AlsterCliff in Hamburg

Money-saving tip! Take a seat and enjoy the beautiful view of the Outer Alster Lake. If you're unlucky, you'll be waited on, but most of the time you're in luck.

They charge €4.80 for a large glass of white chocolate, and then it turns out that this watery concoction from the machine is served in a 200ml glass...thanks, never again.

I'm really disappointed. Waiting over an hour for my food, plus receiving the wrong drinks several times – that was annoying enough. But the fact that my original review was apparently deleted or reported is the icing on the cake. That's no way to handle honest feedback. Very unprofessional.

The waitress was really good the place is super clean super nice and the food is very good

It's astonishing how some companies handle criticism. Instead of responding professionally to honest feedback—for example, with "We're sorry, we'd like to learn more" or "We see things differently, but we're eager to learn"—they simply try to have negative reviews deleted. Unfortunately, such an approach comes across as anything but professional. Leaving only positive reviews and removing legitimate criticism doesn't present a realistic picture of their service; instead, it deliberately distorts the overall impression. This is not only unprofessional but also misleading for potential customers. Professional customer management means seeing criticism as an opportunity—not a threat. Those who avoid transparency will ultimately lose trust.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A beautiful place right on the Alster – great ambiance, excellent service, and truly delicious food! The Kaiserschmarrn with plums and ice cream was a particular highlight. Despite being busy, the staff was friendly and attentive. We felt very comfortable and will definitely be back – highly recommended. Thank you for the wonderful time.

Currywurst is expensive but good.

Nice setting and location. But the service wasn't particularly friendly and, in our opinion, the prices were exorbitant. We only stopped in for a quick drink.

Great location, friendly waiter, Vitello Tonato passed the test but was a bit more expensive.

Very unfriendly, poorly trained, or even untrained, staff. The restrooms were unacceptable, neither hygienic nor inviting. I have to honestly say it's a complete waste of time and money.

I'm six months pregnant, and I suddenly felt very sick and needed to go to the bathroom immediately. I asked politely and even wanted to pay. Even though I live nearby and eat there almost every day, the manager wouldn't let me in. I've never experienced such rudeness anywhere in the world! The restaurant was even empty. Why wasn't I even allowed to use the bathroom in the rain? Never again Cliff, and never again will I advertise for you. 😡👎🏼👎🏼👎🏼👎🏼👎🏼👎🏼

Unfortunately, our visit to this restaurant was a huge disappointment. Upon entering, we were greeted rather unfriendly. The service seemed stressed and uninspired. Overall, it was unfortunately not a successful evening. We definitely won't be back and cannot recommend the restaurant.

The food served here is outright moldy. Rotten food, dirty, incredbly disgusting food not fit for human consumption. This restaurant should be shutdown with immediate effect before they end someones life.... or maybe that is their true intention! Disgusting incredbly extortionatly over priced, low quality ingredients, moldy food with an essence of advanced rot, gave me and my guests food poisoning and violent vomiting. Rude staff had the audacity to add extras onto the bill.

Very poor service, and unfriendly staff 😡 It just put us in a bad mood 😑 0/10

Nice spot, but unfriendly and rude service. None of the service. We didn't feel welcome either. It's a shame. The cappuccino was okay. We definitely won't be back!

Great location, good food, but the service leaves a lot to be desired. Five staff members stood at the counter and ignored us. Apart from taking our orders and bringing the food, no one came to our table to ask if everything was okay, if we wanted anything else, or anything else.

Nice to sit outside in the afternoon. We only had a few drinks. When it's busy, service takes a while, of course, but the lady was very nice.

The service and location were very good. The sheltered area with some music was particularly pleasant. The ambiance inside was also nice. The prices, however, were reasonable. Unfortunately, the pizza was only average. The crust wasn't cooked all the way through, and the pizza was very greasy. All in all, still worth a visit!

The ice cream still tastes great, but the price went up and the scoop size was reduced. What a pity :(

Really nice restaurant and the pizza was just perfect!

Great location. Food and drinks are okay. Service is sometimes really bad and even rude. Thanks to its excellent location, the place still thrives.

Wonderful location at the lake. Excellent service and hospitality. Highly recommended.

When the weather is nice, it's a must for anyone who wants to eat, chat, or watch the Alster.

Very nice place, great view. But that's about it; not a culinary recommendation, more something for a drink.

For a party of 8 people fully consuming (including food), not even a single glass of tap water is brought upon request. The boss's succinct comment: You're in Hamburg, there's no tap water here, that's normal here. I've lived here for 35 years and can't confirm this infantile statement. Greed in a completely un-Hanseatic way, and cheeky!!! The food is mediocre at best and overpriced. It's not worth more than a beer on the jetty with a great view. But you have plenty of time for that, as the service works in slow motion. It used to be quite nice. Back then, there was also a really nice aquarium behind the bar... It's now been replaced by a cheap flatscreen with a constant flicker. I'll never bring visitors here again; it's almost embarrassing to bring out-of-town friends to such a snobby place...

