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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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