Puzzle Bar — Restaurant in Hamburg

I have been to Puzzle Bar a few times and have always enjoyed it. The atmosphere is lovely, the cocktail offerings are nice and creative, which is something I always appreciate about Puzzle, as it shows that they are more than just a fancy bar, but also really into 'cocktail games'.

However, yesterday was the first time I was 'scanned' by the service here. We dressed appropriately for the place, called ahead and were told to come and wait for seats as they don't take reservations. Totally understood. But as soon as the lift opened, a service came out and immediately refused to let us in, with the excuse that 'there are no seats available at the moment'. I offered to wait as I had come with two friends who were not from Hamburg and didn't want to end our evening so early. We asked nicely a few more times, and finally we got in. But while we were talking, I could see the service looking us up and down. As I entered the room, I could clearly see that there were still seats available, more than three for sure. And when I asked for another table, a little further back, we were told that "they were reserved" (?!) - the place publicly states that they don't take reservations.

All in all it was a nice evening, the three of us enjoyed it very much (thanks to Tom, who took great care of our experience and guided us through the menu), but it could have been better. In an ‘upmarket’ place like this, you can certainly choose your guests, but I would suggest getting someone who can do it discreetly and with more finesse, as you may never know if you are making the right...

Don’t treat your customers like freeloading children.

We arrived and were shown to an indoor table. The staff then told us in order for everyone to be allowed to stay, we’d all have to order something immediately. One of our friends who didn’t want to drink straight away ended up being forced to order some still water, which ended up being 750ml and €7.50 which felt very sneaky. The rest of us started with some soft drinks.

We asked about a table that become available outside, but were told that it was already claimed by another party… fair enough. However, the waiter came back over and said in order to sit outside, we’d “have to order more than just the cheapest soft drinks” on the menu. This was incredibly disrespectful and condescending. The waiter was implying that we were trying to “game” the system and buy as little as possible. We had actually planned to spend some time and order more drinks, but after that beautiful show of entitlement from the waiter, we decided we no longer wanted to stay.

Service was slow. Don’t know what they were doing half the time. It took ages to have our order taken, drinks delivered and bill paid.

Nice view, pretentious place with slow and...

When Kevin Fehling, who set new trends in top gastronomy with his restaurant The Table, opens a bar, you can naturally assume that things are a little different here. The service greets you in a friendly manner at the door and then accompanies you up the elevator and all the way to your table. The drinks menu consists exclusively of unusual in-house creations (other cocktails are certainly prepared on request, but if you're already here, you should go for it). The signature of a chef who has been awarded three Michelin stars is reflected here. Rather unusual ingredients and spices are often used for the drinks. Of these, certainly not everyone meets the personal taste, but it is definitely an experience and somehow a world of its own. I was particularly taken with the Puzzletini, a martini variation with elderflower, Dutch cocoa, supasava, olive and tarragon oil. The service is extremely attentive and the drinks arrive at the table very quickly. The only drawback is that you can only reserve a two-hour time slot, so you always have to keep an eye on the clock when you visit. I can understand the reasons for this, but it's still a hindrance to being able to fully engage with...