-away clothes, so I didn't mind spilling gravy and pulling oily flakes of pork skin off my shirt. Note that the portions are HUGE! I could only finish half my plate. If dining with friends, I would suggest splitting the dishes.

Because I came in during the afternoon on a day that was between Christmas and New Years, it was relatively empty. I am sure this place gets packed and rowdy during football matches since they have large television screens broadcasting games. The interior consists primarily of large picnic bench seating - ideal for groups of 6 or more. There are some two-person table sets, but I wouldn't go here to have an intimidate date or conversation.

Overall, I would recommend this place if you would like good food and beer over a casual conversation with a group of friends (think "happy hour" and work event type of space)

This place is odd to visit as an Englishman. It reminds you that there are many brands of 'Germany' in Germany
It's a great big bavarian themed beer hall complete with beer wenches, Steins and oompah band
A race to get get full to the gills with masses or beer, German food then loudly sing well known German songs.
When I was there, I joined two of the waiting staff as we watched a little mouse scuttle between two tables and the bar to run behind one of the service tables. They looked at each other and went about their business.
So not a place to impress anyone, but as the Hofbrauhaus in Hamburg it does what it says on the tin. I'd come again to watch Football or for a stag do, but that's about it.

Had a moderately-sized schnitzel here for lunch today. It really hit the spot without being amazing. I ordered a Jägerschnitzel (comes with Mushrooms), but those who ordered just a plain schnitzel got monstrously big ones!


The service was unintrusive and reasonably prompt. The prices are great. Schnitzel and fries for 5eu :)


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Further to the above review, I've since been back twice. The first time was much the same, but the second time they were incredibly inattentive and slow. It took them literally 15 minutes to notice that our group of 15 had walked through the door.


They then took forever to bring a few of the meals, and my schnitzel had a large fraction of inedible gristle in it. I'd still go again, but they're losing a star off the rating.