The small Abendmahl, off the Reeperbahn, is always jammed with a crowd getting ready for the bars and clubs. No wonder that the good but not impressive cuisine plays second fiddle to the inexpensive and inventive drinks and the flirtatious atmosphere. The small menu focuses on French and Italian cuisine. No credit cards.

Ahrberg
Strandweg 33, Blankenese, Germany
Phone: 040/860-438
EUR26 to EUR38
Hamburg
German

Next to the river in Blankenese, the Ahrberg has a cozy paneled dining room and a terrace for summer dining. The menu features traditional German dishes and seafood specialties. Try the shrimp-and-potato soup or, in season, the fresh carp. AE, MC.

At Nali
Rutschbahn 11, Hamburg, Germany
Phone: 040/410-3810
Under EUR26
Hamburg
Turkish

This is one of Hamburg's oldest and most popular Turkish restaurants, and it's open until 1 AM, handy for those seeking a late-night kebab. Prices are low, service is reliable and friendly, and the menu is extensive. Reservations are essential on weekends. AE, DC, MC, V.

Avocado
Kanalstr. 9, Hamburg, Germany
Phone: 040/220-4599
Under EUR26
Hamburg
Vegetarian

The imaginative vegetarian menu at this popular place is an excellent value. In the pleasant Uhlenhorst District, close to the Aussenalster, it is one of Hamburg's few no-smoking restaurants. If you're really hungry, try one of the four- or six-course "surprise" dinners. Reservations essential. No credit cards. Closed Mon.

Cuneo
Davidstr. 11, Hamburg, Germany
Phone: 040/312-580
EUR38 to EUR51
Hamburg
Italian

This is the place to spot the new business elite that transformed the Reeperbahn from a seedy strip into a multimillion-dollar, fun-oriented entertainment industry. Cuneo offers good Italian home cooking in a tiny crowded setting where red, smoke-drenched walls are covered with cheap paintings. If you are not a part of the gang, you may find the service sluggish, but watching the local people of the Reeperbahn neighborhood is certainly worth the wait. AE, MC, V.

Das Feuerschiff
Vorsetzen, Hamburg City Sporthafen, Hamburg, Germany
Phone: 040/362-553
EUR38 to EUR51
Hamburg
German

This bright-red lightship served in the English Channel before it was transformed in 1989 into a restaurant and tiny pub on the water. Since then the small ship docked in the city harbor has become a Hamburg landmark. Fresh and tasty German fish dishes are on the menu, as well as traditional seafood entrées from Scandinavia, Poland, and other seafaring nations. On Monday, local bands meet here for jam sessions, while on some Tuesdays and Thursdays cabaret shows are staged. AE, DC, MC, V. U-bahn: Baumwall.

Deichgraf
Deichstr. 23, Hamburg, Germany
Phone: 040/319-1214
EUR26 to EUR38
Hamburg
German

This small and elegant fish restaurant in the heart of the old harbor warehouse district has been a Hamburg classic for years. It's one of the best places to get traditional Hamburg dishes such as Hamburger Panfisch (fried pieces of the day's catch prepared in a wine and mustard sauce) at a very reasonable price. The restaurant is in an old merchant house, and the dining room is decorated with historic oil paintings depicting the hardships of the fisherman of the late 19th century. Reservations are essential on weekends. AE, DC, MC, V. Closed Sun.

Eisenstein
Friedensallee 9, Hamburg, Germany
Phone: 040/390-4606
EUR26 to EUR38
Hamburg
Italian

The food is fantastic, considering the low prices, and the crowd bubbly and stylish. A sure bet are the daily menus or the Italian-Mediterranean dishes, including pastas and some of Germany's presumably best pizzas. The Pizza Helsinki (made with tomatoes, sour cream, onions, and fresh gravlax) is truly delicious. The setting, a 19th-century industrial complex with high ceilings and dark redbrick walls, is very rustic. Reservations essential for dinner. No credit cards.

Fischereihafen-Restaurant Hamburg
Grosse Elbstr. 143, Hamburg, Germany
Phone: 040/381-816
EUR38 to EUR51
Hamburg
German

For the best fish in Hamburg, book a table at this big, upscale restaurant in Altona, just west of the downtown area and right on the Elbe. The menu changes daily according to what's available in the fish market that morning. The restaurant and its oyster bar are favorites with the city's beau monde. Reservations essential. AE, DC, MC, V.

Fischerhaus
Fischmarkt 14, Hamburg, Germany
Phone: 040/314-053
Under EUR26
Hamburg
German

The family-owned fish restaurant may look mediocre, but the food, prepared from family recipes, is truly delicious. Most dishes focus on North Sea fish and Hamburg specialties such as Orly-Rotbarschfilet in Bierteig (rose-fish fillet wrapped in beer dough) or the several dishes with plaice: A favorite is the Scholle Finkenwerder Art, panfried plaice with smoked ham and potato salad. When making a reservation, ask for a table upstairs to get a harbor view. AE, MC, V.

La Mer
An der Alster 9, Hamburg, Germany
Phone: 040/2483-4040
EUR38 to EUR51
Hamburg
German

The elegant dining room of the Hotel Prem is perhaps the best hotel restaurant in the city, beautifully set on the Aussenalster, a 10-minute ride from downtown. A host of subtle specialties, ever changing, are featured. Try the Zanderfilet auf Pefferkraut mit gefüllten Waffelkartoffeln (pike-perch fillet on pepper sauerkraut with stuffed waffle potatoes) or Brust und Keule vom Perlhuhn auf Schwarzwurzeln mit Kartoffelgratin (breast and leg of guinea-fowl on black salsify with potato gratin). Jacket and tie. AE, DC, MC, V. No lunch.

