How we pick Hamburg's best businesses
Five editorial steps, from Altona to Harburg: how HamburgList researches, checks and chooses the restaurants, shops and services in every Hamburg ranking.
A HamburgList ranking should save you an afternoon of trial and error and at least one disappointing meal. Behind each list is the same five-step editorial process, applied to every category, from harbourside fish restaurants to tax consultants in the office blocks of Hammerbrook.
Casting the net across seven boroughs
Research begins with everyone offering the service across Hamburg, from Altona and Eimsbüttel to Wandsbek, Bergedorf and Harburg south of the Elbe. A workshop in Wilhelmsburg or a café in Bergedorf gets the same consideration as a name in HafenCity, because good businesses are spread across the whole city.
Steady reputation over hype
Hamburg customers are loyal and not easily impressed. We favour businesses that have kept their standing with regulars over a long period, and we treat sudden popularity with healthy caution until it has lasted. A place has to earn its name the Hanseatic way, which is to say slowly.
Fact-checking every entry
Before a business appears on a list, we confirm that it is open, that the street address and phone number are right, and that it is a business Hamburg residents can genuinely use, not just one that borrows the city's name. Closures and duplicates are taken out.
Ranking within a single trade
Each list compares businesses of the same kind: a fish restaurant with other fish restaurants, an orthodontist with other orthodontists. Only the ones that stand out are kept, so some lists are deliberately short and every name on them has a clear reason to be there.
Revisiting through the seasons
Every ranking is looked at again at regular intervals. Places that close or decline are removed, newcomers that have built a following are considered, and details such as opening hours are refreshed. A terrace café's summer hours are not much use to anyone in February.
Tell us what we missed
Readers often notice changes before we do. If you know of a closure, a mistake or a business we ought to look at, email info@hamburglist.com and we will follow it up. Every suggestion is checked before the guide changes, which keeps the lists trustworthy for everyone who uses them.
Owners welcome
Owners can claim their listing and keep their details accurate through the page for business owners. A complete entry, with current hours and a few good photos, helps the people who are already looking for you.