[Hamburg, Germany] Restaurant Nil

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Another home run by one of my favorite restaurants in HH. They offer a monthly prix fixe 5-course menu at 52€ on weekends, 42€ Mon-Thur (if the whole table participates). Since it was just the three of us we went for it :slight_smile:

We started off with a lovely aperitif of sloe liquor & sparkling wine, a bubbly rosé, and an apple-quince spritzer, respectively.

The restaurant has started to charge for bread & butter since I was last there (pre-covid), because they were throwing away 1/4 of the bread served. Charging 1.50€ has proven to work, as now only guests who really want bread will order it and actually eat it. The bread is fantastic and worth it.

The first course was meagre ceviche with fermented white asparagus, pickled red onion, egg & nasturtium. Very good.

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The second course was a cod fritter with black garlic aioli & wild broccoli. Delicious.

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The third course was a chilled red beets & raspberry soup with horseradish crème fraîche. I’m not crazy about beets (I know, how very special), but this was quite nice. It had a bit of a kick to it, too - I suspect a touch of ginger made it in there as well.

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The fourth course was perfectly rare sirloin au jus with a chanterelle frittata & fresh peas. Not the most daring dish on the planet, but very satisfying.

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Lastly, dessert: marsala ice cream with berries. Lovely. White port as a digestif rounded the meal out nicely.

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I highly recommend this place to anyone finding themselves hungry in Hamburg.

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I like the sound of all that. Very seasonal. I’ve had beetroot soup with horseradish before. Did the raspberry bring anything to the party?

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They didn’t, except for perhaps taming that beety flavor (in a good way).

It really is a place we keep returning to. The service is very friendly, the wine list is sizable & not too esoteric, and the food is seasonal & not too precious/fussy.

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Hi Natascha,
When we were in Hamburg 5 years ago, we ate at Nil, which you recommended. Enjoyed it very much. If we ever get back to Hamburg, we’ll surely go again.

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I’m so happy to hear that!

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My favorite restaurant in Hamburg was nominated for best restaurant of 2024. Hope to make it back there this summer :slight_smile:

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Here’s a video about the place. It’s been around since 1989, the chandelier was specially ordered from Milan, and the food is unpretentious, local, seasonal, and fantastic. They truly deserve all the accolades they get :heart_eyes: