The rise of new Nordic cuisine has made Copenhagen one of the hottest dining destinations on the planet. Corner bakeries and food markets stay true to Denmark’s food traditions while the city’s 16 Michelin starred restaurants continue to push the culinary envelope. Whether traditional or forward thinking, chefs and purveyors throughout Copenhagen are committed to highlighting the best of what’s local and in season. Grab your fork, these are my recommendations of where to eat in Copenhagen.
Breakfast
Laura’s Bakery
How does one start their day in Denmark? With a danish of course. Popular with locals stopping in for a pastry to fuel up during their morning bike commute Laura’s Bakery is well known for having some of the best baked goods in the Copenhagen. Start your day with one of their indulgent cinnamon rolls(kanelstag if you want to practice your Danish ordering a danish); huge flaky layers filled with an impossible amount of cinnamon and just the right amount of glaze.
The Coffee Collective
Copenhagen is a city fueled by coffee and The Coffee Collective arguably has some of the best. A commitment to sourcing direct from farmers around the world and small batch roasting resulting in an ever changing roster of exceptionally nuanced coffees. Visit any one of their three locations and indulge your inner coffee nerd with a cupping or roastery tour.
Sankt Peders Bakery
Located in the Latin Quarter, this cozy bakery first opened its doors in 1652 making it Copenhagen’s oldest bakery. Serving a variety of pastries and sandwiches, Sankt Peders is best known for for their huge sticky cinnamon rolls known onsdagssnegle. Available only on Wednesday, Sankt Peders sells over 4000 of these famously sweet pastries.
Lunch
Aamann’s Deli
The traditional smorrebrod, or open faced sandwiches, at Aamann’s Deli are almost too pretty to eat. Almost.Chewy Danish brown bread is topped with combos like smoked halibut, crispy potato, fresh spring peas and a lemon emulsion showcasing the simple flavors of Copenhagen in one perfect bite.
Meyers Deli
Started by Danish celebrity chef Claus Meyer, Meyers Deli is the place to get everything you need for a Scandinavian picnic. Dense crusty bread from Meyers Bakery, fine Danish cheeses and cured meats can be found in the market while an array of Nordic dishes, sandwiches and soups can be found in the cafe.
Døp
Located near the Round Tower Døp is showing just how good Copenhagen’s favorite fast food can be. Hot dogs, sausages and veggie dogs are all organic, the bread is whole grain and made from hand and all the toppings from pickles to remoulade are scratch made.
Torvehallerne
Centrally located near the busy Nørreport train station, Copenhagen’s Torvehallerne is the heart of the Danish capital’s culinary scene. Aside from gorgeous seasonal produce, dining options range from traditional smorrebrod and baked goods to Italian and surprisingly good Thai food. The best part? All of these gourmet treats also come with some of the most affordable prices in the city.
Dinner
Amass
California cool meets Copenhagen creativity at Amass. Chef Matt Orlando honed his skills at Per Se, the Fat Duck and Noma before opening his own Michelin star restaurant to great acclaim. Beautifully prepared dishes such as celariac crackers topped with cod and seabuckthorn and grilled pork neck with greens from their onsite garden highlight the seasonality of Danish cuisine.
Kødbyens Fiskebar
In a city known for seafood,Kødbyens Fiskebar is offering up some of the best. Located in Copenhagen’s trendy Vesterbro district, the minimalist industrial dining room puts the focus on simply prepared oysters, mussels and the day’s latest catch.
Noma
Noma, named four times as the Best Restaurant in the World, put Copenhagen and New Nordic cuisine on the culinary map. An ever-changing 18 course menu highlights traditional Scandinavian flavors with techniques and presentations that will change the way you think about food. Unfortunately Noma as we know it will be closing at the end of 2016, but will be re-imagined as an urban farm concept. You can read more about my own Noma experience here.
Rachel says
I am heading here on Friday, I can’t wait to check out Torvehallerne!
Brianna says
Happy eating!
MariaAbroad says
Dinner at Noma is on my Bucket list. I’ve been intrigued by their chef and their style of combining the down to earth cuisine of Scandinavia with the cutting edge prep methods. Great to read about it here.
Brianna says
Noma was definitely a meal of a lifetime for me.
carla says
You are so right about the bread and coffee in Copenhagen. They are all I eat when I was there last December. I wasn’t even interested in going out for dinner hahaha
Brianna says
I can certainly go an entire day in Copenhagen on bread and coffee alone.
