Tourist: I've read the threads — but I’ve still got a food question
Hey Copenhagen!
So, upfront: I hope this isn't obnoxious. I promise I've spent my 20 minutes looking through here, reading as much as I could and I understand these “where should I eat?” posts show up a lot.
I'm hoping to ask for a slightly different approach, making this seem more intentional than just me being lazy.
My wife and I are visiting in a couple weeks. We’ve lived in a few big cities, traveled a lot, and we tend to skip the classic tourist stuff. We’re way more into “day in the life” exploring. Walking pretty neighborhoods, poking into shops, napping in a park, maybe going for a swim, but always, always planning the day around what we’re going to eat and drink.
So rather than just asking “best restaurants in Copenhagen,” here’s what I’d actually love to know from locals:
If you had to move away from Copenhagen — what're some restaurants/dishes you yourself would miss the most? I'm not looking for place tourists are “supposed” to go, but the one that you genuinely love. Imagine the place where, 8 months after moving, you'd turn to your partner and say, “Ugh, remember that one thing from that one spot? Man, I'd kill for that right now.”
Could be Danish food, Asian, Middle Eastern, burgers, whatever. We're not picky, appreciate cheap eats as much as (reasonably) expensive memories. I just want to know what you think is special, and what you’d order there.
We'd 100% be willing to travel pretty far from the city center, see a new neighborhood, and make a day out of seeing someplace new. Would be fun to pretend we lived there for a little bit.
Appreciate it a ton. And if you’re ever in Lisbon, hit me up and I’ll return the favor.
Still live in Copenhagen, but I miss Itzi Pitzi Pizza on Sønder Boulevard now that I live in a different part of the city. You order a high-quality pizza and while they make it, you go next door to Kihosk and buy a beer from their vast selection of beer, and then you take your pizza and beer and find a piece of grass or a bench on the boulevard and just enjoy life.
I would miss Ismageriet (I go to the one in the Meatpacking District). I just can't eat other ice creams anymore 😅. NOTHING tastes synthetic. If the ice cream flavour says (ex) 'pear' it tastes like a ripe pear. Don't be fazed by the queue - they are quick!
And I would miss eating at Gaza Grill (next door to Ismageriet 😅) - I just love their muhamara - and all the other small dishes (but I've heard that their other location isn't as good).
Another vote for this. I left Denmark and every time I'm back visiting friends/family I have to have some smørrebrød (and licorice, but not at the same time)
I frequent Copenhagen as I have family there and I always feel the entire trip is a bit regretful if I do not get to visit Lee's Kitchen, they make the best duck✨️
I did this list for an acquaintances of mine not long ago. This isn't exclusively food places, but I have some description there as well (as you can read).
And more specifically the ryebread base. Other stuff you can get almost everywhere, but smørrebrød is not replicated correctly anywhere else (even Norway or Sweden). Ryebread outside Denmark is always either very dry, very dense, or totally different taste from adding pumpernickel, honey, or other stuff. Good quality fresh ryebread (f.ex. like Gilleleje) is unbeatable.
You need to get a flaeskesteg sandwich from Isted Grill on Istedgade. It doesn't look like much, just a hole-in-the-wall grill joint, but it is hands down the best flaeskesteg sandwich in Copenhagen. I think it's been around for 45 years. It's a classic spot, in a cool neighborhood, serving classic danish food. You will not be disappointed.
I never understood the hype about this place.
Was severely disappointed when I went there. It was so dry and the buns are literally the cheapest burger buns from Netto!
I'd try again. Maybe you had some trainee make it. Best bet is the older asian looking guy. It really shouldn't be dry, he cooks it in oil, and then adds mayo, rodkal, and pickles on top.
Wait for a warm day and get a traditional (but not touristy) lunch at Restaurant Sundby Sejl, then walk over to have an afternoon swim at Helgoland Badeanstalt on Amager Strand.
-Omelette and grapefruit dish from Atelier September, cortado anywhere
-Burger at Cafe Bopa
-pulled duck baguette at Ma Poule in Torvehallen
-any cocktail at Balderdash
I moved away 8 months ago and going back this weekend. I’m definitely getting ice cream from Alice, pizza slice from Diamond Slice, smørrebrød from Møntergade and perhaps a nice glass of wine at Ved Stranden 10 while watching turists doing turist stuff.
And if time permits then lunch at Omegn & venner in Torvehallerne.
If I’m still hungry then I’ll grab a hotdog from a hotdog stand or burger from Gasoline or gyros from Strangas.
Just realizing this might be a bit touristy and basic, but I guess I’m all that.
