ماتسومی

Generally speaking, a lovely place. Food tasted great, but personally, the soup dish of the 6 course menu did not leave an impact on me.

Ambience-wise I think it gets as close as it can to the vibes in Japan but I recommend reserving a table around 6-7 PM, not at 8:30 as I did. The chefs start prepping/cleaning their stations around 9-ish, which isn't as welcoming (not complaining here, just to be taken into account when to visit). The staff is lovely, so all in all I highly recommend visiting.

I lived in Japan for a few years and am a huge fan of Japanese food! Matsumi is by far one of the best Japanese restaurants outside Japan that keeps true to its traditions in serving authentic Japanese cuisine. I love the tiny details especially in the sashimi dish where pickled seasonal vegetables such as lotus root is served along with the sashimi. However, I found the rice in the sushi a bit too dry and underseasoned to my liking. But the other dishes were superb! Highly recommend!

I was surprised when reading the many reviews stating “best restaurant, best Japanese food in...” and so on. Having lived in Japan and dined in many Japanese restaurants in Europe (especially in Germany) I would rate Matsumi with three stars. This was our third visit. The food is very good, but very overpriced. This time we had the most expensive set menu at €94 per person for eight courses and did not find the quality to match the price. Many better restaurants, even in Tokyo, don’t charge that much for the quality we were served. The staff is friendly but nothing special. The restaurant itself is very basic with a cheap interior. It looks like it hasn’t been renovated for years, including the dirty restrooms. If you get seated on the tables that have a wall-mounted bench, bring a pillow! After three hours of dining without any back support but a low, wooden shelf we couldn’t wait to pay and leave. Hamburg has so many other great restaurants, and after having given Matsumi three chances we will not come back.