Smørrebrød at Torvehallerne Market

Food is the reason my husband and I moved to Copenhagen. As a chef who’s all about innovation and fresh, local ingredients, this is the perfect city for him, and as a total foodie, for me too. We love to eat, everything from a hot dog on the corner to the occasional spoil-ourselves fine dining experience. Copenhagen is full of culinary experiences to be had, not to mention a pricey town, so we haven’t yet had all the food experiences we’d like to, but we’ve found some pretty great spots to enjoy food, drink, and hygge – the untranslatable Danish coziness. Here’s where to find my favourite foodie spots in the Danish capital.

Favourite New Nordic

Høst

Høst‘s rustic furnishings and cozy candlelight make for the perfect date setting, and the food lives up to the surroundings. Høst offers a choice of two set menus: the 3-course for 325 DKK (44€) or the 5-course for 425 DKK (57€).  Like many restaurants here, Høst offers an accompanying wine menu, but I also love their juice menu, featuring flavours like apple-lemon-thyme. The menu’s flavours can be unusual and interesting in the best way, and you can expect all sorts of scrumptious surprises scattered throughout the meal. You will definitely leave Høst full and happy!

Høst

Kødbyens Fiskebar

This Nordic-style seafood restaurant in the trendy Meatpacking District puts out truly incredible food. Fiskebaren‘s dishes are creative and innovative, and each is created and executed with care. The menu is seasonal, the ingredients fresh and local, and the flavours are amazing. Dishes range from fish and chips to an epic tasting menu, and the desserts are to die for. I love the house made sea buckthorn juice, and the cocktails are fantastic as well. Though the food is Michelin-star level, the atmosphere is more casual and the prices more affordable.

Kødbyens Fiskebar

Uformel

Uformel is small and intimate, with incredible food and attentive service. It offers a series of small plates, so you can build your own menu or sample the set one which is offered in 4 or 7 courses. When we visited, we opted for four à la carte dishes and that was plenty for me. I started with crab, moved on to duck, then lamb, then a salted caramel dessert. The highlight for me was the duck dish, but everything was delicious, including the white wine the server recommended. The seasonal menu is constantly changing, so I can’t wait to go back to Uformel and have a whole new experience.

Favourite Smørrebrød

Selma

Selma is one of my favourite spots in the city, and not just because my husband is the Sous Chef! This stylish and cozy spot takes traditional smørrebrød – Denmark’s beloved lunch fare of open-faced sandwiches – and turns it on its head, creating a modern take on the classics, and serving it for dinner as well. The menu changes with the seasons and uses seasonal and local ingredients. My favourite dish here is the summer offering of confit chicken with rhubarb. Selma also has fantastic local drinks, including Mikkeller beer, house-flavoured snaps, and craft sodas. The creative desserts are also a must!

Selma – photo courtesy Magnus Pettersson

Restaurant Kronborg

Head down the stairs into the cozy cellar that is Restaurant Kronborg, and get settled in for a delicious traditional meal, served up on Royal Copenhagen china. You can tell by the locals around you that this is the place for authenticity and quality; the selection of smørrebrød and of akvavit is extensive, the service attentive, and the prices reasonable.

Restaurant Kronborg

Café Halvvejen

Café Halvvejen is a tiny and charming place with only six tables and a bar, tucked into a cellar on a quiet little street. It has an extensive menu of smørrebrød, with popular choices including Biksemad – a mound of roast beef and potatoes – and the Danish favourite, Stjerneskud (Shooting Star), featuring a a fried fish filet topped with shrimp, and caviar. The prices here are very reasonable given the portion sizes and quality, and the atmosphere is very rustic and authentic. We ordered the Luxe Platter to share and it was plenty of food for two! For 175 DKK (€23), we got a feast of herring, egg and shrimp, fish filet, chicken salad, warm meatballs, and cheese. Because the café is so small, make a booking if you plan to visit.

Café Halvvejen

Favourite Food Markets

Torvehallerne Market

Torvehallerne is a foodie’s paradise, bursting with fresh products of all kinds. Set in two halls just by Nørreport Station, Torvehallerne is the place to go if you want to cook up something amazing. Here you can find a great variety of fresh meats, seafood, cheeses and produce – it’s the place where chefs shop for their home cooking. You can also enjoy a delicious and affordable meal from one of the many stalls featuring foods from around the world, or buy great local gourmet products as foodie souvenirs, like jams, chocolates, spices, and teas. A definite must-visit for foodies in Copenhagen.

Omegn og Venner at Torvehallerne

Reffen

Reffen is a bit out of the way, but worth the trip! Located right by the water on Refshaløen, it’s best reached by harbour bus, which adds to the experience. Reffen is primarily a street food market, with stalls built from shipping containers serving up food from all over the world, including cuisines which are hard to find in Copenhagen, like Filipino, Greek, Jamaican, and African. Reffen also features artisan workshops, selling local products like blown glass and handmade soaps.

