Candy B.
Yelp
This is a great combination of touristy, yet local, big coffee house feel, yet cosy atmosphere, right in the heart of the Speicherstadt, but without feeling overwhelmingly crowded with above average prices for coffee than at a small coffee shop, yet feels less expensive than a Starbucks and with more old world charm!
I passed by this coffee shop for months before actually trying it out, because it is a famous coffee house so I figured famous meant crowded, touristy, and essentially not good quality coffee so I avoided checking it out myself. Then one day as I was giving a private tour of Hamburg, and one of my guests really wanted to try this coffee house that he read about in his world traveler's guidebook, because he really like to travel the world and try coffee every where he went, he was a Coffee Professional it would seem. So I caved in and said, "Sure, let's go take a look."
When you first enter it looks really historical, well in a sense it is, the warehouse district is quite historic and in these very buildings, it was the heart of Hamburg's shipping back in the day where everything was dry stored to further transport to the rest of Europe. Their coffee and tea trade was and still is quite influential, as Hamburg is supposedly still number one in coffee and cocoa import. I heard it has to do because of a bit of rivalry at one point with the Dutch, since our harbor is still one of the most important in Europe alongside The Netherlands, and Belgium.
The cafe is really nicely decorated inside and very large! They have real coffee bean bags sprawled all over for decor and you feel like you really are in the midst of a coffee roast house, well because you are! They roast coffee right there, so you can see it. You can purchase coffee here, have a coffee and enjoy lunch with a great view out onto the water that runs between the warehouses (Speicherstadt) if you grab a table near the window.
Overall, I liked how it is a bit dark, but with natural sunlight during the day, you can sit between coffee roasted bags and exposed brick walls with a plethora of pastries to choose from to go with a nice cup of espresso or if the appetite picks up, grab something to eat, then continue outside and walk along the Hafencity.
Tip: In this same warehouse building, down a block is the Dungeon and Miniature Wonderland exhibits/entertainment. So depending if you are looking to experience the world at your fingertips or learn about Hamburg historical tragedy, you can do so just around the corner!