A very good spot with excellent food at reasonable prices. I don't understand the negative reviews.

Too bad, this is a really lovely spot along the water where you could have a really great time. The food was okay, but very expensive for what you get. The staff, with a few exceptions, wasn't very friendly.

Unfortunately, it took us an hour to get a seat, and we weren't able to order until 20 minutes later. The food arrived COLD 30 minutes later. No organization, no management, chaotic service.

Our visit to Alster Cliff was an absolute disaster. Upon arrival, two waitresses fobbed us off in an annoyed, almost unfriendly tone, telling us to "find a seat." No sign of hospitality. After we sat down, we were ignored by the waiters – for a full 15–20 minutes, despite repeated eye contact. When we finally took action ourselves, one of the waitresses simply said she wasn't in charge. The waitress in charge finally came, explained to us that the table was supposedly reserved (there was no sign anywhere!), and simply disappeared again. No offer to seat us elsewhere, no attempt to help at all. When we asked at the cashier if we could at least order there, we were given a flat-out no – only the waiters could take orders. By this point, we had already lost over 35–45 minutes without even ordering a drink. You notice immediately: There's no system here, there's zero organization, and the staff seem annoyed, disinterested, and downright unfriendly. For a restaurant in this location and price range, that's simply unacceptable. We went there on purpose, wanting to enjoy ourselves – and left disappointed and annoyed. Definitely never again.

The place is beautiful, but the prices are outrageous. 3 euros for 0.25 liters of water is way too expensive. I wouldn't recommend sitting by the water, because the sun will burn your neck.

The cake used to be very tasty but now is worse than bakery

Beautiful place by the water, perfect spot even just for a drink

Enjoying life and celebrating—you treat yourself to everything anyway—had a wonderful afternoon today. Very friendly service, I'd be happy to come back. 🥂

The view of the Alster is magnificent and very relaxing. The food selection is rather limited and expensive.

Perfect in nice weather, but unfortunately, the service staff varies greatly! The food and drinks are a bit overpriced...

The location on the Alster is very beautiful. The service is very friendly and attentive. Everything else, however, is disastrous! A 25-minute wait for a slice of apple pie for €5.90, which has probably been sitting in the fridge for 2-3 days and is completely soggy, along with an Aperol for €11.90... View yes, everything else no!!!

I've always loved going to Cliff over the past few years. But things have gotten so bad recently. We were there last week, and the server simply overcharged us for one pizza, which we luckily noticed after we had to ask for the receipt, which is no longer handed out automatically. I went back a few days later. I sat there for 20 minutes, no one came by, and I tried several times to get someone's attention. A server I spoke to said she wasn't responsible for that. The next table had the same experience. When someone finally came, they said it was so busy that it would take longer. Even though I've experienced Cliff much more often. The food was okay. I then paid and forgot to get a receipt, and just now noticed on my bank statement that the server simply added a euro to the tip, which is an absolute disgrace!! First the pizza, and then this! The service has deteriorated dramatically. Cliff should definitely work on this, rather than just hiring seasonal staff who apparently don't know how to serve properly. The waiter, who was a bit older than average and had been there for years, was great. Among other things, they don't clear the table completely, including glasses, while the guests are still sitting there, so you end up sitting at an empty table. I won't be coming back like this, and my family has been regulars here for the past few years.

Super friendly service. Great view and good food. Prices are fair for the great atmosphere.

A quiet and peaceful place not far from the center of Hamburg.

A fantastic view. An absolute institution in Hamburg! Unfortunately, the prices are a bit high, and the service towards children was a bit lackluster. Unfortunately, it loses a B rating.

At 7:30 p.m., you won't get any dessert after dinner because it's only available until 7 p.m.

Only good thing ist the view. The Service is really bad.

A fantastic view of the Alster. The currywurst would have been okay, if the price were right (€18.00). I consider that a partial entry fee. The service was friendly. But almost €50 for two currywursts and two drinks is pretty steep...

Great ambience and delicious breakfast

Absolutely unacceptable. The waitress, a young student, was completely overwhelmed. She doesn't know her own drinks. The iced coffee consisted of a coffee/milk mix and ice cubes, for an extremely high price. A wheat beer without alcohol for €7.10!!! I definitely won't be coming back. They still want to charge for restroom users, at these prices.

A very bad experience, the waiter was rude, impolite and non-foreigner friendly. We were waiting for a table to become available, and once it was free, we sat down. Shortly after, the waiter came over, placed a “reserviert” sign on the table, and told us to move to another one. This was extremely unprofessional, and when we pointed it out, he responded rudely, telling us to either find another table or leave.

