Last September we spent four and a half days in Copenhagen. Even though we couldn’t get a table at Noma, Copenhagen is full of other culinary gems. This guide follows our trip through this fantastic city. While it’s not a complete guide by all means, I did spend quite some time researching online for an itinerary that includes a variety of interesting places, kitchens and activities. The gamut runs between cheap street food and Michelin starred restaurant.
This guide is divided into 5 sections: Breakfast\Brunch, Coffee Shops\Bakeries, Restaurants, Food Markets and Smørrebrød (traditional Danish dish). Each section also includes tips to what kind of things you can see and do in the area and of course a link to the full story on our blog.
At the end of the post you’ll find a map with all the places mentioned for your convenience.
Breakfast/Brunch
1. Grød
Grød is one of the most popular breakfast spots in Copenhagen. What’s so special about Grød that makes it so successful? They are the world’s first porridge bar! If you ask me, turning the grey gooey, 32,000 years old, dish into something chic is a hard task. I think Grød deserves a star for this accomplishment alone.
In the morning section you can find many variations of porridge and many variations of toppings if you want to make your own. For lunch they offer dishes from all across the globe such as risotto, congee (asian rice pudding) and daal. In the evening they serve the same dishes from lunch as well as a cabbage salad and deep fried risotto.
What to do before\after:
After you’re done eating breakfast, Torvehallerne food market will slowly wake to life and you’ll have a chance to stroll around all the great market stalls (over 60), including gourmet chocolate, flowers, exotic and authentic deli items, fruits and vegetables and micro brewery beers.
Read the full story here.
2. Wulff + Konstali
The brunch in Wulff & Konstali has a nice concept. You receive a menu with as many as 21 different delicacies to choose from, and tick the corresponding boxes to create your ideal brunch plate. The attention to details here is obvious. Wulff & Konstali do their best to make sure every plate looks as appealing as it is tasty and it shows – the brunch plates are super photogenic!
What to do before\after:
Get back to the city 😉
Read the full story here.
Coffee Shops/Bakeries
1. The Coffee Collective
Every city has its own coffee shrine, and in the city of Copenhagen that shrine is no other than The Coffee Collective. The Coffee Collective is a brewery roastery with three coffee bars. The flagship branch at Jægersborggade, the central coffee-on-the-go at Torvehallerne and their latest addition to the family at Godthåbsvej. If you visit the Jægersborggade branch, make sure to get some divine pastries from Meyers Bageri across the road to go along with your cup of coffee.
What to do before\after:
Stroll around the hip street Jægersborggade, with its small boutiques, art galleries, wine bars and restaurants.
Read the full story here.
2. Strangas
Two Israelis enter a French patisserie of a Greek pastry chef in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Not a joke. Strangas is a dessert boutique owned by the Greek pastry chef Nikolaous Strangas. We enjoyed every moment in Strangas – from the very warm and welcoming service to the quiet and relaxed atmosphere and of course the tasty sweets. This place really has something for everyone – whether you’re a chocoholic or if you prefer your dessert less sweet and more acidic/fruity. If you’re not a big fan of mousse – you can pick from the pastries and macarons selection.
What to do before\after:
Take your pastries to go and sit by The Lakes, just a two minute walk from Strangas. Here you can watch the swans and the boats and simply enjoy the weather.
Read the full story here.
3. Meyers Bageri
If you’re in town and looking for the perfect morning pastry – this is your go-to bakery. There are many spots in town so look for the one that is closer by.
The pastries available in the bakery are rotated and often includes poppy-seed danish (Tebirkes), raspberry tarts (Hindbærsnitter) and whole grain rye bread (Rugbrød). It would be a crime to skip one of Meyer Bageri’s signature pastries – Cinnamon Swirl (Kanelsnurre), which is probably the best cinnamon roll I’ve had.
What to do before\after:
If the sun is shining you can grab those pastries and head off to Assistens Cemetery which is close by. It’s full of well kept gardens and paths you can stroll around until you find a bench to sit down and eat at. Peaceful, quiet, serene and not gloomy at all. It’s truly one the most beautiful cemeteries/parks I’ve ever been to and a must visit if you are in the area.
Read the full story here.
4. Leckerbaer
Leckerbaer is one of the most charming places you can find in Copenhagen. It’s a bit out of the way but if you have a warm spot in your heart for cookies, it’s well worth the detour.
They focus on traditional Danish cookies plus other pastries and sweets that are given a new, more modern interpretation. Everything is freshly baked and made from scratch.
What to do before\after:
Visit Superkilen, a public park in the Nørrebro district. It is most likely like no other you’ve ever visited – a true architectural gem. This urban park is divided to three zones – red, green and black and includes dozens of artifacts from around the world, a fountain, benches, quirky bicycle lanes and playground equipment.
Read the full story here.
Restaurants
1. Studio
Studio is one of the three restaurants located at The Standard hotel, in the heart of Copenhagen, right by the harbor. The restaurant currently holds one Michelin star, which it earned only four months after opening in October 2013. Like most high end restaurant in Copenhagen, it has a connection to Noma – the head chef of Studio was a sous chef there.
Studio offers a “chef’s table” dining option, which means you’ll get seated at a spacious bar overlooking the open kitchen. We had a chance to witness the preparation of most of our dishes and see the chefs in action. This is the equivalent of first seat rows at the theatre, but without paying extra. If there are seats available I warmly recommend it.
