I’ve been wanting to write about this new restaurant the “Salt & Silver Zentrale” straight after their opening in Hamburg last Friday. But after 8 Mezcal Mules and 12 Margaritas à la Tobi (you guessed it: more Mezcal) and some good old “Mexikaner” shots I was, let’s say, somewhat incapacitated for a few days.
But here it is, the most important new restaurant opening the city of Hamburg has seen in a long time. The two ever-traveling guys Johannes Riffelmacher “Jo” (left) and Thomas Kosikowski “Cozy” (right) from Salt & Silver have finally reached their home port. Together with Tobi Beck (middle), they have opened up their restaurant at St. Pauli Hafenstrasse, serving the best Latin American food we’ve tasted in the city. Including the port view.
ZENTRALE
The concept of this “Around the World- Restaurant” is to be understood as an ever-changing food concept. The idea being that each year comes fall, the guys will go off traveling, to come back to their Zentrale sometime around spring and bless us with a new collection of recipes and creations from all over the world. “Maybe in fall 2018 we’ll be an African restaurant”, explains Tobi. And in wintertime, there will be continuing bar and coffee service. For now, they are serving Latin American cuisine, inspired by their travels through Mexico and Peru.
THE FOOD
Authentic and high-quality ingredients are everything. Even Tomatillos and Chapulines (Yes, Grasshoppers, the Mexican Caviar!) are on the menu. Make sure to taste the vegetarian Tostada de la Tierra, a dish with which the guys have created an Umami Bomb that comes on a crispy tortilla with creamy and pickled shiitake mushrooms, smoked cheese, avocado, and chili-chocolate oil. The bomb! I also recommend you share some of the dishes because trying out as much as possible is really worth it, the ceviche is crazy delicious!
THE DRINKS
That said, I can also recommend you take the Bar chefs suggestions of paired drinks serious: From Pisco Sour to Mezcal Mule, Oaxaca Old Fashioned and Mezcal Margarita there’s enough amazing cocktails to try.
THE LOCATION
The area around the restaurant seems to go through somewhat of a revival, with new owners at Riverkasematten and Goldener Pudel club next doors we’re excited for the coming months. The restaurant itself is not designed like a typical Latin American restaurant but quite the opposite. It’s clean, minimalistic and serves as a plain canvas for future food concepts. Also, the jungle toilets are kinda cool.
Address: Salt & Silver Zentrale
St. Pauli Hafenstraße 140 · 20359 Hamburg
Wednesday-Friday from 6pm · Saturday-Sunday from 10 am
www.saltandsliver.net
Pictures: Jessie Schoeller, Jan Traupe Salt & Silver