June 23, 2024

Hobenkook (Harbor Cook) Restaurant and Market

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I asked Stephan if he would find us a good restaurant to try out Saturday night, after our Chocolate tour. The task was a bit tricky because it was an extremely busy night in Hamburg being the weekend, summer and tons of extra visitors in town due to Euro Cup 2024. But he rose to the task and followed up on information he had seen prior on this little gem. He even made a reservation, which is a big deal for this German! Hobenkook is off the beaten trail, in the Lohsepark part of the City, just over a canal or two and a fifteen minute walk from the chocolate tour. The neighborhood reminds me of the Fishtown vibe in Philly, with lots of trendy apartments and condo's, converted warehouse and antique reclamation shops.


Hobenkook is a restaurant and marketplace in a former warehouse that focuses on local & sustainable producers. They have an open kitchen and offer a menu focused on zero waste and water reduction dishes. They offered just 8 starters, 5 mains and 3 desserts on Saturday night but each dish is loaded with unique ingredients. For all my foodie friends, below is the menu - they had English translations on their website - thank goodness - as food preparedness can tend to get lost in translation.

CHRIST CHURCH via LYTTELTON, NEW ZEALAND

By Pat Patrick • March 17, 2026
CHRISTCHURCH, was my favorite city last time I visited New Zealand in 2016, and it didn't disappoint, for a second time! We had a gorgeous day to take in all the sights. Christchurch is on the other side of the volcanic mountains, from the charming port town of Lyttelton , a quick 20 minute uber ride through the tunnel. The area was devasted by an earthquake in 2011 and is still rebuilding, but the progress has been striking since I was last here. 

WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND

By Patricia Patrick • March 4, 2026
We had a beautiful sunny day to explore Wellington ! Was a very nice change from the stormy, big swells weather we have had the last two days! Wellington is the Capital city of New Zealand and the CBD is nice and big with lots of shops and museums. We didn't make it to the LOTR studios due to the time crunch but we took the cable car up to the top, for a scenic overlook of the port and then leisurley walk down through the Botantical Gardens, parks and historical cemetary.

ROTORUA CITY HIGHLIGHTS - NEW ZEALAND

By Patricia Patrick • March 3, 2026
Rotorua became a bonus city for us. Our Port stay in Tauranga got cut down to one day, due to NZ biosecurity regulations and since we really wanted to do Hobbiton, we decided to get off the ship and stay in hotels and get back on the ship, in a few days. Due to a variety of factors, the Ship ended up doing a quick pick up of us in Tauranga, three days later. The Kiwi's we encountered along the way, who helped with all our last minute details, were amazingly kind, hospitable and generous. Below is our tired, chilly group huddled at the security shed, outside the Port in the wee hours (1:30 am) Monday morning, awaiting our final hurdle of getting back on our Home. Home sweet home! What an adventure!