About two decades ago, the culinary movement “New Nordic Cuisine” emerged in Copenhagen, adhering to a strictly formulated manifesto. At first glance, simple things like using seasonal ingredients, promoting Scandinavian producers, developing new uses for traditional products, and the like (10 in total), are forever changing the Scandinavian culinary scene and turning the region into a gastronomic destination!
We didn’t visit popular Michelin restaurants, like one of the founders of this movement – Noma (named the best restaurant in the world 5 times), but we tried different things to show you and possibly help you when planning a visit to Copenhagen. The city’s gastronomic map is also complemented by first-class bakeries and Scandinavian coffee culture, which definitely impressed us. It’s clear that everyone’s budget is different, but it’s worth noting that food in the Danish capital is not cheap – compared to the standards in the rest of Europe.
💡 The headings with the names of the places are a link leading to the exact location.
Mia’s foderbræt
I won’t hide that I was surprised when I discovered the hot dog as one of the must-try things in Copenhagen. It established itself as a favorite street food of the Danes in the 1930s, and by 1950 there were over 400 hot dog carts in Copenhagen alone! Most objects today have long-standing traditions and are located throughout the city.
Due to a late arrival and check-in, we ended up in the city center on the first night around 11pm and had to try them right then because there was nothing else to eat! The cart at Mia’s foderbræt was the most convenient for us, it is located right at the beginning of Nyhavn. The woman is extremely kind, but this is something completely normal for hot dog vendors, as most of them run their own businesses. We chose #21 – with all possible additions! 10 euro for a hotdog, but they are really great, and the sausages are extremely juicy. And you get the most impressive backdrop in Copenhagen…
Fiskerestaurant Hooked
Fresh fish and chips in a casual setting and at relatively good prices by Danish standards… Fiskerestaurant Hooked is the right place! If you decide to visit it, it’s a good idea to reserve a table in advance, something we didn’t do and it turned out that there were no free seats at Kødbyen in Vesterbro… Fortunately for us, they had opened a relatively new restaurant on Klosterstræde in the city center, which was also convenient for us and we managed to find a free table. They have a total of nine locations! The atmosphere in ours was clean and pleasant, except for the uncomfortable metal chairs. But the tender fish that just melted in your mouth made up for it!
Warpigs Brewpub
I fell in love with this place as soon as I discovered it! It is located in the industrial Meatpacking district, where there were once mainly warehouses, butcher shops and slaughterhouses, and today it has been transformed into one of the most popular places to go out in the evening – it houses various galleries, nightclubs, good restaurants, etc. The Warpigs Brewery was created in the American style and with the idea of offering customers Texas barbecue, combined with beer and metal music. They have something unique… the largest smokehouses in Europe, smoking 2 tons of meat per day!
This is the absolute contrast to the fancy Michelin restaurants – here you order at the bar, serve yourself your food on metal trays, the meat is placed directly on them, the tables are large picnic benches for about 6 people, the napkins are huge paper rolls that you can tear off, and the mood among the visitors is almost always upbeat! They are diverse, from all social classes – young, old, Americans, locals, tourists, metalheads, families, beer fans and whatnot.
For dinner for two, we had pulled pork (1/2 lb), Mac and Cheese (S), beans with spicy smoked brisket (S), and coleslaw (M) and it all cost us 268 DKK (38 euro)! The pulled meat was brutally delicious, as was the mac and cheese. The beer is brewed here and the taps are connected directly to the tanks. There is a huge variety and prices are around 70 DKK (10 euro). For fans of meat and beer, this brewery is an absolute must!
TorvehallerneKBH – Smag
TorvehallerneKBH is an indoor market and one of the most popular places among food lovers! Various stands with ready-to-eat foods and high-quality food products are located throughout both halls. There is outdoor seating, but be aware that it gets crowded at lunchtime and finding a free seat is difficult.
We had identified several options for eating, but in the end our choice fell on Smag’s healthy offerings. You choose from the fresh-looking salads in the display case and you can put together your own mix – small or large. We also got a tuna sandwich on rye bread. The portions are generous and you get a perfect healthy lunch!
Domhusets Smørrebrød
The most traditional Danish lunch is the famous open-faced sandwiches Smørrebrød. Although their name literally translates to “buttered bread”, their ingredients are far richer, and I recommend you try the fish offerings! You can find them in almost any restaurant, but keep in mind that in many places they are significantly overpriced.
A small shop in the center has a huge variety, where everything is always fresh, authentic and perfect looking – Domhusets Smørrebrød. But it is closed on Saturdays and Sundays, and during the week it is only open from 07:00 to 15:00! The other downside is that they only have one small table in front and there is nowhere to sit, but we used the nearby Gammeltorv square for this purpose. We paid 114 DKK (16 euro) for three relatively large sandwiches, and they were great!