Nomames at Reffen

The Bridge Street Kitchen

The Bridge is a gourmet street food market in Christianshavn, just over the bridge from iconic Nyhavn. It’s fairly small, but has a quality assortment of stalls featuring cuisines from all over the world. Highlights include flavoursome Indian food from Dhaba, juicy burgers from Gasoline Grill, and incredible gyro wraps from OPA, who also do a delicious pink lemonade.

The Bridge

Favourite Coffee Shops

20 Grams

This city centre spot is fairly new arrival to Copenhagen’s coffee scene is also my new favourite coffee shop. Fantastic coffees, delicious smoothies and ice creams, decadent waffles, homemade baked goods, and a tasty brunch plate are all on the menu at 20 Grams. The owners are super friendly, and the decor comfortable and interesting, with eclectic furniture and a quirky mix of portraits on the wall.

20 Grams

The Living Room

The Living Room is two levels of pure hygge: downstairs is a den filled with the comfiest of furniture and a Moroccan tea room with lanterns hanging from the ceiling. The lighter, brighter upstairs has quirky decor, and offers all kinds of goodies from the usual coffees and teas to delicious fresh blended juices and smoothies, sandwiches and baked goods. They also serve alcoholic beverages late into the evening.

The Living Room

Kaffestuen

Kaffestuen was our go-to coffee spot when we lived in the Østerbro neighbourhood. Unassuming and comfortable, I loved heading to Stuen and settling into the comfy old couch in the back room with a chai latte and slice of homemade cake.

Favourite Bakeries

Sankt Peders Bageri

Tucked into the colourful Latin Quarter is family-run Sankt Peders, the oldest bakery in Copenhagen, which dates back to 1652. Its cinnamon rolls are legendary, especially its special Wednesday roll – customers line up down the block to get a taste. The traditional pastries here are flaky and buttery, and the breads baked the old-fashioned way. The sit-in area is tiny, but it’s cozy, with historic photos of Copenhagen on the walls. It’s a can’t miss spot for delicious Danish goodies.

Sankt Peders Bageri

Juno the Bakery

Juno sits on a quiet residential street in the borough of Østerbro, but can be easily spotted by the consistent line out the door. Their breads and pastries are phenomenal – my favourite was the pistachio swirl with rose, but they’re also famous for their croissants, cardamom buns, and many other perfect pastries and tarts. They’ve just expanded their location and added an outdoor courtyard which looks like the ideal spot to enjoy your sweet treats.

Pistachio rose snegl from Juno

Lagkagehuset

Lagkagehuset may not have the artisanal charm of Juno, but this Danish chain’s pastries are consistently tasty. They offer up the classics like cinnamon rolls and spandauer (‘Danishes’) and are the only place I’ve found my favourite pastry, the rhubarb horn. This doughy packet of rhubarb and marzipan is usually only available in spring and summer, and is best enjoyed with a frosty strawberry lemonade.

Spandauer and kanel snegl at Lagkagehuset

Favourite Breakfast & Brunch

Wulff & Konstali

My favourite brunch in Copenhagen is at Wulff & Konstali‘s Nørrebro location, which features robin’s egg blue tile and pale woods. Choose five or seven dishes from a menu of 23 different items to create your own feast. The menu’s always changing, and offers interesting and delicious choices like cheese and mushroom mini panini, watermelon salad with lime, coriander and chili, and poppy seed waffle with berry cream and pistachio, as well as local meats and cheeses, house made baked goods, and fresh juices. So good!

Wulff & Konstali Nørrebro

Mad & Kaffe

Mad & Kaffe also offers an amazing build-your-own brunch option, with the choice between three, five or seven dishes. There are so many tempting dishes to choose from that you’ll have a hard time deciding what to order. I esepcially loved the sea buckthorn pastry, the crispy chicken, and the panna cotta with strawberries and mint. Be sure to try the homemade lemonade – the passion fruit & mint is beyond delicious! Mad & Kaffe now has three locations, with the original located in the eclectic Vesterbro neighbourhood.

Mad & Kaffe

Sonny

Sonny is a tiny spot right in the heart of the city, and it opens bright and early at 7:30am on weekdays, a rarity in Copenhagen. Their breakfast menu is small but tasty, and includes an avocado & egg roll, a granola bowl, and fresh pastries. Sonny’s known for its fantastic coffee, and serves up a range of other drinks including sparkling lemonades like passion fruit oolong and lemon thyme.

Sonny

Favourite Sweet Treats

Bertels Salon

For the best cheesecake in Copenhagen, head to one of Bertels Salon‘s three locations. The city centre location, found  close to Christiansborg Palace, showcases its wide-range of ever-changing cheesecake flavours  in the front window, which will lure you into this cute little spot. Most of the seating is upstairs, with two tables on the main level and a unique nook on the stairway. Bertels is not overly cheap, but the slices are huge and the cheesecakes delicious – my personal favourite is their incredible apple-cinnamon.