Erika says
I’m considering visiting Copenhagen next month, so I’ll definitely keep this post in mind! Though I’m not sure Noma is excatly in my budget…
Brianna says
There are plenty of amazing budget options to be had throughout the city too. Give Aamans a try!
Eloise says
Hot dining destination? 16 Michelin Star restaurants? With the best restaurant in the world? I had no idea it would be in Copenhagen! I had no knowledge at all of the Nordic cuisine before reading your article. Now I’d love to try all this! Thank you so much for sharing!
Brianna says
Glad I could share Copenhagen’s food scene with you 🙂
Caroline says
ALL of this sounds amazing and some looks just too good to eat. Copenhagen has been on my list for a while and this is just what we need fir when we go there. Thank you
Brianna says
Copenhagen has some amazing eats doesn’t it?
Stefan says
Open sandwiches and yummy fish 🙂 Another memory of Denmark was the higgy culture – cosy coffee shops with romantic atmosphere. Pinned to one of our favourite Travel Food boards.
Brianna says
Thanks for pinning! The sense of hygge was one of my favorite aspects of Copenhagen.
Meg Jerrard says
I’ve heard amazing things about Noma, and also about the open faced sandwiches called smørrebrød you can buy on the streets. Can’t wait to get to Denmark for some hot dogs from Døp!
Brianna says
The smorrebrod are truly delicious little works of art!
Jo says
OMG so many options. The food looks so delectable. I would love to try out some of these places especially the coffee collective (You can tell I love coffee lol) and Noma for seafood.
Brianna says
The Coffee Collective served one of the best espressos I’ve ever had!
Wandering Carol says
I’ve been hearing a lot about Copenhagen as a food destination and this helps me see why. I’d love to start my day at Sankt Peders and work up to a gourmet meal in the evening. Noma looks fab.
Brianna says
Noma is worth every single penny!
Bell | Wanderlust Marriage says
These are really great tips, we’ll be back in Copenhagen in October, so we’re definitely excited to check a few of these places out! Have bookmarked this page so I don’t forget! Thank you 🙂
Brianna says
Lucky you, I’m sure you’ll love CPH as much as I do!
Vicki Louise says
I love a good dining hall – and it would be my first stop for checking out all the local produce. Sad fact is it would probably also be my last stop – as I find it hard to drag myself away from great places with lots of choice. I could be tempted by the smorrebrod at Amann’s – it just looks so fresh and tasty!
Laura says
I would obviously first visit Laura’s Bakery 🙂 I wanted to go to Noma when we were there, but it was impossible to get a reservation, of course, so we went to another michelin star restaurant called Ralea. Amass sounds pretty similar. The food looks great.
Brianna says
I’vehread great things about Relea too. Is there evena bad meal to be had in Copenhagen?
Joe Ankenbauer says
So yeah…I need to get to Copenhagen. That food looks incredible! My mouth is watering!
Brianna says
Seriously, the is some awesome food anywhere you go in Copenhagen.
Francesca | The Working Mom's Travels says
I remember stories from another blogging friend who’d been trying for weeks to get a reservation at Noma. She was calling Copehnhagen every day from her home in New York City, months in advance, and was having little to no luck. It really must be that good then, right? Too bad it won’t be around much longer…
I haven’t been to Copenhagen but now I know where to eat when I do make it there. My first stop just might be Laura’s Bakery for that kanelstag!
Brianna says
There is a reason these pastries are called danishes 😉
Caroline says
Some of this food looks too good to eat. Noma has been on my wish list for so long. I am gutted to hear it is closing, but plenty of other good restaurants according to this. Will the new urban farm concept be under new management?
Brianna says
No, the new urban farm will be with the same team. I expect great things!
Vedante | The Lavish Nomad says
Such a cool list! I was reading about Noma on reddit the other day. I also have a friend living in Copenhagen so might as well just forward this to him 😀
Brianna says
Perhaps its time for a visit?
Jenni says
Mmmmm looks delicious I’m going to Copenhagen later in the year so will check these places out
Brianna says
Lucky you, have fun!
Andra says
Wow! This list would have been so useful two years ago when I visited Copenhagen! But I am saving it for next time 🙂 thanks for the info
Brianna says
Perhaps its time for a return trip?
christine says
What a great food scene! We visited Copenhagen and had a great time. Loved the smorrebrod. Couldn’t get into Noma. Have to book way in advance but we had wonderful lunches. It is funny how dinners are more expensive! so if you are on a budget, have big lunch and small dinners! We did also a lot of day excursions outside of the city to visit the amazing coast!
cengiz selçok says
I am so Hangry 😉
Congrats =)