What to do before\after:
Studio has the perfect location, just at the heart of the city. We took the Free Walking tour, which ends really close to Studio. It was a great way to get familiar with the city, learn a bit about its culture and history with our incredible Australian guide Dan.
Read the full story here.
2. Amass
Located practically in the middle of nowhere is an impressive looking industrial warehouse with its own garden. Inside it – Amass – the super hyped restaurant by chef Matt Orlando, formerly of the three-starred and two starred Michelin restaurants.
The graffiti on the walls, the unique location, the trip to and back to the island Refshaleøen on a boat-bus, and last but not least – the decadent and delicious dishes, encompassing their leave no waste behind philosophy – Amass is a visit you’ll remember for long.
What to do before\after:
One of the best ways to get to\from the restaurant is using the harbour buses – it’s cheap and fun alternative to those overpriced tour boats.
Read the full story here.
3. Radio
Radio allows for a somewhat affordable way to get a taste of the Nordic cuisine, while still enjoying creative food. The dishes are complex and adventurous, and reminded us of dishes that you could easily have found in the likes of Noma and Kadeau.
Read the full story here.
4. Kadeau
Kadeau offers food with bold, uncompromising flavors that don’t apologize or try to hide. From dishes like Fermented Wheat Cracker with Mahogany Clam to Mussels Tart with Pickled Pine and Wild Mushrooms and a dessert of Fermented Raspberries, White Currant and Walnut Schnapps. The palette here is unusual, perhaps even experimental for someone accustomed to more westernized, european kitchens and perhaps that’s part of the charm.
What to do before\after:
Stroll through Freetown Christiania, a self-proclaimed autonomous neighborhood and a popular tourist attraction which was founded by a group of hippies in the 70s on an abandoned military base. Here you’ll find cannabis shops, street art, galleries, cafes and historic buildings.
Read the full story here.
5. Höst
Lead by head chef Jonas Christensen, Höst serve contemporary Nordic cuisine emphasizing seasonal produce and utilizing traditional methods of cooking combined with a more contemporary approach to Nordic food.
For dinner you can choose between a-la-carte and two different set menus, and even though on paper there are 3 dishes in each, dinner at Höst includes many other surprises. This is one of the highest VFM meals we’ve had. This is also one hell of an adventurous menu for your palette, with bold, experimental flavors, some of which are quite alien to westerners.
What to do before\after:
Höst is located close to the city center, where it’s quite easy to find ways to amuse yourself.
Read the full story here.
6. Kiin Kiin
Kiin Kiin is the only Thai restaurant in the world outside Thailand with a Michelin star! There is one set menu offered at Kiin Kiin which includes snacks followed by an eight course menu. Kiin Kiin offers Innovative and creative presentation but the Dinner is veeeeeery long (and unnecessarily so). The service was very slow and lacking, which unfortunately detracted much from our experience.
Read the full story here.
Food Markets
1. Copenhagen Street Food on Papirøen
Street food is an essential part of every foodie’s traveling itinerary. In Papirøen you’ll find 35 different food stalls, trucks and containers. It’s located on a tiny, lovely island named “the paper island”. Access to this island used to be difficult but not long ago a bridge was built, granting easy access from Nyhavn.
PapirØen offers cuisine to be had from all over the world – Thai, Korean, Japanese, Colombian, American, Mexican and more. The different stalls at PapirØen sell street food, on a psuedo “street” located inside the huge hangar. The prices though are far from being cheap, as you would expect from street food.
What to do before\after:
Nyhavn is just a bridge away from Papirøen. No photo album from Copenhagen is complete without a picture of the iconic colorful buildings of Nyhavn.
Read the full story here.
2. Torvehallerne
The indoor Torvehallerne food market is perfect for a rainy day. We spent a lovely morning grabbing breakfast from Grød, The Coffee Collective and Lauras Bakery and in another visit strolled around the different market stalls.
Read the full story about Coffee Collective here.
Read the full story about Grød here.
Smørrebrød
Perhaps the dish most identified with traditional danish cuisine is the open faced sandwich known as smørrebrød. It usually consists of dark rye bread, dense with a distinct taste, spread with butter and topped with cold pieces of meat or pickled\smoked fish. The variations are endless.
When traveling I always like to combine old with new, modern with tradition. I was looking for the perfect place to be acquainted with traditional Danish food and get a sense for the culinary heritage. My research came up with two places: Aamanns and ØL & BRØD, which couldn’t be more different.
1. ØL & BRØD
ØL & BRØD, which literally means beer & bread, is owned by Mikkeller, the internationally acclaimed micro brewing company. Their ambition is to create a place with “High quality products served by beer-aficionados to be savored in a distinct, minimalistic Mikkeller-esque setting”. Øl & Brød was not bad at all, but food-wise, service-wise and atmosphere-wise, Aamanns is the better choice in our experience.
What to do before\after:
Just ten minutes walk from ØL & BRØD is Tivoli Gardens, the famous amusement park and pleasure garden. It was opened in 1843, which makes it the oldest operating amusement park in the world!
Read the full story here.
2. Aamanns
The menu at Aamanns takes the classical smørrebrød and elevates it even further. Their set lunch plate is so vibrant, colorful and creative. Each piece looked like a work of art. From Cold Smoked Icelandic Salmon to Grilled Rump Steak and Chicken Salad – Everything was excellent. Make sure you come hungry!
What to do before\after:
Stroll through Østre Anlæg, a lovely garden with three lakes. If you are an art enthusiast, the National Art Museum is just next to it.
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