Yes, it is very nice and the staff is very friendly.

Great location, right on the Alster

I don't understand the ratings - truffle fries and vegetarian pizza are MEGA, the view is priceless, I'd go back anytime!

Very expensive, but the waiters are nice. I've been here several times, and Emma, in particular, is extremely polite, courteous, and professional. The atmosphere is lovely, even after the rain, when it's a bit quieter.

A bit dated. A renovation is urgently needed. But the service is friendly and the pizza is delicious! Thank you.

Great view, super friendly and attentive service, delicious pizza

Only very limitedly recommended... - Location nice, food and service significantly less so, prices impressive. The olive pizza had 5 olives as toppings - comment from the server: "You're lucky, there are often only 3 olives on it." The curry veal sausage (at a hefty €20, after all) had already spent quite some time in the kitchen before anyone could eat it (dry and slightly shriveled, hidden under plenty of sauce (which was okay, as were the fries)).

Our drinks were good. The service here is always very slow, but the place is also really huge. The ambiance is a bit dated and a bit lackluster.

After our walk around the Outer Alster, we treated ourselves to a delicious snack with a great view of the water.

Beautiful views of the lake, recommended

Super nice location Unfortunately, often understaffed When the weather is nice, it's always crowded

Extremely disappointing experience — not foreigner-friendly. We were really looking forward to having lunch here, but the service was shockingly poor. The female staff member kept telling us to wait and gave us the menu only after 10 minutes. When we tried to order, she deliberately avoided us, and no one came to take our order even after 20+ minutes. Other tables that arrived later were served promptly while we were completely ignored. As foreigners, we felt truly unwelcome — it was the first time we ever experienced what felt like discrimination in Germany. If you’re a tourist or non-local, think twice before coming. You might leave frustrated and still hungry.

Disappointing service – unfortunately, not recommended We were looking forward to visiting AlsterCliff, but unfortunately, our visit turned into a huge disappointment. After sitting down at a table, we waited for about 20 minutes without any service. Only after calling several times did an employee come and say, "I'll be right there." But even then, nothing happened for another 10 minutes. We then approached other employees, who assured us they would let us know. But again: no response, no one came. In the end, we left the restaurant frustrated, without ordering or eating anything. Such unprofessional and disinterested service is a real shame for a restaurant in this location. It would have been nice if they had at least briefly acknowledged us. Unfortunately, based on this experience, we cannot recommend AlsterCliff.

I sat in the café for 45 minutes and was completely ignored by the waiters. No "hello," no menu, nothing—absolutely disrespectful. This kind of service is a disgrace!

We paid a spontaneous visit to the Alstercliff and luckily found a table right away, which is difficult on a Saturday afternoon, as the restaurant/bar is very busy. After waiting about 45 minutes and several attempts to get the visibly annoyed waitress to place an order, we left. It felt like our table wasn't assigned – and we told the waitress this before leaving, which resulted in a baffled "sorry." We won't be going back.

I only stopped here for a drink, so I can't rate the food. What I can say, however, is that you can sit here with a wonderful view of the Alster; it feels like you're on vacation. The service and ambiance make this place highly recommended 👍

very poor service towards turists, it seemed like they didn’t want us there we waited for 20min and nobody even took note of what we wanted to order we made them notice our presence but that didn’t help either, we ended up leaving

I like to come back again and again

We were in Hamburg for the Schlagermove 2025 festival with a group of 13 people. We started the day with breakfast at the AlsterCliff. We were all absolutely thrilled: the food was beautifully presented, and the waiter service was top-notch. The ambiance, of course, was unbeatable in the bright sunshine. I highly recommend the AlsterCliff; we'll definitely be back.

There were three of us dining at Cliff. Our daughter (22) has celiac disease, so many dishes were unsuitable for her. She would have liked fries, but they were only available as a children's dish. The waitress refused right away, saying she was too old. There was absolutely no attempt to find a compromise, no willingness to talk. Unfortunately, we had already ordered and received drinks. It's a real shame when people who already have disabilities are shown such a lack of understanding.

It was wonderful to eat there, with a view of the beautiful Outer Alster.

The ambiance and service are excellent, but the prices for the food are disproportionate to the quality. You get the bare minimum for a high price. The extra charge goes entirely towards the location and view.

I had the curry vegetable, which was unfortunately more of an onion curry than actual vegetables! The rice was also quite hard, as if it hadn't been cooked all the way through. I would have expected more. On the other hand, the black truffle pizza was very tasty. Crispy, aromatic, and full of flavor. Overall, mixed experiences, but the pizza was a real highlight.

Wonderful, especially in sunshine with a good breeze

A lovely shop on the Outer Alster Lake. If you're lucky, you can find parking right in front. The fresh waffle with strawberries and the ice cream are highly recommended. Prices are a bit high, but that's due to the location. We also had a choice of free seating, and the spots right by the water went quickly.

