This is where you go to eat some hardcore German food. And by hardcore, I mean huge, heavy portions…read morethat will leave you feeling completely stuffed.
The interior of the Old Commercial Room feels like the inside of an old ship, with dark wood paneling, dim old-fashioned lighting, and dark wooden tables and booths. There are photos throughout the restaurant that show off famous people who have dined here before, as well as a sheet of paper where you can see which tables they sat at, which is kind of neat!
Their signature dish is labskaus, which was described to me as "a mashup of all the leftovers on a ship." Essentially it features salted meat mashed together with potatoes and onion, served with pickles, fried eggs, and optionally a salted herring (extra charge). Apparently this is a dish that Hamburg is known for. And in fact, it's quite a decent dish, though very much on the heavy side. I wouldn't recommend the side of herring, which is very intensely flavored, unless you're really into salted fish. Oh and the best part: If you finish the dish, you even get a certificate - a "labskaus diploma"!
Aside from labskaus, the other dishes are also quite hefty. Also available on the menu was a gigantic schnitzel and a gigantic fried fish -- I guess everything here comes in super sized portions. Prices are higher than typical in Hamburg, but the portions are so large (did I mention that already?) that I suppose it works out. It's all quite tasty, though difficult to finish your heaping plate of food, so don't eat too much before you get here!