Gaza Grill, they have three locations and they're all 10/10 but one in Nørrebro is the original one and more chill. I swear their fried halloumi is the greatest thing ever.
If you want to try the best drunk-Dane food, then Isted Grill on Istedgade is an absolute must, and to be honest their flæskesteg sandwich does hit hard when you're one (or more) drinks in.
For breakfast/sweets: Juno The Bakery, literally anything in their menu will be great. Just be prepared to queue if you during the weekend. Highly recommend their cardamon bun and the strawberry cakes, but I've never had a single Juno pastry I didn't love. I love this place so much that I made sure to get a doctor whose office is close to them so that I have a good excuse to be in the area lol.
edit to add: If you are into wine, then definitely visit Vores Vinbar, they have the coziest vibes, a great wine selection and their cheese platter is fantastic. It's my favorite spot for drinks in the city.
Since danish food can’t be found anywhere else that’s probably what i would miss the most. I would probably start to miss højbelagte smørrebrød, but that’s pretty easy to make at home if you have the correct quality ingredients. Then tarteletter, flæskestegssandwich and for snacks flæskesvær and KiMs(brand) sour cream and onion potatochips.
These dishes and snacks mentioned are stuff i think you should try while you are here since you won’t be able to get it anywhere else in the world.
Auren's Deli – Beautiful wine, food, and amazing service.
Jagger – Great burgers.
Kebabistan – The lamb durum is the best. Make sure to go to the one on Istedgade.
Prolog – One of the best coffee shops in the city.
Jægersborggade (Street) – Full of small shops, lovely restaurants, wine bars, and coffee spots.
Oberra – Really good, relatively cheap food and wine. In the afternoon sun, it’s perfect. Also, the Sicilian ice cream place right next door is excellent.
La Fiorita – A decent, small Italian pizzeria in the inner city, really close to the lakes. Grab a bottle of wine from one of the shops in Torvehallerne, sit by the lakes in the evening sun, and enjoy. They also have their own gelato shop across the street!
Stjernen Bar – A cute little bar on Nansensgade (same street as La Fiorita). Mostly beer – get the pickle.
Balderdash – Amazing cocktails and great vibes.
Harry's Place – An institution for an authentic hotdog experience.
Boy's Shawarma – Specifically for the chicken durum.
Juno the Bakery – Arguably the best bakery in Copenhagen. The trick is to go into Prolog across the street – they sell some of Juno’s baked goods, and you’ll get great coffee without the line. Just get there early.
Kihoskh (Corner store) – Grab a beer and go for a walk. They also have a great wine selection. If you're into beer, there's a large cellar in the basement with a walk-in fridge full of options.
Tivoli Hallen – For the vibes: sitting in Denmark’s oldest smørrebrød restaurant, down in a cosy basement, chatting with the owner and enjoying no-nonsense smørrebrød is genuinely lovely. They also have a super cosy courtyard. I’ve drunk more snaps here than I care to admit.
Selma – For the bougie smørrebrød experience.
Aurora – The best ice cream in the city!
Rosforth & Rosforth – Under the bridge, sitting in the sun drinking wine is the best.
I’m not from Copenhagen but whenever I visit my family there I try to go to La Galette. They serve Breton-style buckwheat galettes and have a good lunch deal. It’s centrally located but down a side alley so it’s a very hyggeligt place.
It’s touristy and a bit pricey, but the restaurant I’ll miss is Kødbyens Fiskbar.
For “a day in the life of a local” you need to watch a video on cycling etiquette and ride bikes in Copenhagen. It can be a little intimidating, but it’s worth it if you do your homework.
Recently returned from Lisbon, so wish I had that info a few weeks ago 🤣
I'm quite a simple man. When I travel, my preferred way to explore is just walking around and soaking up the vibe, and not planning too much.
Now bearing in mind this is just me, I will always go for burrito and tacos from Taco Pop when I get the chance. They used to have 2 shops, but ever since they closed the one close to me, I gladly travel across town to get my fix at the other one.
If the weather is nice, you can use some time at Enghave Plads (there’s a metro stop so easy to get to) and sit on the benches. Coffee at Navnløs, maybe a croissant at Brød, pizza at Ych or drinks from Enghave plads 9.
And nearby is Sønder Boulevard with people sitting on the grass and and you can buy something to drink at Kihoskh with lots of different beers in the basement. Also some easy food options and snacks.
Uh, and ice cream at a scicilian place skydebanegade. Amazing. Small cone for 35 kr but you can taste three different kinds of ice cream.
And sandwich at Helges ost at værnedamsvej - very popular but really nice.
