Nordsee, Hannover

A couple of years ago while in Bonn, I noticed a mouthwatering display of seafood sandwiches laid out in the hatched window of a shop. They looked delicious but we had just arrived in Bonn and weren't ready for lunch. The following year I noticed another branch in the Austrian city of Graz but it wasn't until a few months later that I finally got to sample some of the piscatorial delights of "Nordsee" while in Hannover.

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...chain of fishmongers and adjoining cafes/restaurants selling and serving fish and seafood with branches throughout Germany and Austria; some cities have several branches, often quite close together which is an indication of how popular the chain is. I can't imagine such a thing being popular in the UK as most people I know won't eat fish unless it's battered and in paper or minced and bread-crumbed and called a fish finger.

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A couple of years ago while in Bonn, I noticed a mouthwatering display of seafood sandwiches laid out in the hatched window of a shop. They looked delicious but we had just arrived in Bonn and weren't ready for lunch. The following year I noticed another branch in the Austrian city of Graz but it wasn't until a few months later that I finally got to sample some of the piscatorial delights of "Nordsee" while in Hannover.

Not surprisingly, "Nordsee" translates as "North Sea" and is a chain of fishmongers and adjoining cafes/restaurants selling and serving fish and seafood with branches throughout Germany and Austria; some cities have several branches, often quite close together which is an indication of how popular the chain is. I can't imagine such a thing being popular in the UK as most people I know won't eat fish unless it's battered and in paper or minced and bread-crumbed and called a fish finger.

I can't comment so much on the fresh fish sales section as I have never been in a position to buy any while in Germany or Austria, but we did eat "breakfast" in one of the Hannover branches. Some branches are more café-like and in these ones you order at the counter and take your food to the table yourself. I have seen one branch where orders were taken at table. In general, from what I have seen, the dining sections are modern and simple with plenty of tables but also plenty of room so you aren't squashed in. Something that was noticeable was that, although there were fried dishes being cooked, it didn't smell greasy in the cafe, something common in British fish and chip restaurants. The branches do differ slightly as they are franchises and although they bear the logo and stock the same produce, there is obviously more independence with the interiors.

The branch we visited was one where you ordered at the counter and took your food to the table. However, we had ordered hot drinks and also food that needed to be heated and this was brought over by a cheerful and friendly staff member. As well as cold sandwiches brimming with tasty fresh seafood, there were battered or bread-crumbed fish fillets also served in bread buns. I chose a salmon one, and my companion chose one with a fillet of white fish which I think was pollock so full marks for sustainability. Now, you may be thinking that I could have gone to McDonalds as what we chose was essentially the 'Filet o' Fish'. Wrong! These sandwiches were served in lovely floury bread rolls and each contained a generous fillet of succulent, moist fish. Even better, it actually tasted of fish too - this may sound silly but very often fish served this way doesn't taste of much at all. There was a good dollop of herb remoulade (basically a posh tartare sauce) which was tangy and full of flavour. The only downside was a piece of lettuce that was just too limp to work and the warmth from the fish made it even limper. While iceberg is less tasty it does have a bit more endurance in a warm sandwich and would have worked better. The sandwiches cost Euro2.99 each.

All the sandwiches are laid out with labels but if you aren't familiar with the names of fish and seafood in German it doesn't really matter because you can see what most of them are. The cold sandwiches included lovely pink prawns, pickled herring, smoked salmon, flaked salmon, tuna and seafood cocktail, all with colourful salad garnish and then other additional items such as sliced boiled eggs.

Larger meals are also served and appeared to be good value; in particular the daily special looked like a good choice. A large fillet of trout served with buttery mashed potatoes and vegetables. A generous plate like this costs between Euro5 and Euro7 depending on what it is: there are tuna or prawn salads, fillet of plaice, herrings and even catfish among the choices.

We had coffees with our food and they were not only excellent value but they came with a decent sized jug of milk which is a rarity on the continent where coffee with milk almost always means a latte or a cappuccino. A full selection of cold drinks and other hot drinks were also available.

Obviously sandwiches can be bought to take away but it's also possible to buy fish and chips to takeaway too which comes in modest portions and served in cones or cardboard boxes. There are fish "nuggets" and breaded pieces of fish, all served with golden fries or baked wedges.

If you are self-catering and fancy fish then I would certainly recommend taking a look at the excellent selection of fish and seafood available from Nordsee. Like the sandwiches, it was all beautifully presented and would have persuaded me to make a purchase in other circumstances. While there was nothing really unusual, there was a good variety and everything that should be sold in a fresh fish shop was available. I can't think of any chain of fishmonger in the UK and the few fresh fish shops in my area have a really limited selection of fare. While we were eating the fresh fish counter was continually busy and the customers were a mixture of ages.

'Nordsee' food is not haute cuisine by any means but the fish is cooked well and, served simply, it speaks for itself. I just find it amazing (and very enjoyable) that there is such a thing as a chain of cafes serving fish sandwiches and meals at all. It's a good place for a tasty but cheap lunch (and a more unusual breakfast) and with branches in most German towns and cities (I learned from their website that there are over 600 branches), they aren't difficult to find. With so many other places to try I probably wouldn't be dashing back to Nordsee but I might drop in if I wanted to buy something to takeaway and eat outdoors and I would certainly recommend it for a quick bite.

http://www.nordsee.de/en/flash.jsc

Take a look at the Nordsee website - I have given the link for the English version but if you go to the German pages you can click the link for webcams and see the fishing ports where Nordsee buy their products

In Hannover there are branches at

Karmarschstr. 24
Osterstr. 19
Bahnhofstr. 6

 

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