Danish food hadn’t really made an impact on the International stage until a new wave of chefs brought restaurants like Noma into the public eye. There is a huge range of restaurants in Copenhagen, serving up everything from elegant cuisine to traditional homely fare, but if you are wondering exactly what to eat in Copenhagen there are several Danish dishes which consistently feature on menus in some form or other. I’ve chosen my favourites for this Copenhagen food guide, so here are 10 dishes which you simply must eat in Copenhagen!
How to Find the Best Food in Copenhagen
Tracking down tasty food and fabulous restaurants in Copenhagen is not difficult, from street food hot dogs to Michelin stars, there is delicious food everywhere in the Danish capital. However, for a first-time visitor to Copenhagen, the choice can be overwhelming, so you may prefer to join a tour and have a guide pick out the best dishes for you to try.
Highly-rated food tours in Copenhagen include this Culinary Experience Tour, a 4-hour food and cultural city walking tour which includes lots of tasty things to eat as you explore Copenhagen through its food. The tour doesn’t run every day though so check availability for your dates here:
If you prefer to explore on two wheels, this Culinary Bike Tour will show you the sights as well as plenty of food.
Alternatively, learn more about the Danish concept of hygge by visiting cosy cafes and enjoying some delicious Danish pastries on this Hygge and Happiness Culture Tour.
Looking for more things to do in Copenhagen? Check out the most popular tours and activities in Copenhagen that you might be interested in:
Travel Safely
- Leave valuables at home and don't keep all your money and credit cards in one place. I love hidden pocket clothing like this travel scarf for stashing my cash and passport or a belt with a hidden pocket. Read more about how to hide money while travelling.
- Bring a water bottle with a built-in filter so you can safely drink water from any fresh water source while saving money and reducing plastic use. I take my Water-to-Go bottle with me everywhere!
- Unfortunately, things can and do go wrong when you travel. I always buy travel insurance and was very glad I had insurance when I had my laptop and passport stolen in Ecuador! Consider getting insurance for your trip to cover things like trip cancellation, emergency medical, lost luggage and stolen items, as well as adventure sports and activities and more.
- I chose World Nomads Travel Insurance for my recent backpacking trip to Australia and New Zealand. They offer travel insurance for independent travellers and intrepid families and you can get a quote, make a claim, or buy or extend your policy while on the road
As an affiliate, I receive a fee when you get a quote from World Nomads using this link. I do not represent World Nomads. This is information only and not a recommendation to buy travel insurance.
What to Eat in Copenhagen
If you’re happy to eat Copenhagen’s best food by hunting it out yourself then check out these tasty treats – my pick of the dishes you must try in Copenhagen Denmark!
Porridge
If you are visiting Copenhagen in winter there is nothing better than a warm bowl of porridge to start the day. Danes love a good porridge but banish those thoughts of soggy flavourless mush that passes for porridge in some places.
Porridge in Copenhagen is a wonderful thing, complemented with fresh fruit toppings, tasty sauces, crunchy nuts and even savoury flavours as a kind of porridge risotto.
Head to Grød in the Torvehallerne for steaming bowls of deliciousness. The ‘All In’ porridge will keep you full for most of the day, but I was more than happy with a small bowl of oat porridge topped with homemade caramel sauce, fresh apple and roasted almonds.
A Tasty Burger
I’m not sure if the proximity to Hamburg has anything to do with it, but burgers in Denmark are INSANE! There is no shortage of restaurants serving up fat juicy burgers, but some of the best burgers in Copenhagen are from an unlikely source.
Gasoline Grill is a burger stand perched on the platform of a train station, which doesn’t make for an ideal ambience, but the burgers are incredible. The fries were too salty for me, but a dip in the Gasoline Sauce helped! There are several outlets across Copenhagen, so keep an eye out for them.
Your stomach will thank you, especially if you had a few too many beers the night before!
What to Eat in Copenhagen: Hotdogs
Another perhaps unlikely staple of Copenhagen cuisine is the humble hotdog, elevated to an enticing meal with the help of piled-high toppings and lashings of mustard. The most famous Danish street food in Copenhagen, you will find hotdog stands all around the city. I don’t even like pickles but was won over – be sure to try this fabulous cheap meal in Copenhagen!
Smørrebrød Open Sandwiches
Originally a farmer’s lunch; the open sandwich has become an essential part of Danish cuisine and is a dish you simply must eat in Copenhagen. The base for the sandwiches is usually dark rye bread, spread with lard or butter (if you’re vegetarian check which!) layered with an assortment of toppings from egg mayonnaise to pickled herring, shrimp salad, meatballs and pretty much everything you can imagine.
Hallernes Smørrebrød is a great place to eat some of the more gourmet open sandwiches in Copenhagen, which cost anywhere between n62 DKK and 125 DKK.
Fiskefrikadeller Fish Cakes
Seafood is excellent in Copenhagen – a city almost surrounded by the sea has an abundance of fresh seafood to choose from, but fishcakes are a real crowd-pleaser that even the hardiest carnivore can’t help but love. Made from chunks of white fish and fried, you can find them as a dish in their own right or a common topping of smørrebrød open sandwiches.
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Danish Food in Copenhagen: Pickled Herring
If you only eat one Danish dish in Copenhagen, make it pickled herring. I admit I was wary about the fish, curled around looking decidedly uncooked. However, it is nowhere near as pickled as I had expected, and instead of tasting like sour vinegar, the herring is delicate and light, almost sweet.
Pickled herring is usually served with capers, raw onion, and a generous sprig of dill which you pile on top of rye bread and eat as an open sandwich.
