For today’s stop we’ll venture to the beloved Schanzenviertel and, as it only takes a couple of minutes to walk there from campus, it has earned its place in this column. Plus, you might be longing for some coffee after walking for oh, so long.

The Schanzenviertel has a sense of timelessness I’ve been admiring since first setting foot in it a year ago. (Mind you, I’m not from Hamburg.) And when a friend and I were in desperate need of cake, she suggested Herr Max as our life saver.

Herr Max is situated on Schulterblatt, close to the intersection at Neuer Pferdemarkt, in the heart of Sternschanze, so to speak, and sells baked goods and beverages made with love. (I’m most certainly sure of that.)

Herr Max offers a broad selection of (sometimes still warm) cakes and cookies, a breakfast and dinner menu, and, most importantly, a variety of coffees.

In today’s superfluous amount of coffee shops it is a true challenge to attract coffee lovers and other customers to one’s shop and into the sweet smell of coffee heaven. Yet Herr Max presents a safe haven – its interior, following the latest shabby chic  trend, is sending off vintage vibes. And though there are some cracks in the walls here and there, the place distinguishes itself from the surrounding shops and fits perfectly into the Schanzenviertel at the same time. The music is breaking the vintage style by being rather modern, eclectic tunes are audible, the volume bearable and allowing conversations.

My first order at Herr Max consisted of a large hot chocolate (I was on a coffee break – well, at least I tried to be – 3,30 €) as well as a large slice of chocolate cake with truffles (3,70€). And, oh my goodness, the cake was seriously to die for. The chocolate was slowly melting in my mouth, followed by an explosion of tastes, a not too sweet, not too bitter chocolate sensation.

Prices for coffee rank between 2,50€ and 3,70€, which might sound a bit pricey at first but the cup size is making up for the amount of money spent. A point of importance: you get a glass of water for free. And true coffee lovers will appreciate this freebie.

So, coffee addicts unite and venture to Herr Max to fill up these coffee deprived batteries.

– Maria

Maria was listening to the sounds of the morning while writing this article.