Address
Rathausstrasse 3, Innenstadt, 20095 Hamburg
Rathausstrasse, Hamburg
Rathausstrasse, Hamburg
Best For
cocktail bars, Rathausstrasse evenings, mid-thirties crowd
Opening Hours
Mon-Sat19:00-03:00
Reservations
Recommended
Dress Code
Smart casual
Price Range
$$$ · Cocktails from local pricing
Our Take
Hamburg's Most Precise Cocktail Bar
Le Lion sits on the small Rathausstrasse near Hamburg city hall and is the most precise classical cocktail bar in Northern Germany. Joerg Meyer's bar opened in 2007 and has been a World's 50 Best Bars regular for over a decade — the room is wood-panelled, dimly lit, with an antique cocktail library behind the counter.
The cocktail program is built on classics rebuilt with modern technique. The Gin Basil Smash was created here. Bartenders work in silence, ice is hand-cut, and citrus is squeezed to order. The Tom Collins is the city benchmark.
The crowd is Hamburg professionals 30-50 and visiting cocktail tourists. Pair with Boilerman Bar earlier for a complete Hamburg cocktail evening.
What to Order
Gin Basil Smash
Joerg Meyer's signature - gin, basil, lemon, sugar. Invented here in 2008.
Tom Collins
Classical build, hand-cut ice, fresh lemon. The Hamburg standard.
Negroni
Stirred with hand-cut ice, properly bitter. Textbook execution.
Bartender Choice
You describe a mood, they build the drink. Trust the bar.