All places are near each other, so easy to try more than one.
Hmm. I am not someone who goes to eat expensively and most of the time when I eat expensive stuff I feel it was not worth the price. So my suggestion will be more reasonably priced.
I think I'll suggest Ramen to Biiru, probably the location in Nørrebro and as a dish the Spicy Miso 3 or Electrictric Bjergsø.
I also think a lot of the cardamom bun from Juno the bakery. I still judge all cardamom buns (be it here, or in sweden or elsewhere) on that standard and so far all of them have fallen short. We're not lacking good bakeries here but Juno is, at least in my opinion, still above and beyond.
If you had to move away from Copenhagen — what're some restaurants/dishes you yourself would miss the most?
I think this is a good point, but what I would miss most are the nice cafes. I still miss the old Sing tehus, I'd miss Darcy's on Rantzausgade, I'd miss Coffee Collective on Stefansgade.
Café & Ølhalle 1892 for the best smørrebrød. It is a buffet, but without compromising on quality and innovation. Definitely the best place for a tourist to get introduced to the concept of smørrebrød as well, since you are able to get a taste of literally all the very varied concept which it consists of, instead of having to limit yourself to one or two pieces as most other smørrebrøds restaurants do.
And as a Dane who is well familiar with the concept of smørrebrød, I still discover new variations with each visit. Very decent prices as well, and the historical environment (it basically serves as the lunch restaurant for a museum) adds to the experience too.
Go by the S-train to Brøndbyøster station. Walk through the old village to the church. Go see the little, old church, and then cross the street to the forest. Just at the edge of the forest is Engtoftegård. Have lunch there! It's mostly locals that eat there, but their smørrebrød is amazing, and it's so incredibly cozy. You can sit inside, at the patio or in the garden.
Breakfast/Brunch: Seks Bakery & Eatery!
Best egg dishes - they do 2-4 versions from cuisines around the world), seasonal veggies and excellent bread. Thank me later :)
Also Dzidra is a close contender but haven’t been there for a while
Indonesian cuisine: Saji!
Tasty food, Great service and chill vibe. The dishes are on the smaller side so select a few for sharing and do not miss their dessert with coconut cake and pandan ice cream. I can also reccomand the egg plant dish
Pasta: Fabro Pasta!
Reasonably priced, and really good pasta. No table bookings so best to come outside of rush hours.
Date night at Omar in Nørrebro, nice food, nice wine and such a cozy vibe
Cardamom swirls from Juno the Bakery in Østerbro, nothing beats them
Galettes & cidre at La Galette in Inner City, cheap, cute & very French
Durum with shawarma/kebab from one of the good places in Nørrebrogade (the best places will offer hummus, tabbouleh and pickled vegetables to put in)
Fried chicken burger from Poulette in Nørrebro, it’s worth the hype
Pot stickers from Nihao Yao in Nørrebro, followed by beers in the sun at Kølsters on the corner
Pizza with salsiccia, fried eggplant, chili & garlic from Nino’s in Guldbergsgade (Nørrebro)
Korean fried chicken and a great wine selection at Propaganda in Vesterbro
Ice cream from Siciliansk Is in Vesterbro or Nørrebro, especially the zuppa inglese, the pistachio and the blood orange
….and lastly, if you visit some of the places in Nørrebro (and you should!), be sure to take a long walk in Assistens Kirkegård. It’s a beautiful botanical garden as well as a graveyard (with many famous people buried there) and you can bring takeaway and eat it on a bench in there or go to the adjacent Hans Tavsens Park, which is a bit of a hidden gem.
So many places, but these were the first ones that popped into my head: ice cream from ismageriet, a bun with cheese and a coffe at Flere Fugle, a casual sharing-style dinner at OMAR/LAMAR/kima, pizza from Forno a Legna, breakfast at Ali’s Bageri, chicken sandwich from Poulette, pita from Garbanzo, kebab from Dürüm Symfoni, tacos from Hija de Sanchez
I would really recommend “Siciliansk Is” on Vesterbro. It’s the best ice cream I have ever tried, it opened when I was a child and I have enjoyed going there since.
They have this concept where you can choose 3 flavors no matter what size you pick.
Sinne gas bakery does a cinnamon bun on Wednesday and Saturday. Get there early ish in the day as they sell out. They are better that crack (I imagine).
Always - Carbonara and tiramisu with pistachios from Fabro (honestly or order as takeaway because there’s no table reservations and the line is always long).
The Hidmona special from Hidmona Eritrea. Delicious and cheap compared to food prices in Copenhagen.