Top location, but with significantly inflated prices: Currywurst from veal 18.50 euros…..Service was attentive but not professional, tables were not wiped despite food leftovers from the previous guest and when clearing the knife and fork fell from the plate, unfortunately onto my light-colored trousers… Comment from the waiter: ohhh

Yes, definitely. Friendly and quick service.

The location is beautiful, and the regular events are well worth attending. A great place for a refreshing drink on the Alster water trail.

Atrocious service and extremely overpriced. Paid €18 for 2 bottles of sparkling water, another €6 per iced coffee. Took over 30 minutes to arrive. Paying took another 15. Only good thing about this place is the view.

We traveled to Hamburg for the Hella Half Marathon and were looking for a good restaurant. We hit the jackpot with the Alstercliff! We had a great spot right on the water. The food was excellent. What particularly impressed us was the super friendly and helpful service. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and can 100% recommend the Alstercliff! We'll be back when we're in Hamburg👍🏻

Simply classic. Budweiser on tap. Alster.

A lovely spot with seating right on the water. Great food and staff!

Great place to enjoy breakfast or lunch next to the lake on an outdoor setting. Especially on a sunny day the set up is marvelous. A rather high class area of Hamburg so you will meet well established people. Food is good, nothing spectacular but OK. The sound of the rope on the sailing boats mast that are nearby brought back memories

Friendly staff despite a busy store and beautiful weather. Long wait for the order and bill.

Schlechter Service - kein Trinkgeld!!!!.dazu muss ich sagen, alle weiblichen Servicekräfte sind Topp!!! Der Einzige langjährige Mitarbeiter mich heute sehr herablassend und noch blöde Sprüche, unmöglich!!! Nach einer 1/2 Stunde Wartezeit, mich nochmal gefragt, was ich bestellt habe… Location super, aber bei den Preisen (klar Aussicht direkt Alster) kleiner Cappuccino 5€ ist schon beachtlich 🙈

Waited 40 minutes until the waiter brought the drinks - many guests experience this

One of the most beautiful places in Hamburg

Älteres Personal sehr unfreundlich! Stellen sich über die jüngeren Mitarbeiter (die meistens sehr lieb sind) sind genervt von Fragen (z.b. nach Besteck) und tuen so als würde ihnen der Laden gehören. Allgemein fühlt man sich sehr unwohl und unerwünscht.

The prices are steep, but the food is excellent and the atmosphere is great. While the waitresses aren't full-time waiters, and they do occasionally forget something, they're very friendly and humorous! That didn't bother me.

Fantastic place. Especially for admiring the views over the water and sailboats. Good food, nice drinks. Coffee could be better though. You can also take a walk in the park. It's hard to find a free table during peak hours.

Beautiful location right on the Alster with a good selection of food and very friendly service.

Great location, right on the Outer Alster

Outrageous service – not a place you'd want to return to The Cliff's location is undeniably attractive, but unfortunately, the beautiful surroundings can't disguise the abysmal service. The behavior of the male waitresses behind the counter was particularly negative: arrogant, condescending, and not at all hospitable. When I simply asked for tap water – after I'd already consumed two lattes (€14) – I was treated rudely and dismissively. Such disrespectful treatment of paying guests is completely unacceptable. Anyone who values ​​politeness and professional service should avoid this café.

Great location right on the Alster!

I have to say I didn't like it, the staff were overworked and of course unfriendly, but I can understand it, the place was full but the boss was stingy, please increase the staff.

Unfortunately, the coffee is unbearable. Everything else is GREAT.

Great location. Very friendly service, and the breakfast was extensive and delicious. It overlooks the Outer Alster Lake and has a very pleasant atmosphere. I can't understand the previous reviews.

Great atmosphere right on the Alster! It's hard to get a table, so reservations are recommended. Portions aren't particularly large, and the prices are a bit high. But the service is very friendly and competent.

Just good. The 3.7 is undeserved. For counterweight 5 stars.

It's always wonderful to dine here and enjoy the beautiful atmosphere by the water. I'll be happy to come back.

We would have loved to have something to eat and drink here, but after waiting for over 30 minutes, there was still no waiter. Luckily, there are plenty of other great places to stop for a bite to eat along the Alster... Thanks anyway for the nice place to sit!

It's a lovely place to sit outside in the green park right on the Alster. The food and drinks menu is varied and somewhat pricey. We enjoyed coffee and cake. The restaurant is often very busy on weekends.

Ordered food 3 times for 3 people and each dish came one after the other. One thing is completely forgotten. For the prices such poor service is pretty weak.

I've never had worse food! The waitress was in a bad mood, and the currywurst was awful, dry, tasteless, and expensive. I don't even want to talk about the pizza. It's okay for a drink, but it's bitter, don't eat it. 🙏🏼