The restaurant Lieblingsplatz could – if it was around the corner – also become my favourite place. We visited this restaurant after I noticed it on television a few years ago. The supposed boss (you never know with TV) made such a patent, open and honest impression on me that this, together with the culinary promises, was reason enough to stop by there the next time I was in the area. At the end of February, we made the way of approx. 30 minutes from Hamburg to the south.

During our visit we parked our car at about half past five in the afternoon on the parking lots in front of the restaurant. The actual restaurant building was only a few steps away. In spite of all the snow, we could guess what a huge complex the area is housing. Beside the restaurant it is also a real trout farm with all kinds of breeding pools and therefore always fresh fish. As it already got a little darker, we unfortunately only took a few outdoor pictures – more pictures might be available in the context of another visit.

The Lieblingsplatz menu serves German classics, regional, Asian, American & Latin American as well as French cuisine – all favourite dishes crosswise. Besides trout classics, you will find ceviche, a Thai Tom Ka Gai, a Thai curry of fish, various Flammkuchen, a French bouillabaisse, steaks, pulled pork & burgers, to name but a few. The Lieblingsplatz also offers a handful of smart dishes for vegans and vegetarians.

Also concerning desserts as well as coffee and cake one has here a very extensive choice. In terms of prices, the Lieblingsplatz for drinks is in the upper middle range, whereby the bottled wines seem to be rather cheap. Also, the food was a real bargain with the quality offered to us.

At the beginning we were given two kinds of fresh bread (baguette & multigrain) with olives and a dip – to “warm up”. We then started with two delicious soups – as far as I remember a truffled potato soup and one of the parsnip garnished with crispy bacon.

Both soups were plentiful and tasted great – the consistency left enough room for texture and you could taste the ingredients, someone understood his “soup craft” here.

Additionally, we ordered a cucumber salad with trout roe – this had a strikingly balanced and tasty dressing. In addition, a portion of prawns – these were cooked to the point – still slightly glassy, super crunchy and with lots of roasting aromas…very tasty and also a good portion.

I personally decided on the classic, the fried trout – merely floury – served with clarified butter, creamed horseradish and parsley potatoes. The whole thing was decorated with parsley, almond slivers and a cleverly cut organic lemon.

Draped neatly on the plate, it quickly became clear that less is often more. The trout was crispy and juicy at the same time – the clarified butter had a powerful aroma and the lemon was excellent to use.

Finally, we decided to have a “Little Sin” in the form of a trio of panna cotta, raspberry sorbet and a chocolate cheesecake (all very tasty – the cheesecake reminded me more of a good brownie). Besides the additionally ordered cappuccinos – worth mentioning “Italian” – we of course couldn’t miss the fresh fruit sprinkles – a very juicy and not too sweet matter.

The service at Lieblingsplatz was throughout very friendly and obliging. We were welcomed in the friendliest way and without having to ask we were well advised about the food offer.

Christina & Adolf Behrens have managed to establish a culinary gem on the outskirts of Hamburg. The atmosphere is a bit like in a chic private house – warm, clear, not overloaded and overall, very appealing – a nice place for celebrations.

It is worth mentioning that sustainability has played an important role in the favourite place from the very beginning. In the restaurant business, for example, straws have not been used for a long time and as a company that works a lot with water, this raw material is also handled responsibly.

Lieblingsplatz has a very attractive website in a OnePage layout – even if not really responsive (unfortunately, when zooming in and out, the page elements get in the way regardless which browser). The possibility to make reservations via the website has been well implemented by the design and with OpenTable. The integration of the menus together with the “sound effect” is well done – my compliments.

After the experiences we made at Lieblingsplatz we can recommend this restaurant with a clear conscience – have fun trying it out.