In Short
You don’t need a huge café, an endless menu, or lots of bells and whistles for a great breakfast. At Ales Käks in Winterhude, it was much more about the little things: an incredibly warm atmosphere, really good breakfast, a display case full of homemade temptations, and a special gesture we hadn’t expected at all. Add to that a large terrace for sunny afternoons and service that instantly shows just how much heart and passion goes into this café. We felt completely at home from the very first moment.
Small, Cozy, and Very Personal
You’ll find Ales Käks at Alsterdorfer Straße 88, right in the heart of Winterhude. The café is still one of the newer additions to Hamburg’s breakfast scene and focuses on exactly the kind of combination we love about small cafés: personal, uncomplicated, and with a manageable size that never makes you feel like you’ve ended up in the next big hospitality machine.
During our visit, there was also a special promotion that we thought was really lovely: everyone who came in for breakfast received a hand-painted ceramic mug from Italy as a gift. We hadn’t expected that at all, and it’s exactly these little touches that stay with you.
The indoor area is rather small, but also cozy. For us, this size is a big part of what gives Ales Käks its charm. The owner and the staff were incredibly kind and warm during our visit, so we felt welcome right away. If you stop by in good weather, you should also check out the terrace. It offers much more space and gets plenty of sun, especially in the afternoon.
Looking for more great cafés? Here you’ll find some of our favorites!
A Cake Display with Serious Distraction Potential
Before breakfast had even made it to the table, we were already faced with the next “problem”: the cake display. It’s filled with a really lovely selection of homemade cakes and pastries, and saying no to an extra slice definitely takes some discipline. So it’s worth keeping Ales Käks in mind not just for breakfast, but also for an afternoon coffee and cake.
What We Had on the Table
We tried our way through the breakfast menu and the drinks selection:
- Turkish Egg
- Burrata Sandwich with Pistachio
- Sandwich with Avocado Tartare, Lemon, Egg, and Cream Cheese
- Iced Matcha Latte with Matcha from Lowinsky’s
- Homemade Berry Lemonade
- Homemade Basil Lemonade
Pistachio and Burrata? Yes, Exactly Like This!
The breakfast really won us over. The clear standout for us was the burrata sandwich with pistachio. Creamy burrata and nutty pistachio simply work damn well together. But the rest was just as impressive. The Turkish Egg was wonderfully savory and exactly the right choice if you like your breakfast a little heartier. The avocado sandwich came with avocado tartare, lemon, egg, and cream cheese, bringing together creaminess, freshness, and acidity. Overall, the dishes struck exactly the right balance between modern café breakfast and combinations that never felt unnecessarily complicated.
The matcha also brought us a little reunion with a Hamburg favorite: Ales Käks uses matcha from Lowinsky’s. We’re already big fans of it, so it didn’t take long to decide that an Iced Matcha Latte had to make its way onto our table.
The two homemade lemonades, one with berries and the other with basil, were also tasty and pleasantly refreshing. Compared with the food, though, they didn’t impress us quite as much. Solid and easy to drink, but the real stars of our visit were definitely on the plates.
Our Verdict on Ales Käks in Winterhude
Ales Käks is one of those places where the overall package just works for us. The breakfast was really delicious, the burrata sandwich with pistachio completely won us over, and the cake display alone gives you several reasons to come back. Add to that the sunny terrace, the small and cozy indoor area, and above all the warm and welcoming nature of the owner and the team.
If you want to try new cafés in Winterhude, enjoy a long breakfast, or spend the afternoon sitting on a sunny terrace with cake and matcha, Ales Käks is definitely one to remember. We can absolutely recommend this café.
Overall Rating
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