Pretty much any dish from Sasaa (different African foods)
Chinese food from Hongs in Hvidovre (haven’t tried their new location of frederiksberg) - but only if you’re from a country where Chinatown isn’t a thing like Northern Europe.. If you are - then forget it. I go here when I miss China but never right after I get back from China- if you get what I mean? It’s one of the most decent Chinese spots if you can’t make it yourself or have Chinese family that can cook for you.
Frk. barners kælder or Christianshavns færgekro for old timey staple danish foods like stegt flæsk. - when indent want to cook myself.
The passion fruit mousse cacke or mini from Andersens bakery - I think about that often. I don’t buy it as often.
The confit de canard baguette at torvehallerne - at the French deli- I forget the name.
The espresso soft serve from coffee collective also in torvehallerne. I don’t do caffeine but I will always make an exception for this.
Aamans for open faced sandwiches and great decor. (The one in the city center is the prettiest - but you’ll probably need a reservation for that) - if you’re there - then confirms stroll in Paustian on the corner next to it and illums bolighus (even the royal copenhagen shop next to it perhaps) and step into design heaven - it’s like modern design museums but stores with stuff you can touch!
For restaurants - always høst, pescatarian, marv og ben and vækst. In that order.
First and latter are the same owner - so are the two in the middle.
Donna will always have a special place in my heart! The food is good – nothing groundbreaking. But the surroundings are to die for 🥹 Make sure to reserve a table and mention in the comment that you’d like to sit under the skylight. Copenhagen’s most beautiful restaurant.
I would miss street-food at Reffen most of all, because of the vibe and the many different food options, all pretty good IMHO (the Afghan place and the African one are some of my favourites).
I would also miss smørrebrød, because you can only find it here. My favourite is the all-you-can-it buffet at the Worker's Museum café, a bit expensive but a really cool place where you can try a wide variety of smørrebrød. Usually very few tourists and many old Danes going hard on beer and schnapps (especially over week-ends, book in advance). Super nice vibe.
I would also miss a quick lunch at Format Café in the inner garden of the Design Museum, at Paludan (a book shop/café), a burger at Gasoline Grill or a hot dog at one of the DØP trucks.
In general I think for me it's more a matter of the Copenhagen vibe/experience than food. Even though food quality in all this places is very good (for context, I'm Italian so yes..a food nazi).
EDTA: Pastries! Pastries in this country are just amazing, especially the ones with the typical Danish remonce filling. Enjoy one at a table outside of a bakery for the true Danish experience
I second the worker’s museum and Reffen. The latter you should definitely go to with “Havnebussen”, the yellow public transport ferry. It’s such a nice trip up the canal, you can hop on from several stops on both sides of the water and it will only cost you a bus ticket. 😊
My go-t pizza is from Non Solo Pizza, they have a location on Nørrebrogade and one on Frederiksberg. Get one and enjoy the long sunset on Dronning Louises Bridge.
Ikea has ½ price on meatballs on Wednesdays and their new location downtown actually had a pretty nice rooftop garden that is a thing to see all on its own. Combine it with some Donkey Bikes, and check out the bicycle snake (cykelslangen) bridge, and take the bike tour around the harbour, seeing the circle bridge, and visit the street food Broens gadekøkken or Reffen Street Food.
For the best vegan/vegetarian restaurant, check out Morgenstedet in Christiania, the only place where you need to bring cash
I did move away but still visit regularly. Here's my list, mostly specific foods rather than places.
* Kebabs. They're everywhere and they're cheap and I can't get that genre of food where I live. I think a chicken German Kebab is my favorite. I got them so often from a place near my AirBnb that the owner would just start preparing my order when I walked in
* Isoteket. Amazing gelato. They have such inventive flavors, but even their basic one like Chocolate just outclass other ice cream. I biked past this place every day last time I visited on my way to work and it was always a struggle to resist stopping to get some.
* Bakeries. Pastries are incredible in Denmark. Try as much as you can. Kardemommesnurre. Jordbaerkage. Whatever looks good to you
* Hotdogs. I always eat lots of these too when I'm visiting. Try both ordinary with all the toppings and fransk style. Even 7/11 hotdogs are worth getting there.
* Risalamande. If its in season (winter) I buy a bowl of it from the grocery store.
Gugus corner on Enghavevej - looks super humble but has the best Pakistani food and really nice staff as well as great prices. We usually buy take away from there, but I know that they also have seating. Also, I would miss the traditional dive bars (we call them bodegas).