Landhaus Dill
Elbchaussee 94, Hamburg, Germany
Phone: 040/390-5077
Over EUR51
Hamburg
German

A fin de siècle building with views of the Elbe provides a home for this stylish restaurant. The dining room has an air of cool elegance, with crisp linen, glistening tile floors, and a high standard of incredibly light cuisine. The lobster salad is prepared at your table, and the rack of lamb comes hot from the kitchen with an aromatic thyme sauce. For dessert try Weissweinparfait mit Portwein-Feigensauce, a light white-wine cream with a sauce made of port wine and figs. Reservations are advised. Jacket and tie. AE, DC, MC, V. Closed Mon.

Landhaus Scherrer
Elbchaussee 130, Hamburg, Germany
Phone: 040/880-1325
Over EUR51
Hamburg
German

Though this establishment in Altona is only minutes from the downtown area, its parklike setting seems worlds away from the high-rise bustle of the city. The mood is elegantly low-key - the building was originally a brewery - with paneled walls and soft lighting. The food fuses sophisticated nouvelle specialties with more down-to-earth local dishes. The wine list is exceptional. Jacket and tie. AE, DC, MC, V. Closed Sun.

Le Canard
Elbchaussee 139, Hamburg, Germany
Phone: 040/880-5057
Over EUR51
Hamburg
French

One of Hamburg's top end restaurants, Le Canard enjoys a much-coveted location overlooking the harbor and historic vessels at Övelgönne, with enviably elegant decor and nouvelle cuisine to match. Chef Viehhauser's skills and creativity keep the restaurant's standards high. Seafood dishes predominate, but the roasted duck with red cabbage is worth sampling. Reservations essential. Jacket and tie. AE, DC, MC, V. Closed Sun.

Nil
Neuer Pferdemarkt 5, Hamburg, Germany
Phone: 040/439-7823
EUR38 to EUR51
Hamburg
German

Media types - the intellectual and cultural elite of Hamburg - gather at this hip place for business lunches and prepartying on weekends. The Nil is worth a visit for its interior alone: it's nestled in an old 1950s-style, three-floor shoe shop. The kitchen serves high-powered seafood and modern German cuisine, including four different three- to six-course menus that offer delicious dishes like Rinderfilet mit Walnuss-Rosmarinkruste, Schwarzwurzeln und Madeirasauce (beef fillet in a walnut-rosemary crust with black salsify and Madeira sauce). Reservations essential for dinner. No credit cards. Closed Mon. and Tues.

Phuket
Davidstr. 31, Hamburg, Germany
Phone: 040/315-854
Under EUR26
Hamburg
Thai

This tiny Thai restaurant, just around the corner from the Reeperbahn's infamous Davidwache, Germany's toughest police station, is one of the best-kept dining secrets in Hamburg. The seedy-looking basement restaurant will remind you of a shabby sailor's tavern, but the food is simply delicious, the service attentive and smooth. The best dish is not listed on the long menu of spicy Thai specialties: Huhn in Erdnusssosse (chicken in a hot peanut sauce) - ask the waiter for it. No credit cards.

Ratsweinkeller
Grosse Johannisstr. 2, Hamburg, Germany
Phone: 040/364-153
EUR26 to EUR38
Hamburg
German

For atmosphere and robust local specialties, there are few more compelling restaurants than this cavernous, late-19th-century haunt under the city hall. The simple tables are wooden, and ship models hang from the high stone-and-brick arches. You can order surprisingly fancy or no-nonsense meals. Fish specialties predominate, but there's a wide choice of other dishes, too. AE, DC, MC, V. No dinner Sun.

Restaurant Esprit
Grosse Bleichen, Hamburg, Germany
Phone: 040/3491-8935
EUR26 to EUR38
Hamburg
German

The elegant restaurant at the Ramada Renaissance Hotel, in the Hanseviertel, has won awards for its cuisine and service and has become a choice city-center dining haunt. The extensive menu focuses on north German fare, such as Scholle mit Büsumer Krabben und Bratkartoffeln (plaice with shrimp and fried potatoes). Reservations are advised; ask for a table close to the open kitchen, where you can watch your order being prepared. AE, DC, MC, V.

Rive
Van der Smissen Str. 1, Kreuzfahrt-Center, Hamburg, Germany
Phone: 040/380-5919
EUR38 to EUR51
Hamburg
German

This restaurant dubs itself an "oyster bar," and rightfully so. Its fresh oysters, clams, and other seafood are served right at the harbor in a building that looks like a ship. The Rive would not be a Hamburg establishment without serving at least some local dishes, so make your choice between hearty Matjes mit drei Saucen (herring with three sauces), Gegrillte Scampi mit Glasnudelsalat und Chilisauce (barbecue shrimp with glass-noodle salad and chili sauce), or fancy lobster with aioli. Reservations essential. AE.

Weite Welt
Grosse Freiheit 70, Hamburg, Germany
Phone: 040/319-1214
EUR26 to EUR38
Hamburg
Eclectic, Seafood

In an old fish smokehouse on the Reeperbahn's notorious Grosse Freiheit, the Weite Welt attracts regulars who feel right at home thanks to owner Niko Bornhofen's hospitality. The menu is inventive and changes daily. The fish dishes draw from the continents of Europe and Asia, and the theme dishes (like the "Last Supper of the Titanic") are a good value. Weite Welt is an absolute must if you are visiting St. Pauli. Reservations are essential on weekends. V.