Hamburg's insider tip: Criss Studio is the discovery of the year”!

Hamburg's insider tip: Criss Studio is the discovery of the year”!

The gastro magazine “Falstaff” caused a stir with the publication of its “Restaurant and Inn Guide Germany 2026”. A very special highlight this year is the Hamburg restaurant “Criss Studio”, which was named “Discovery of the Year”. The Criss Studio is operated by the dynamic duo Jahmarley Grant and Mateusz Adam Żurek, whose exceptional cuisine transcends culinary boundaries.

The creative fusion of Jamaican and Polish cuisine is the focus of the gastronomic offering. An example of the exciting combination of these two cultures is the Polish flour soup, which is refined with authentic Jamaican ingredients. The enthusiastic jury highlighted the harmonious combination of Polish precision and the cheerful Jamaican style. So guests can expect a real taste experience in which earthy-heavy and airy-fruity flavors come together.

A journey through flavors

What can guests expect at Criss Studio? The menu may seem uninformative at first glance, but an innovative twelve-course menu provides surprises and culinary discoveries. Particularly noteworthy is the masterfully prepared duck tartare, which has become an absolute must for gourmets. The menu also includes current dishes such as chicken dumpling soup, steamed pumpkin, Polish stew Bigos, oxtail and, as a sweet finish, a delicious apple pie.

The two chefs Grant and Żurek have been working together since 2018 and already know each other from their time in Lisbon, where they successfully ran two restaurants. In the summer of 2024, they finally chose Hamburg as their new location and continued their journey together at Criss Studio, which opened at Moorkamp. Their creative visions in the field of gastronomy are complemented by a high appreciation for the local terroir, which allows them to incorporate cultural influences from different countries into their dishes.

A place for art and taste

With the opening of the Criss Studio theArt Residencylaunched, offering up-and-coming artists the opportunity to design the dining room seasonally. This not only connects the guests' senses, but also promotes the connection between gastronomy and art.

Grant emphasizes that their success is based not only on first place in the Falstaff Awards, but also on the personal touches they incorporate into their cooking. Her approach emphasizes taste over technique and the importance of culture, which comes through in every dish. They have also developed a menu that consists of 70 percent plant-based dishes and 30 percent meat and fish, with a vegetarian menu also available.

The “Discovery of the Year” award not only gave the Criss Studio national recognition, but also highlighted the potential of innovative and fusion-rich cuisine in Hamburg. The restaurant has quickly become an insider tip among gourmets and shows how important courage, personality and origin are for an unforgettable taste experience.

For those looking for new culinary adventures, Criss Studio is definitely a place not to be missed. As the waves of fusion cuisine wash over the gastronomic landscape, one can only hope that pioneers like Grant and Żurek continue to enrich the gastronomic offering with their passion and creativity.

A wonderful discovery in Hamburg that will certainly provide a lot of conversation. Visit Criss Studio's official website to find out more about their exciting dishes: Criss Studio.