Rauch’s Old Commercial Room opposite St. Michaelis Church

A wise ghost once told me “Good dining is not just about food. It is An Experience.” While good food itself is worth the hunt, the right atmosphere with good company makes the occasion unforgettable. Thus, where the ambience is memorable, we savor it as much as the food. Ambience doesn’t have to be classy or posh, I’ve my fair share of roadside eateries. I remembered well that sunny afternoon when we hopped off the bike after rounding half of Phuket. On wooden benches under a makeshift hut and swaying coconut palms with white sandy beach and blue open sea on one side and the highway on the other, grinning shirtless boys barbequed our seafood on wires over charcoal. Those moments are deeply etched for they are magical.

When I stepped in the Old Commercial Room, I can smell the history. It is one of the oldest addresses for Hanseatic cuisine. Mementos covered every wall and every open space, each with a story of its own. Founded in 1795 by an English ship owner, it is decorated in the style of an English pub with lots of mahogany and brass. It is like stepping into a functioning museum. I wished I had the time and space (couldn’t be looking over diners’ shoulders) to take it all in. We got a seat by the window from where we can see the majestic St. Michaelis church with its copper covered bell tower where at the 82 meter high viewing platform, you can see the whole of Hamburg.

I was surprised to learn that Jackie Chan had eaten here. I was even more impressed that past diners included Helmut Schmidt, Willy Brandt, The Beatles, Tom Jones, Bon Jovi, Sting, George Clooney, Don King, Clint Eastwood, Paul Hogan, Sean Connery, Joan Collins, Charles Bronson, Charlie Sheen, John Denver, Kate Hudson, Nana Mouskouri, Jerry Lee Lewis, Neil Diamond, Franz Beckenbauer, Elke Sommer, Fats Domino among many, many other celebrities. Wow!

The Indian waiter was very professional and friendly and when we asked him to recommend some typical German food, he did not hesitate. He somehow mistaken me for a food writer and when I asked him for information, he gave me a complete photostat menu! Unfortunately it was in German and in our haste to catch the city tour bus, I forgot to ask him to mark down what we have eaten. Anyway, I have some of the details. This post is more about how the ambience can affect one’s appreciation of a restaurant.

The next post I will write about their most famous dish translated as “the food of tough men”.Please check out its website: www.oldcommercialroom.de and see more photos of St. Michealis Church and Jackie Chan memento under my profile.