Bertels Salon

Dough Girls

Copenhagen was definitely in the market for some gourmet doughnuts, and Dough Girls answered the call. Their donuts are irresistibly delicious, and their offerings change monthly so there is always something new and tempting; the current menu includes Brown Butter Caramel Popcorn & Pretzel and Mango Lime & Coconut Meringue!

Dough Girls

The American Pie Company

American Pie is a joint venture between and American and a Dane. Their selection of sweet and savoury pies change with the seasons and range from the American classics like Apple Cinnamon, to innovative adaptions of Danish classics like Hindbærsnitte, based on a raspberry pastry bar that inspired the Pop-Tart. American Pie can be found in Vesterbro, and in the city centre, where they also hold pie baking classes.

The American Pie Company – City Centre

Favourite International Eats

La Neta

I first visited La Neta in Stockholm, and was excited to see one open in Copenhagen. The original location in Nørrebro is cozy and colourful, and their tacos are fantastic! I love the lunch special, where you can get two large tacos and a side of rice for 95 DKK (13€). La Neta is owned by brewer Mikkeller, so offer a great range of local craft beers, as well as Mexican favourites like margaritas and Jarrisco soda.

La Neta in Nørrebro

SSAM

Three words: Korean. Fried. Chicken. It’s so hard to find in Copenhagen, but look no further! SSAM is a relaxed two-level Korean spot in Vesterbro with great prices and delicious food. The fried chicken with soy and ginger is amazing, and served with a yummy cabbage salad. The bibimbap is also great, and they do really nice cocktails and mocktails as well.

Neighbourhood

Neighbourhood is a perfect spot for dinner with friends. Their fantastic gourmet pizzas are made with seasonal local ingredients on a crispy sourdough crust, and include tasty offerings like garlic shrimp with basil pesto and pickled red onion, and lamb with roasted courgette and salsa verde. They also serve a range of signature cocktails and delicious mocktails. Neighbourhood can be found in Vesterbro, and on one of Copenhagen’s most interesting streets, Jægersborggade in Nørrebro, which is known for its independent shops.

Favourite Cheap Eats

GRØD

GRØD is all about the humble grain, and its specialty is porridge, which is served all day until 5pm. You can order a set bowl (the apple-caramel-almond is incredible), or get inspired and build your own creation. The juices here are also delicious, especially the rhubarb lemonade. From 11am, you can enjoy other grain-based dishes like risotto, congee, and daal. GRØD is so popular that it’s growing fast, with seven Copenhagen locations, including a stand at Torvehallerne Market.

DØP

Danish-style hot dogs are a must-try, and no one does them better than DØP, which has two stands in the city centre. Their gourmet, organic dogs are available in classic pork, spicy beef, chicken with sea buckthorn, and goat with rosemary, on wholesome whole-wheat buns. If you want to indulge, go for the pork dog stuffed with local cheese! DØP also offers a vegan tofu hot dog, and veggie sides.

DØP

H Kitchen

Found in the heart of Copenhagen’s pedestrian area, H Kitchen serves hot and cold bowls at great prices. I loved their soy salmon poké bowl which is just 79 DKK (11€) at lunchtime, as well as their homemade lemonades and iced teas. H Kitchen may not be fancy, but it’s great for a tasty, affordable lunch.

Favourite Specialty Food Shops

Magasin du Nord

The lower level of iconic department store Magasin du Nord is a foodie wonderland. It’s home to the Mad & Vin gourmet grocery store, where you can find Danish and international products, as well as an array of local confectionery stalls. Summerbird chocolates and Johan Bülow licorice are my top recommendations here, but you can find all kinds of delicious goodies like caramels, traditional boiled sweets, gourmet marshmallows and Nordic wine gums.

Summerbird chocolates at Magasin

Nordic Treats

This small, welcoming boutique near Nørreport Station boasts a wide array of Danish brands. Shop Nordic Treats for local goodies like chocolates, licorice, honeys, jams, and snaps, as well as Danish design items like hand towels, water bottles and posters. You can take a break from your shopping with a local drink, ice cream, or cup of coffee.

Ostekælderen

Ostekælderen is the oldest cheese shop in Copenhagen, where you can find incredible local cheeses, crackers, spreads and more. Owner Søren Kirkegaard is incredibly passionate and knowledgeable about his product, and can help you choose the cheese that’s right for you. The absolute must-try is is Gammel Knas, a mild aged Havarti sprinkled with crunchy crystals – it’s perfect with a savoury marmalade.

Søren Kirkegaard’s Ostekælderen

Do you have any recommendations or questions about where to eat and drink in Copenhagen? Let me know!