Poets and painters have fallen in love with the beauty of Blankenese, an idyllic neighbourhood in the suburb of Altona, to the west of Hamburg. The former fishing village overlooks the river Elbe and its history goes back a thousand years to when most inhabitants were fishermen.

Early records describe how a castle that was later converted into the lovely hotel Süllberg of five stars, was built in the region in 1060. The current premises were constructed between 1887 and 1903 although the site had already been seen as a popular holiday and daytrip destination decades before. Generations of Hamburg citizens have celebrated public balls, weddings and family events, as well as big and small parties at the Süllberg in Blankenese.

The hotel has been restored during the past century, and a recent renovations, have  transformed this beautiful piece of Wilhelmian architecture into one of Hamburg?s grandest destinations, complete with ten elegant bedrooms, ballrooms, conference rooms, spacious terraces, bars and restaurants.

The Süllbergterrassen bistro is one among the many stylish dining destinations in the hotel. Beige walls, leather chairs, white tablecloth and fresh flowers make up the pleasing ambience there, and guests are offered a range of international delights from a modern menu. You could visit them to have breakfast, coffee, cake and assorted special dishes, all created from fresh and seasonal produce.

Start your day with breakfast croissants, Belgian waffles with whipped cream cherry sauce, smoked salmon with horseradish cream, a selection of sausages or simply with eggs fresh from the country.

Among the palate arousing openers is the Italian classic of vitello tonnato with capers, and tomatoes; chilli and wasabi prawns with Asian salad, mango chutney and Pitahaya sauce, as well soups of yellow pepper with fried shrimp.

These are the prelude to mains of wiener schnitzel that appears with fried potato and sour cucumber salad; homemade tagliatelle with Parmesan foam and summer truffle; halibut on young spinach with champagne sauce, meadow mushrooms and Grenaille potatoes; and a simple yet tasty combination of corn, Parma ham and Fontinakäse gratin with tomato, lemon and potato mousseline.

Desserts take in pot mousse with toasted almonds, preserved plums and apricots; crème brûlée of Tahitian vanilla, and a sinful tartlet of chocolate mousse with raspberries and grapefruit compote. There are a hundred exclusive wines and champagne from all over Europe to complement the food you order.

The service is impressive and helpful, confirming the standards you would expect of a hotel such as the Süllberg. Let the enjoyment begin!

Hotel East in Hamburg might be described with a lot of adjectives, but 'subtle' isn't one of them, and yet, it is not what you would call 'loud' either. There is a certain nebulous aspect to this former iron foundry that has been converted into a very chic and trendy hotel, which only serves to add to its appeal. Designed by renowned Chicago based architect Jordan Mozer, East is a wilful and intricate blending of Western forms with Eastern flowing contours, and the result is a simply stunning and splendid amalgamation.

Extravagant and opulent, the décor with its curving plaster columns, futuristic and kitschy colours and light, bright tones and exposed brick walls at odd junctures, is one of the many reasons why this has become such a happening place. Apart from the intriguingly furnished bedrooms - Mozer once again - the Asian inspired restaurant is another draw. A leafy courtyard, quixotically named Dedon Island is an al fresco dining area during summer months while inside the atmosphere is both intimate and funky, a seemingly hard feat which Mozer pulls off with aplomb.

The seasonal menu starts off with Asian beef salad with balsamic dressing and macadamia nuts, tuna tartare with avocado and fly fish caviar, lobster ragout au gratin with crustacean foam or pink fried lamb filet with Thai curry. Further down, there are exclusive fish dishes such as herb braised monkfish with coconut asparagus and wasabi mashed potatoes, grilled Australian sand lobster on choi sum salad with lime cilantro butter or a whole fried loup de mer with Mediterranean wok vegetables and lemon thyme potatoes.

Meat lovers will be delighted with the amazing range of dishes they offer, such as grilled saddle of lamb on glazed chard, thyme flavoured mashed potatoes and melted cherry tomatoes, tender beef fillet on a cilantro potato cake with green asparagus and a Japanese butter sauce or crispy duck with mango, saffron rice and roasted almonds.

