Fisch Pauli — Restaurant in Hamburg

Fisch Pauli is one of those places you visit for the food, not the ambiance. Tucked away in St. Pauli, just a short walk from the Green Bunker and the St. Pauli Stadium, the surrounding area is a lively mix of graffiti-covered walls and quirky second-hand shops.

The restaurant offers both indoor and outdoor seating—11 tables inside and 5 outside. However, service outdoors is noticeably poor; customers often need to go inside just to get a menu, which is far from ideal.

The interior has a beachy, mismatched vibe with sand and turquoise-colored walls, artificial greenery hanging from the ceiling, fishing nets as space dividers, and metal fish décor. The entrance features a painted skull logo, which feels a bit out of place. Velvet bucket chairs and wooden floors attempt to elevate the setting, but it all feels a little thrown together.

The meal started with a complimentary salad that was just okay. The accompanying basil pesto bread and dips were decent, and the olive oil on the table stood out as good quality.

Unfortunately, the wine, Weiss-burgunder trocken Erbeldingen was a disappointment—harsh notes of unripe stone fruit and sour apricot with a dry, unpleasant aftertaste. The water, as expected, was overpriced, retails as 7.40euros and sold for 22euros.

The highlight of the visit was definitely the fish. Both the Kabeljau (cod) and Rotbarsch (redfish) were excellent—lightly battered, cooked perfectly, and full of flavor. They were served with chips, boiled cauliflower and broccoli, and individual sauces. While the chips were crispy and satisfying, the vegetables were limp and overcooked. The sauces tasted like they came from a bottle and didn’t add much to the dish.

Overall, Fisch Pauli delivers on its promise of good fish, but everything else—from the wine to the service to the decor—falls short. Go for the fish, and manage your expectations...

Highly recommended.

On the food: My partner and I ordered 2x Pauli Platte I which came with 1 sauce and 1 side of choice.

To start, we got each a complementary salad (seasoned with a nice light vinaigrette), 2 homemade sauces on the side and 4 slices of warm toasted bread that was spiced and buttered.

Then the main course came..and it was mouthwatering. The 4 pieces of fish were grilled to perfection and the mixed vegetables (kohlrabi, carrots, broccoli) were perfectly cooked and seasoned. As a side I took potatoes with rosemary and they were crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside.

Ratio quality/price:great!

On the service: it was very good. The waiter was friendly, and the service was fast and on point.

On the location: the restaurant is located in a nice hipster area and it's easily reachable with...

TL; DR: good food, good service, bad atmosphere outside.

This is a good place, but everything was not so great. First of all, the food is very good. I ordered a full grilled fish and it was delicious. The servers were super nice and accommodating. However, one point to make in my case is that they forgot the little starter (they give you a nice one with salad, bread and sauces) and my drink. They brought them after they gave given me the main dish. The place was full so it's understandable, but it made the experience a bit less enjoyable.

The only bad thing to point out about this place were the tables outside. There are a couple of trash cans close to the tables and the foul smell reach the tables, especially when the wind blew in that direction. I don't know what can be done about that, but they should...