Daniel Wischer am Rathaus

Daniel Wischer has been frying fish in Hamburg since 1924, and for many local families it is a place they first visited as children and keep returning to with their own children. The company's idea has stayed simple for about a century: good-quality fish at affordable prices, served quickly. The main restaurant is on Große Johannisstraße, a short walk from the Rathaus, which makes it an easy lunch stop in the centre.

The menu centres on Backfisch, fried fish fillets, and fish and chips, alongside a range of Fischbrötchen, the fish rolls that are Hamburg's favourite snack. Fillings include fried fish, Matjes herring, Bismarck herring, smoked salmon and North Sea shrimp, and there are fish patties too. The potato salad, remoulade sauce, marinades and salads are made in-house, and the company says it uses natural, sea-frozen fillets rather than prepared convenience products, with regional suppliers for salads and vegetables.

This is a no-fuss, good-value place where the fish is the point rather than the décor, ideal for a quick lunch between sights, for families with children who like fish and chips, and for budget travellers who want to try a classic Hamburg fish roll without paying harbour-front prices. Service is fast and the atmosphere is casual, so it is not the place for a long, lingering meal.

The restaurant at the Rathaus is open from Monday to Saturday, 11:30 to 21:00, and closed on Sundays. Daniel Wischer also runs a lunchtime outlet on Steinstraße and the Fleetschlösschen on Brooktorkai, which is open daily and also works as an event venue. The company caters events with its own trailer as well, cooking on site at summer and street festivals, and at catering events its fish and chips are served in the original Hamburger Abendblatt paper bag.

Große Johannisstraße is close to the Rathaus, so a meal here fits easily into a day of sightseeing in the centre. Combine it with a City Hall tour or a walk to St. Nikolai and the Speicherstadt. If you only want a snack, a fish roll with Matjes or shrimp makes a classic Hamburg lunch to eat on the go, while a plate of Backfisch with potato salad is the fuller option.