If you equate Asian with sushi, do not despair because there is a wide variety of sashimi, nigiri, unagi along with crab, salmon, duck and tempura. The vast options on offer are bound to satisfy your craving for Oriental food but with this virtual cornucopia of delights, do leave space for some dessert - caramelised macadamia nut parfait with apricot ragout and lemongrass cloud or delectable homemade ice creams such as peach coconut and yoghurt cherry. Take time to choose your tipple because the options are many, ranging from champagnes and spirits to inventive cocktails and beers, not to forget an impressive and eclectic wine list.

"In Winterhude there's a place entirely in white. We must visit!" is what draws guests to this location initially. Once inside, they are exposed to something completely new - a meeting of creative design with urban industry culture. The interior is swathed in white and dotted with elements of maroon. The fare is presented with élan while the service is friendly and unobtrusive giving it an aura of sophistication.

Situated in the border area of Barmbe and Uhlenhorst is the White Lounge, a lounge, bar and restaurant serving sushi. Idyllically located on the banks of Osterbekkanal where every now and then a light breeze kisses the surface of the blue water, it has captured the fantasy of the residents of Hamburg, making it a hotspot. The sublime white during day takes on various hues after sunset as lighting effects co-ordinate with sound. Guests who make reservations are made to feel special when the system highlights their table as they enter. A conveyor system brings the short-eats to the table as they settle down to browse through the short but unique bill of fare.

The four hundred square metre area is divided into five zones: the berthing area, treadmill area, event area and twos and fours group places. Visitors are filmed by cameras and the images projected on flat screens adding another element to the uniqueness.

The 'sushi for friends' product line has been extended to include tapas and Thai cuisine,  all under the same 'small plates' concept, providing more exciting options. Technology has been well implemented by providing call buttons for service, managers and to acknowledge a good meal.

Start with finger food variations to accompany your drink. Skewered mini tomatoes or mozzarella and a feta-olive paprika could set the pace. If you are in a mood for more, try the melon-parma-chips, cocktail tomatoes, and mini-wraps.

Sushi could follow with a selection of nigiris and inside out rolls and rolls rocket. Tapas fans have plenty to choose from. There is chorizo, sweet dates in bacon, mushrooms, pickled zucchini, and ham rolls filled with cream cheese. The Thai kitchen brings to the fore specialities such as noodles and Thai red curry.

Hamburg's Wandrahm restaurant derives its name from the historic 'wandrahmen' or wooden frames upon which cloth manufacturers dried their products on the waterfront, between the 14th and 17th centuries. While the name has no bearing on the restaurant fare, it could make a good icebreaker, and adds to the interest of diners who flock there for the delicious food.

Wandrahm looks out over the water and is located near the Kaiserkai. Two levels with delightful views serve to fuel your enthusiasm even further. Fragrant coffee and a hearty breakfast are the way to begin your day on a special note or you can drop by for a tasty lunch later. The atmosphere is rich and opulent in an understated manner, with twinkling crystal chandeliers and dim lights exuding the effect of subtle luxury.

The menu is largely international and brings a host of starters that could include favourites such as grilled calamari with melon salad and yoghurt dressing or veal and lobster carpaccio with artichokes and Noilly Prat vinaigrette. If soups are your mainstay, you might be tempted to try the bouillabaisse, clear game and fish broth with saffron and vegetable pearls.

Main meals might encompass a lobster ravioli with green asparagus and sepia espuma or a marinated and fried spring chicken on a sugar pea and baby tomato risotto. Fish lovers will rejoice in the barb fish poached in Riesling stock with stuffed zucchini flowers and crushed lime, but for meatier dishes opt for the fillet of beef with spinach leaves and shallots. The more adventurous will enjoy the ostrich medallions with sautéed potatoes, leeks and rosemary sauce whilst the veal ossobuco is a trusted choice for many.

Finally, coming to the desserts, the list is befitting of any grand pâtisserie with delectable selections such as crème brûlée with orange salad and Grand Marnier, ravioli filled with cacao-pomegranate cream in a passion fruit sauce or the apple tart with tonka beans and port wine sabayon. If you find delights of more savoury nature appealing, explore the cheese board, which is accompanied by fig mustard and aged balsamico.

