Cafes
Café Brooks Ten friends and one idea
Map
Opening Times
Tuesday to Sunday: 10:00am - 7:00pm
Address
Café Brooks
Hasselbrookstraße 37
22089 Hamburg-Wandsbek
.How to get there
price level
It is finally a mild day in May, and I have made myself comfortable on the terrace set up on the wide pavement. A gentle breeze pushes a few clouds through the blue Hamburg sky and makes the leaves of the prominent lime trees dance.
Café Brooks in beautiful Eilbek is located in a multi-storey Gründerzeit building. These houses, along with the post-war red brick buildings, define the architectural image of the street. Workshops, manufactories and small craft businesses can be found in the backyards.
Eilbek is a decidedly unagitated district at this point. The street here has at most moderate traffic, and the passers-by seem relaxed. An environment that invites you to sit back and contemplate the world.
A large cup of oat milk coffee sits in front of me and tastes delicious. Brooks gets its coffee from Carroux Café, a roastery in Hamburg since 1998. The Overnight Oates with fresh fruit, roasted nuts, Greek yoghurt and fruit puree taste no less good. Remarkable, the price-quality ratio.
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The gold-rimmed crockery has a pretty old-school feel and matches the furniture, which consists of selected, beautifully patinated elements. Behind the large front window of the café, three young women are sitting at a table playing memory. This picture matches what Rebekka, the co-founder and owner of the Brooks, describes to me: Many guests are regulars, many from the neighbourhood.
The café is a place where you can enjoy a good café, a rich breakfast, a piece of cake or a panino in a relaxed and informal way. Creating such a place was the intention of the ten friends who opened Brooks ten years ago. Some of these ten lived in the district, and there was simply no place in the vicinity for coffee lovers and friends of brunch.
According to Rebekka, the original and simple plan was to create a space where people could meet, drink good coffee and eat good croissants. Said, done. The idea was realised and financed collectively. Everything was purchased, built and furnished with their own funds. Over the years, nine of the co-founders left the restaurant business.
And so today, Rebekka runs the shop solo. However, the former companions like to stop by the café frequently and temporarily help out or advise in one capacity or another to ensure the shop's continued success.
Over the years, the café has become firmly rooted in the neighbourhood and the district. On weekends, the vegan-vegetarian brunch attracts people from near and far to Eilbek.
Incidentally, offering vegan dishes was already a topic at Brooks ten years ago. The menu is compact, and the products are sourced as regionally and in organic quality as possible. Eggs and flour, for example, come from Casselnhof in Nordheide. Everything is made in the Brook's small kitchen - with hands and lots of love.
At the Brooks, there are not only benefits for the body but also for the soul. On some evenings, a communal dinner is offered. There are days when people can bring their clothes hanging unused in the wardrobe and swap them with like-minded people. Occasionally, people meet for speed dating or pizza in the café.
Brooks is a place for relaxed well-being. The food is fresh and delicious, the coffee is good, and the people behind the concept are open and friendly. At its core, gastronomy is the art of being a good host to everyone, with everything that goes with it.
