Eis & Innig is the new ice cream shop in Hamburg. I had heard lots about it before I came to try for myself. It was different than I expected, more simple, but great surely. I love their design: the playful chairs, logo and big flavour board . . . Nothing is outrageous, but the details make the difference, and those are all perfect.
Ice cream here isn’t experimental or anything, it’s plain and perfected. Cone, cup, spaghetti or milkshake are your choices. Most flavors are pure: yogurt, pistachio, coconut, mango, cucumber . . . although I’ve seen some more mixes lately too, like white chocolate-matcha, or quark-sesame-caramel. The girls that work here let you sample, or even recommend you what to sample – like vanilla and apricot. Both not something I would usually choose, but I was impressed. Otherwise chocolate and black currant are always a win.
Everything is completely natural and homemade in the integrated kitchen right behind the counter. This frozen treat is without extra flavoring, any preservatives or additives – but created with love by Eibe and his team.
A pros pros Eibe, he’s the owner. I tried to present myself as a smart food blogger to him, carrying my camera around, whilst holding my apricot scoop with colorful sprinkles in my hand. He said “Apricot, good choice, but did you know that the sugary sprinkles veil the fine fruity flavour with their sweetness?” – oops, no I didn’t know. I thought “pretty sprinkles, for free, why not?”. But it’s true, and especially here is the spot where the flavors matter – no piling of sweetness. So for next time I knew and turned apricot into the sprinkle on hazelnut (see below).
The scoops might seem quite expensive at first (1,40€) but every further scoop is only 1€, as are all kids’ scoop. Talking about kids, it’s full of them here! This is the most playful ice cream store I have been too, with stools and design matching this theme. One of Hamburg’s specialty coffee shops is called Playground Coffee . . . though that’s a playground for mid 20ies to 30ies. Eis & Innig could be Playground Ice Cream. Anyhow they don’t get their specialty coffee from the other Playground, they get it from Black Delight – our favorite local coffee roaster. Last but not least there is self-serve tap water (lemon-infused or natural). Shouldn’t that be a must in every ice cream and pizza store? Italian’s are salty. Although is ice cream even that salty? Hmmm . . . well whatever it is, it makes me thirsty. Yes, yes I’m getting off track . . . So:
Eis & Innig has it all – the perfected minimalistic ice cream, free water, cute pointy cones and a wonderful playful feeling.
Where? Klosterallee 102 (Eppendorf)
When? Mo-Fr: 13-19:00, Sa-Su: 12-19:00
How much? first normal scoop 1,40€, every further scoop 1€, smaller kids scoop 1€
Other Info: free tap water, many vegan choices, no bathroom, one plug
I had the apricot and chocolate today. The chocolate was, for a standard chocolate, super. For a richer chocolate I like Luci-Elle’s. The apricot was a good replacement for peach — not Berthillon, but well worth the 2 km walk from where I live. All in all a great addition to the ice-cream scene in sunny Hamburg… okay the sun is mostly in my mind.