Enjoying fish in Lübeck

From the counter to the plate

Yes, it’s Easter and many people still traditionally eat fish, at least on Good Friday. In this respect, the choice of today’s topic is obvious. We are using the holiday to take another look behind Lübeck’s facades and uncover culinary treasures. For Lübeck ZWISCHENZEILEN, we visit places where fish plays the leading role – sometimes hearty, sometimes refined, always with a pinch of Nordic serenity.

The fish manufactory Hans-Peter Krützfeld

Hüxstraße 23 smells wonderfully of smoked fish and fresh dill. For over 65 years, the fish manufactory Krützfeld has been THE address for fish lovers in Lübeck’s Old Town. The business is known far beyond Lübeck’s borders. The name Krützfeld stands for quality, down-to-earthness and expertise. Here you can get very good fish and, if you wish, information on the origin of the fresh produce or a tip on how to prepare it. The store is small, but well-stocked. And the last specialist store of its kind in the Hanseatic city. Hans-Peter Krützfeld and his experienced team are always in a good mood and radiate calm and serenity.

The recipes for the homemade delicacies are a well-kept secret. At bar tables, you can enjoy mildly pickled fried herring fillets, for example. Or go for a fishcake or the popular fish soup with delicious seafood, fish fillet and vegetables cooked with tomatoes – an insider tip for many regulars. The weekly changing lunch menu attracts a loyal fan base to Krützfelds. Individual wishes are also gladly fulfilled.

Fangfrisch – freshly caught fish at its best

Just a few minutes’ walk away is another place where fish plays the leading role – albeit in a different form: Fangfrisch the restaurant at Untertrave 51, combines maritime taste with urban style. The interior is clear and modern. The cuisine is Nordic, but not old-fashioned. Depending on the season, you can enjoy both familiar and surprising dishes. The LÜBECK LABSKAUS – based on grandma’s recipe – combines corned beef, beet and herring to create a composition that will win over even die-hard Labskaus skeptics. You should definitely try it if you’re ever on the coast.

The classic choice could be whole plaice, fried in butter and served with homemade potato salad. The Nordic snack with herring butter and wild garlic pesto shows how contemporary tradition can be. And the best thing is: “fish” is also available here for vegans. Seaweed, oyster mushrooms or pickled aubergine can be reminiscent of the sea in terms of flavour. This fine selection is not a compromise, but a delicious offer in its own right.

The owners of Fangfrisch Tristan Wilcken and Constantin Teichert have been friends for years. While travelling in Istanbul, they wondered why there was an opportunity to buy grilled mackerel directly from the boats on the Bosphorus there, but not in Lübeck. It should be possible on the Trave, shouldn’t it? Thought, checked, planned, rented. No cutter – the idea was not so easy to realize. But premises for a small fish restaurant that has been celebrating success since opening in 2018 and has already won several awards. In 2022, the Seafood Star for the best fish gastronomy concept in Germany and in 2023 the “Platzhirsch Award” from the Lübeck Marketing Club in the “Outstanding Marketing” category.

Fangfrisch uses regional products wherever possible. The company is a member of the Feinheimisch network. As the only partner from Lübeck to date. Anyone who wants to join this network of restaurateurs in Schleswig-Holstein is obliged to use at least 60 percent regional ingredients.

Constantin and Tristan offer their catering at events, are on the road with their food truck and have been brewing their own draft pilsner, Moinsener, since 2021. They also run an online store with a lovingly curated selection of drinks and souvenirs. “Nicht dorschdrehen” – “No need to lose your plaice” is the motto of the two likeable entrepreneurs, who radiate Hanseatic serenity whenever you meet them.

Fish roll culture

For a small snack in between, Fangfrisch offers its fish sandwiches directly at the bread roll stand Brötchenbude on Drehbrückenplatz every day from 12.00 noon to 8.00 pm – classic with matjes or stremel salmon, surprising with herbs, sprouts or fermented beet. Perfect for on the go or with a view from the steps onto the water of the Trave, the passing excursion boats and e-boats and the museum harbour. Sometimes people dance salsa here and you can easily strike up a conversation with other sun-loving people.

Fresh fish from the bootshaus Marli

You can also get Fangfrisch fish at weekends from 12.00 – 20.00 at a second favourite location in Lübeck: the Bootshaus Marli, idyllically situated in Drägerpark directly on the Wakenitz. Fangfrisch and the EXEO e.V. association lovingly restored it in 2023. In addition to fish rolls, cinnamon buns and coffee from the portafilter machine, you can also enjoy “Moinsener Pils” on tap or a glass of chilled white wine. After a walk or a bike ride, people like to stop here to enjoy a typical I-can’t-get-enough-of-it moment in Lübeck: with a view of the towers of the Old Town churches against an ever-changing sky. This soul-warming view is not to be missed!

“You should eat fish more often. It stimulates the mind.”

Theodor Fontane

Fried fish or rösti?

Bettina and Christian Aust, the editorial team of our LÜBECK ZWISCHENTÖNE, were also guests at Fangfrisch in Lübeck. There they carried out the ultimate test: fried fish vs. roasted fish – the big crunch competition! Who crunches better? Who will win the sound duel? Listen to the delicious competition!