Cafe Bar Knuth

We were actually really excited - breakfast at the café in Altona, which offers vegan and gluten-free options, sounded like a perfect start to the day. Unfortunately, things got rather… disappointing. I order matcha almost everywhere because I love how versatile the drink can be – and because to me it is more than “just a green tea”. It is a ritual, a taste experience, a real drink from the heart. What came next was all the more disappointing: a completely tasteless, strangely bitter-watery something that was probably supposed to be matcha. Perhaps. To be honest, we still don't know what was in the cup. But if it was matcha, then it was the worst possible quality. And I really ask myself: How can a product like this even end up on the menu? The service person was super friendly – ​​no question about it – but when we asked, she honestly told us that she had never tried the drink herself. And that's when it rang a bell for me: I worked in the catering industry for many years, and it was standard practice for the entire team to try out new products before they ended up on the menu. Especially with sensitive drinks such as matcha or special coffee preparations, it is actually common practice to hold workshops or training courses to ensure quality and consistency. But with this matcha? No chance. I really can’t imagine anyone saying, “Yes, that’s delicious – that’s on the menu.” And even though the café had gluten-free breakfast options, the food was mediocre, but quite expensive. If I'm going to spend a lot more money on a "special breakfast," then I want to get something that justifies the price - and that just wasn't the case here. We returned the matcha (half full) but paid anyway - because we didn't want to blame the service. But I gave the feedback anyway. For me, leaving the drink on the menu like this is simply not fair treatment of guests. Conclusion: I will not visit this cafe again. Not because the people there were unfriendly – ​​quite the opposite. But because I think that a card also means responsibility. And because for that price I would rather buy a fair trade organic tea at the drugstore, sit down on a bench in downtown Altona - and have a better moment. Without any bitter, fishy surprise in the cup...

Looking for a gluten-free breakfast while visiting Hamburg, we found this option. And we weren't disappointed! I got my packaged gluten-free roll and a great breakfast with it.