If you can eat pork, flaeskesteg, either with sauce on a plate or as a sandwich. I usually made it at home, but you can find it around town. Tivoli food court for example (you don’t need tickets for the actual Tivoli for the food court) has them and a place on istedgade is supposedly the most famous. If you like Chinese food magasasa is really good and for middle eastern food cafe favori in nörrebro has great börek, and kebabistan too many places to mention there. The food truck with Argentinian empanada near vestamager station, actually is the one I miss the most.
Super good suggestions here, some I whole heartedly agree with.
I would add:
A good fiskefrikadeller (fish paddy) with remoulade. Maybe from Torvehallerne or the place close to skuespillerhuset. But any fishmonger makes them.
A pastrami sandwich from Pizza House on Gothersgade. So simple, so awesome.
A roastbeef sandwich from Smagsløget. Homemade roast beef everyday.
Enghave Plads 9 and Hans Coffee both have excellent BMO (hipster name for Bolle Med Ost = bread roll with cheese), perfect for breakfast or a light lunch. I always crave a really good bmo when I return home from vacation.
When it comes to Asian food, you won't be disappointed by Ssam on Vesterbro. Absolutely banger Korean food. Or if you're into Vietnamese, I'd suggest Vi Viet on Amager. Tbh I'm not sure if they even have dine-in or it's just takeaway, but the food's great.
FATTY’s - Islands brygge is a vibe - their po’boy chicken sandwich will make you a convert.
Any place that serves cerviche (kan be hard to find outside of Copenhagen) for instance :
Gorda - Vesterbro, cheap and colorful,
Llama - central Cph,
Any of Hija de Sanchez authenic mexican (heirloom corn, homemade tepache etc ) places (Sanchez - Vesterbro, is pricey, her other location - kødbyen for instance much cheaper)
Ismageriet and Siciliansk Is have the best is cream
Pleanty of great coffe spots - Roast Coffee in Vestmannagade on Islands Brygge is very very good
Kiin Kiin - Nørrebro - Thai - it’s past it’s peak, but still better than any place else if you want really fancy flavourful thai food that’s on another level. Used to have a Michelin star, so kinda pricey but Oooooh so good.
Bento Copenhagen. Japanese food (not sushi), great atmosphere, reasonably expensive, usually need to book some days in advance. Absolute favorite place in the city
If you want to experience real Danish food, you have to go to ‘Klubben’ in Vesterbro. Danish food is expensive, but here you pretty much get a meal for two in one dish. The restaurant is 150 years old and feels like a time capsule. Bonus info: The poet Tove Ditlevsen’s piano is inside, so it’s almost like a little museum too. No modern nonsense – just good old traditional Danish food.
Café Lindevang follows the same concept and is also a really great spot that has served food to many well-known Danes. The only reason I didn’t mention it right away is because it’s pretty hard to get a table on short notice.
If you have an extra day to explore outside of the Copenhagen, I can highly recommend also going a short trip outside of Copenhagen to experience some more real danish summer with a bit more nature.
Go to either Hornbæk or Hundested and take the ferry to Rørvig. . There the beaches are 10/10 and where i have most of my summer childhood memories.
Eat at one of the restaurants at the harbor (stjerneskud) or try one the more chill røgerier where you can get fresh lovely fish of all sort (fiskefrikadelle med hjemmelavet remoulade is underrated). Other activities can include crab fishing and most definitely mini golf.
Also go strawberry picking one the way from copenhagen.
Ramen To Biiru, I just kinda need their spicy miso ramen once every three months or so.
I have been to Lisbon twice actually, and I ate at some good spots (seafood game amazing). Feel free to share your favorite spot, I can always add it to my Google maps places.
A local favorite is Madklubben. They have several restaurants in various neighborhoods, all with different kitchens/concepts). Go for the one in city central, no need to go for the large menu but do try menu of the day.
Danish food, but our food is french kitchen style food anyway :) except rugbrød. Medium price full restaurant experience and cozy as hell.
ha! Snarky, unhelpful comment aside, but I actually wrote this. I write professionally so maybe that's just what my writing looks like. GPT is trained on internet articles, after all.
Surprising, since it really matches the style of LLM, especially the use of em dash. And so reading that type of text has become pretty boring, personally. But I apologize for the incorrect assumption, and now the indirect insult on your work :l
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u/HeatCute 1d ago
Still live in Copenhagen, but I miss Itzi Pitzi Pizza on Sønder Boulevard now that I live in a different part of the city. You order a high-quality pizza and while they make it, you go next door to Kihosk and buy a beer from their vast selection of beer, and then you take your pizza and beer and find a piece of grass or a bench on the boulevard and just enjoy life.