Madbaren
I had marked this little place in a pinch, in case we happened to need to look for something budget-friendly for a quick lunch in the Marble Church area. Well, we ended up in the cramped space of Madbaren, with a few strangers at the only large table. The staff was very friendly, and the menu offered somewhat strange-looking pizzas, salads, and sandwiches at good prices for Copenhagen. We tried two of their sandwiches – vegetarian and with cheese and ham (138 DKK or 19.50 euro). They were very well flavored and large in size, perfectly sufficient for lunch.
Andersen & Maillard
Starting the day at one of the local bakeries is more than a must, and the Danish pastries are great! The first one we visited was Andersen & Maillard, whose sweet treats are dictated by Milton Abel – former pastry chef of the famous restaurant Noma. The location next to the central square Kongens Nytorv was very convenient for us, and on our first morning we were lined up in a long line in front of their bakery window. Inside the bakery is very small, but there are enough tables to sit at on the charming opposite corner. We quickly grabbed two types of croissants – cinnamon and the unconventional square one with pistachio cream. They were so delicious that even the pigeons around the tables couldn’t understand how quickly they were gone…
Hart
The truth is, you’re never far from a bakery in Copenhagen, especially Hart! In the not-so-distant 2018, Richard Hart (another former graduate the academy of the Noma restaurant) opened the first location, and today there are ten of them! Initially they focused on making high-quality sourdough bread, but today they are better known for their Danish pastries, and their popularity has long since transcended the borders of Denmark. Their Spandauer and cardamom bun are the two most popular items on the menu. And the double-baked cardamom bun with sliced almonds that we tried was delicious!
Buka
This is another of the city’s recognizable bakeries, created by Zeqir Haziri, whose Albanian roots also give it its name – “Buka” means “bread” in Albanian. One morning we stopped by their small location on Kongensgade, which is the first one opened in 2019. It was crowded inside and there was no way to sit down, but the main square Kongens Nytorv is nearby, where it was so pleasantly warm that we didn’t feel like getting up afterwards… Their croissants not only look good, but also taste great, especially the one with pistachio cream!
We liked the very soft and balanced taste of the cappuccino, so the next day we sat down at the significantly larger bakery on the main street Frederiksberggade. Be sure that you will also encounter long queues there, mostly because of the tourist flow nearby. But if you manage to get to a free table, you will enjoy for a while the pleasant aroma of freshly baked bread and pastries, to the rhythm of old Italian songs…
Skt. Peders Bageri
The absolute must-have Danish pastry is cinnamon rolls – onsdagssnegle, kanelsnelge or simply snelge! You can try them absolutely anywhere, but if you want to fall in love with them, head to the Latin Quarter and the oldest bakery in Copenhagen – Sankt Peders. I admit that after all the boutique bakeries I’ve visited, the appearance of this one made me have huge doubts that these would be the most delicious cinnamon rolls in town, but with the first bite, they evaporated… There is very little seating inside and it is almost impossible to get seated, but that didn’t stop us from eating outside and coming back a few hours later for more…
Coffee Collective
Scandinavian countries are at the top of the list in terms of coffee consumption per capita, with the Scandi style gaining increasing popularity. It is characterized by more acidic and bright flavor notes, and one of the pioneers in its creation is Coffee Collective. Started in 2007 with a small roasting factory, today they are the most recognizable coffee brand, with eight locations across Copenhagen, all decorated in simple Scandinavian minimalism.
We visited Bernikow, where in addition to the standard indoor area, there are tables in the inter-block tunnel. We liked their coffee! And if you have a deeper interest, you can book an appointment for one of their espresso making, tasting, baking, or latte art courses (more on their website – HERE).
Original Coffee
Another brand using locally roasted beans and almost as recognizable is Original Coffee. The two founders and childhood friends, Nikolay and Filip, started their business in 2010, when they loaded their bicycles with everything needed to make coffee and rode around the streets of Copenhagen.
Today you can find them literally everywhere in the city – 18 locations! In some places, they are very small booths or literally a bar with a perfectly prepared and informed barista, like the one in Jorcks Passage, where we got ours. Comparing them to the others, this is already a sour coffee! Used to a slightly different taste, we wouldn’t drink it every day, but we liked it.
Democratic Coffee
Located right next to the library, Democratic Coffee boasts excellent coffee, freshly baked goodies, and a very pleasant atmosphere. Besides being a favorite spot for students from the nearby university, it is also becoming a preferred workspace. Once upon a time, the library cafe served terrible coffee, which Oliver Jensen hated… So he set out to change that, and the creation of Democratic Coffee shows that he succeeded. Besides their excellent cappuccino, I also really liked the intellectual yet unpretentious feel of the place.
Prolog Coffee Bar
Our last coffee location is Prolog in Østerbro – a narrow space with just a few tables inside. They appeared on Copenhagen’s caffeine map in 2016 with the aim of giving people a better coffee experience! They roast only the highest quality beans themselves, and they often change according to the seasons, which makes even their regular visitors tremble in anticipation of what explosion of flavors they will get in their cup this time. We liked it, despite the strong citrus notes.
