Copenhagen has so many great places to eat, from leading Michelin-starred restaurants to artisan bakeries with the flakiest pastries, and you’ll definitely want to plan your city break around them. The standard of food and hospitality is very high in the Danish capital and you can easily find expert cooking, superior produce and a hyggelig atmosphere all across town.
Eating out there can be expensive for visitors, but I’ve found the best way to enjoy Copenhagen is to order the set dinner menu at a good restaurant, as they are usually well-composed and offer excellent value (as well as fuelling up for the day with a big hotel breakfast).
I first visited Copenhagen a few years ago and had a memorable five-course dinner at Höst, delicious sourdough pizza at Mother, gourmet burgers at Cocks and Cows at Hotel SP34 and warming street food at the Torvehallerne food hall. This time, we discovered more gems and further explored the vibrant Kødbyen (Meatpacking District). Here are some top places to add to your list…
BÆST
BÆST by Michelin-starred chef Christian Puglisi appears on every ‘best pizza in the world’ list and it’s definitely an essential stop on any pizza pilgrimage.
This game-changing Nørrebro restaurant takes a uniquely Danish approach to Italian cooking and has its own sustainable eco system. Fresh ingredients are sourced from Puglisi’s organic Farm of Ideas, while the artisan cheeses and charcuterie are made upstairs in the micro-dairy and salumeria and bread comes straight from the oven at Mirabelle bakery next door.
Pizza, however, is just one aspect of the kitchen’s offering, and you can feast on sharing plates such as BÆST speck and mozzarella, Burrata with Hokkaido pumpkin and grilled herb oil, Chicken thighs with miso glaze and Grilled rib-eye with kale, elderflower and capers. The full BÆST Experience and Sunday Brunch offers a selection of small plates, pizza and dessert, so you can try a bit of everything.
As we were short on time, we enjoyed a lighter lunch of two pizzas, which were served one at a time for sharing. The first pizza – Tomato passata, garlic, BÆST Stracciatella and oregano – was definitely our favourite. The dough was nicely blistered and ever so light and the combination of the extra-juicy tomatoes, creamy Stracciatella, slivers of punchy garlic and fresh micro-herbs was absolutely dreamy.
Pizza number 7 – Savoy Cabbage, smoked BÆST Mozzarella, Hindsholm sausage and Pecorino Romano – was indulgent and complex with high quality meat, a drizzle of oil and a surprising tartness from the cheese. I’d love to go back and try even more of the menu next time.
Fleisch
Copenhagen’s Meatpacking District is packed full of outstanding restaurants and bars and you could easily spend every night there working through them all. One of the best is Fleisch, a white tiled butcher shop, bar and restaurant with a surprisingly cosy atmosphere.
From the name of the restaurant, you might expect it to be a full nose-to-tail experience, but the style of cooking is actually on the classic side. We visited in the evening for the five-course butcher’s menu filled with tempting, varied dishes. To begin, we grazed on moreish Serrano ham and springy sourdough bread with salted butter, while waiting for our sharing starters.
Ceviche of pike perch with yellow chilli, lime, ginger, shallots, radish and black sesame was incredibly fresh and tangy and a real contrast to the hearty, satisfying Crispy croquette of game with stewed kale.
Sirloin beef tartare had a silky texture and mature flavour and it went perfectly with the flavourful pickled parsley roots, porcini mayo and root chips.
The main dish of Fried duck breast, duck sausage, stewed white cabbage, glazed beetroot, prunes and port wine sauce was an absolute delight with rich, seasonal flavours and exceptional, tender meat.
The meal ended on a decadent note with a luscious dessert – Cherry sorbet, cherry compote, creme anglaise and dark chocolate.
If you book one indulgent dinner in Copenhagen, make it Fleisch and you won’t be disappointed.
Warpigs
Just around the corner from Fleisch is Warpigs, a temple of smoked meats, craft beer and rock music. This well-established brewpub specialises in authentic Texan-style barbecue and has an on-site brewery with 22 American-Danish beers on tap.
Warpigs is one of the most popular spots in the Meatpacking District and it can be hard to grab a seat on busy evenings, but it’s definitely worth the wait, especially since there’s no waiting around for your food. It has a bit of a school canteen vibe where you sit at a communal table and queue at the counter for the pit master to fill your tray with different meats, freshly carved and weighed to order. Then, it’s over to the bar to collect the drinks and within moments you can ravenously dig in!
We shared the Trooper Tray packed with 1/4lb spare rib, 1/4 pulled pork, 1/4 link sausage and two side, plus an extra 1/2lb of brisket. The sausages had a touch of curry spice and the meats were so tender and smoky with a punchy dry rub and a thin melt-in-the-mouth layer of fat on the brisket.
The mac and cheese wasn’t very cheesy and the sauce tasted like more of a beer-infused bechamel, but it was still rather scrumptious and the burnt end baked beans were tangy with a real chilli kick. We washed it all down with a delicious Existential Crisis IPA, full of aromatic honey notes.
The soundtrack was more ‘Friday night rock classics’ than the ‘death metal’ that is often mentioned in reviews, but the atmosphere was great and we had a lot of fun. I’ll never forget the entire place singing along to Radiohead’s Creep, forks waving in the air.