The comprehensive wine list is excellent and features some well known choices that span the entire gamut of wine producing countries.

With the 1992 Barcelona Olympics in full sway, El Cangrejo Loco was established as a restaurant to serve distinguished guests and eminent personages who visited the port and city for the games. Today, many years after that, El Cangrejo Loco, or The Crazy Crab, has emerged as a favoured dining destination for those people who want to enjoy delicious seafood with breathtaking views of the marina and the sea.

Exceptional quality and exquisite service are the keywords that describe this restaurant aptly and popular seating options include the terraces that offer wide glimpses of the azure sea. With the perennial good weather around, customers can enjoy a sunny lunch in winter or sit down to a moonlit night in more sultry months.

The freshness of the food is instrumental in making the restaurant a phenomenal success, and everything is prepared with great care. Hand crafted dishes show the passion and commitment of the chefs in creating an experience that is simply sublime.

Starters are divided into hot and cold and amongst the latter, there is salt codfish carpaccio, a salad with dried salted meat and pears or Iberico cured ham. But if you relish something warm, then the seafood croquettes will be the ideal choice, alongside butter dipped squid rings and mussels with fisherman sauce.

For the main event, there's a famous dish from Aranda del Duero, roast baby lamb, although the veal entrecote in green pepper sauce is just as delicious. If nothing but fish will satisfy you, then do try the grilled salmon or the monkfish with mushrooms and clams. Lobster with garlic and chilli or the crayfish prepared Ferrol style are excellent options but if you wanted to stay traditional try the paella parellada.

To finish, there's the Catalan caramelized custard cream or a homemade apple puff pastry. If you prefer fruity ways to end your meal, then you could opt for seasonal fruits drizzled with Macedonian orange juice.

If you enjoy drinking avidly or even if you're just interested in the wines that a restaurant has to offer, you will be impressed with the large temperature controlled cellar that brings more than 500 Spanish choices, champagnes and spirits.

Parisians in Stockholm may be overwhelmed with a sense of déjà vu when they step in to Riche, which literally breathes character akin to Café Riche on Boulevard des Italiens in Paris. Although it began life way back in 1896, it was only until the 1930s that it took on a more practical design and the grill was opened to the right of the building's entrance.

Designed on the lines of its French counterpart, the elegant gold framed mirrors and crystal chandeliers speak opulence and the atmosphere is one that makes both bourgeoisie and the officer class feel at home. Large windows and high ceilings bring in a spacious feel and the furniture is functional and minimalist in style.

The cooking remains open to foreign influences, and sways the French brasserie way at times, yet it is heartening to find many old school Swedish dishes, take the pata negra de Salamanca for instance; this Iberian cured ham from Spain, is touchingly referred to as finger food, and there is also chorizo bruschetta with tomato marmalade.

Lovers of seafood may find it hard to tame their cravings as they mull over the starters section - half dozen snails Provençal, assorted marinated herrings, garlic seared baby squid, vendace roe and smoked eel with scrambled eggs - all waiting to be enjoyed. For others it could be Danish open sandwiches or lukewarm beetroots and vegetables with chévre terrine.

The main dishes could get you humming with excitement as the sight of sautéed cubed fillet of beef, olive and pistachio stuffed spring chicken with asparagus, and fried soured pork with parsley creamed potatoes all beckon. Again those with a penchant for anything related to the sea would probably love the grilled halibut with lobster wrapped clams, white sand asparagus and chive aioli, and pike-perch in paper with lemon verbena and nettle risotto.

The not-so-chocolatey dessert menu features a boozy lemon crème brûlée with licorice stirred raspberries and chocolate cheesecake with marinated nectarines. The well traversed wine list includes bins from Austria, Hungary, Canada and US while Old World wines are not entirely forgotten.

Riche is very often described as a place to see and be seen in Stockholm and combined with watching the chefs wowing the crowds with their cooking and the buzzing atmosphere every evening and on weekends this surely has to warrant a visit to such a lively place.