Erste Liebe Bar - Hamburg

Being lucky enough to travel to many parts of the world highlights how imbedded the Melbourne coffee culture in me really is. It can be hard heading into a new country, a new city, with no local knowledge of where to get a good coffee experience. Add to this that Germany and coffee never locked for me, but Hamburg came through in flying colours with Erste Leibe Bar (First Love Bar).

I was staying in a hotel near the amazing St Michaels church. Our walk to the office took us across the cobblestones of the beautiful Großneumarkt market, over Michaelis Bridge and into an open plaza. That’s when I spited the great white doors and inviting facade of Erste Liebe.

Oddly it helped that it was early morning and it was not at all busy. The sound of the floor boards gave it a good vibe but more importantly that awkward first moment of communication was much easier. Slightly broken English matching my very broken German and we were away. The coffee was good, nothing unique or spectacular, but good and well above having to lower standards to a Starbucks. (The international go to when I’m to when I’m desperate and time poor, it’s bad but you know exactly what you're getting).

I don’t pretend that this is the best coffee in Hamburg, I have just scratched the surface as it’s clear that a little digging unearths some real gems for my next visit. But it was in the right place at the right time and was just what I needed at that point.😊

Since starting this blog I’ve become heartened and motivated to go back to the cities of the world with a different perspective and new knowledge of how to do a good coffee search. Instagram has opened my eyes to many awesome looking coffee shops I can’t wait to visit and try the coffee.