Hija de Sanchez
Hija de Sanchez is the place in Copenhagen for authentic Mexican tacos. Chef and restaurateur Rosio Sanchez moved from Chicago to Copenhagen to work at noma and opened her first taqueria in the Torvehallerne food market in 2015. There are now four Hija de Sanchez taquerias and the high-end Sanchez restaurant with a five-course tasting menu in Vesterbro.
Hija de Sanchez uses high quality local meat and vegetables and everything is home-made, from the tortillas to the sauces. For that authentic flavour, the corn and organic quesillo are imported from Mexico.
To try a bit of everything, go for the combo of the day with salsa, including one barbacoa taco, one pastor taco and one vegetarian taco. The meat tacos are rich, generously filled and finished with fresh herbs, however they’re some of the most subtle, singular tacos I’ve tried (keeping with tradition). We also enjoyed sides of tortilla chips and guacamole and red rice with peas, corn, pinto beans and fresh cheese.
Studio x Kitchen
It’s hard to find cafes with a neighbourhood feel in the city centre, but Studio x Kitchen on Dronningens Tværgade has that cosy, friendly vibe. It’s perfect for a light lunch or coffee break and everything is home-made, using high quality ingredients from local farms, and presented on pottery plates.
Go for their signature folded eggs from Søagergård with either Gammel Knas cheese and nduja butter or Birkemosegaard kale, preserved citrus vinaigrette and hazelnuts with home-made sesame focaccia – both delicious. There are also excellent flat whites and artisanal Japanese teas, plus tempting baked treats at the counter.
YOBURGER
On one of our nights in Copenhagen there was a big storm, so a low-key take-out burger was on the cards. We headed for the famous Gasolene Grill, but when it closed early for the evening all was not lost, as YOBURGER (a favourite of Emili Sindlev) was just around the corner.
We went big and ordered a double Yobacon’ Avo Menu each, which came with crispy skin-on fries and a can of soda. The burger was huge and delicious with two patties of ground Danish beef grilled perfectly medium, smoky bacon, half an avocado sliced, gooey American cheese, signature burger sauce, fresh tomato and lettuce all packed inside a Belgian butter brioche bun.
At 159 DKK, it’s probably the most I’ve ever paid for a gourmet fast food burger meal, but the quality was great and it seems in line with similar burger joints in Copenhagen.
Kafeteria
SMK (National Gallery of Denmark) is one of the best art galleries I’ve ever been to, with stunning architecture, excellent curation and a bit of everything on display, from the Dutch Masters to contemporary Danish sculpture. It’s also home to Kafeteria by chef and restaurateur Frederik Bille Brahe, who also operates the stylish Atelier September and Apollo Bar & Kantine.
We enjoyed a light lunch of warming, velvety Pumpkin soup with coconut yoghurt and seeds with fantastic sourdough bread.
Just when we were trying to be healthy, the little girl sitting next to us tucked into the most enormous stack of pancakes with mascarpone and maple syrup and I couldn’t help feeling a touch of food envy, but there’s always next time!
Hooked
One thing I love about Copenhagen is the abundance of fresh seafood, especially when it’s served in a casual street food style. Hooked began as a food truck at the city’s food markets and festivals and it became so popular that its first restaurant opened in 2017.
Its sixth location recently opened at Christianshavn, with a wallet-friendly 20% intro offer, so we popped along for a tasty lunch after an early morning of travelling. It’s a casual, cave-like restaurant where you can drop by or book a table.
I couldn’t resist ordering the deliciously authentic American lobster roll with warm pieces of fresh lobster doused in brown butter and lemon in a toasted brioche bun, finished with chive, mayo and thin crispy onions. It was served with a huge portion of Hooked’s signature chunky vinegar fries (so good) and a moreish truffle mayo dip as part of a combo.
Fish and chips was also excellent with a succulent fillet of pollack fried in spiced breadcrumbs, vinegar fries, pea mint mash and tartar sauce.
Conditori La Glace
There’s something truly magical about Conditori La Glace, Denmark’s oldest patisserie and tea salon (dating back to 1870). In the winter, there is a constant queue in front of the extravagant window displays laden with cakes and sweets, however it’s well worth the wait to get a table.
La Glace specialises in traditional Danish pastries (many named after composers, actresses and royals), confectionery and towering layer cakes. The signature hot chocolate is served in a silver jug with pots of fresh whipped cream and you can visit the counter for a refill.
We paired our hot chocolate with a slice of Cherry Christmas – a decadent, bright red cake with cherries, Christmas spices, mascarpone and an almond base.
We enjoyed La Glace so much that we went back the next day for another warming hot chocolate – it’s hard to resist!
The American Pie Co.
Stumbling across an authentic American pie shop in the middle of Copenhagen was a joyful and unexpected discovery and the aromas of apples and spice lured us in. The American Pie Co. – a cosy cafe and bakery on the corner of Skindergade – has a 1920s diner-meets-apothecary vibe with a big American flag and vintage pie pans adorning the walls.
There is a tempting array of both savoury and sweet pies at the counter – in classic flavours like pumpkin, cranberry, chocolate peppermint and brandy butterscotch.
We ordered a slice of Bourbon pecan pie and Salted apple caramel pie with big glasses filled with hot apple cider. Both pies were absolutely delicious and a good contrast and the hot apple cider was spicy and tangy without being overly sweet.
Slices of pie are also available for take-out and you can order whole pies in advance – I did wonder if we could sneak one back on the plane!
Have you been on a foodie trip to Copenhagen? Where are your favourite places to eat?
All images by Chérie City