Skipperlabskovs Danish Sailor’s Stew
This traditional dish is the opposite of the New Nordic Cuisine you’ll find at upmarket restaurants like Noma. This simple ‘stew’ reminded me of corned beef hash; it’s made with boiled potatoes, roughly mashed, mixed with stewed beef.
Mine was served sprinkled with chopped chives and pickled beetroot on the side, with an extra dab of butter to make it even more creamy. Simple yet delicious, and a huge portion made me one satisfied customer!
Stegt Flæsk – Crispy Fried Pork
Sadly I ran out of time before I managed to chow down on the “National Dish of Denmark” – stegt flæsk. This meal was voted by the Danes as their national dish, and consists of pieces of pork which are fried until crisp then served with boiled potatoes and parsley sauce. It sounds yummy so this is going on my must-eat food in Copenhagen for my next trip!
Danish Pastries
Not necessarily the stereotypical Danish pastry we know and love (which allegedly is originally from Vienna), but rather all things pastry related. Cinnamon rolls are popular in Danish bakeries, and cafes have lots of delicious treats to choose from.
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Hindbærsnitter Raspberry Bars
Bearing an uncanny resemblance to Pop-Tarts, but actually tasty, hindbærsnitter are flat cakey pastries, sandwiched with raspberry jam filling. They are often topped with icing and sprinkles but are also left plain. Either way, they make a sweet and delicious dessert or a welcome addition to a cup of coffee.
Copenhagen Food Culture: Coffee in a Café
Even non-coffee drinkers like me can appreciate the Danes’ love of coffee. Coffee shops and cafes are everywhere in Copenhagen, and the best are those which fully embrace the Danish concept of ‘hygge‘ which roughly translates as cosiness and comfort. Cafes often have blankets to keep you warm and cosy and candles to really feel like you’re snug as a bug in a rug, no matter what the weather is doing outside!
What to Drink in Copenhagen – BEER!
Even as a non-beer drinker, beer is part of Danish culture and has to be mentioned when talking about the food scene in Copenhagen. While Carlsberg and Tuborg are some of Denmark’s famous exports, make sure you try some local craft beers too.
Mikkeller started as a home-brewing project but you can now sample their beers in bars all around Copenhagen and in international locations including Tokyo, Madrid and San Diego. Mikkeller bars in Copenhagen such as Mikkeller Bar Victoriagade and Warpigs Brewpub are great places to sample Mikkeller and the other beers on offer.
Keep an eye open for other local beer brands making a name for themselves such as To Øl, Dry & Bitter, Beer Here, and Gamma. Other highly-rated Copenhagen bars to have a pint of the good stuff include BRUS and Nørrebro Bryghus which are distinctly Danish in decor and Dial’legd which has a cosier, more pub-like ambience.
Where to Eat in Copenhagen
Top Restaurants in Copenhagen
Copenhagen has some incredible restaurants, and if you have the budget (and the good fortune to snag a table), then add Geranium to your must-visit list. Named the World’s Best Restaurant in 2022, this triple Michelin-starred restaurant will certainly provide you with a memorable meal.
There are actually 3 restaurants of the 50 World’s Best Restaurants in Copenhagen this year, with number 1 Geranium followed by The Alchemist at number 18 and Jordnær 38th place.
Noma was a previous winner of the title of Best Restaurant in the World for several years, and although it has slipped down the list in the last couple of years it is still an incredible place to dine. Head chef René Redzepi recently announced that Noma will close permanently in 2024 so if you want to eat there you’ll have to be quick.
Fine dining aside, if you are on a tighter budget and looking for cheaper eats and more reasonably priced Copenhagen restaurants that still serve good food in Copenhagen, here are a few that I enjoyed:
Frk. Barners Kælder
I didn’t eat a bad meal in Copenhagen, but for traditional Danish food, I highly recommend Frk. Barners Kælder. The restaurant is a popular spot with tourists and locals alike, with friendly staff serving up delicious Danish dishes and platters.
I was fortunate to go with someone else, and we decided to share the Miss Barner’s lunch plate – a huge platter including pickled herring, egg and shrimp salad, fried fillet of plaice, homemade chicken mayonnaise, fried meatballs, roast pork loin and organic Danish cheese.
Restaurant Fridas
This cosy restaurant was around the corner from my hostel in Copenhagen, so came here after reading the good reviews. They serve up tasty dishes from a relatively small but typically Danish menu. Ask about the daily specials too, the friendly waitress was more than happy to explain the dishes to me and even told me how to eat the herring as the locals do.
Torvehallerne Food Market
This fabulous Copenhagen food market is a mix of stalls selling local produce like fresh fish, cheese, wine and chocolate, and several restaurants serving up traditional Danish food. This is where I found Grød for the porridge, had an open sandwich at Hallernes Smørrebrød and a Hindbærsnitter raspberry bar at Laura’s Bakery. It is a great place to browse and sample lots of tasty and cheap food in Copenhagen so don’t miss it!
Gasoline Grill
I already mentioned this hole-in-the-wall-type burger joint earlier, but it was so good I’m listing it again here so you don’t miss it!
RizRaz
I’m not vegetarian so rarely pick out a specific vegetarian restaurant – although RizRaz has a variety of meaty dishes on the menu (including tasty burgers) their vegetarian buffet is a good option if you’re looking for vegetarian food in Copenhagen. The selection includes salads, vegetables, falafel and a couple of hot dishes like vegetarian lasagne.
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Tivoli Food Hall
This food hall attached to Tivoli Gardens is a popular place to eat in Copenhagen, with a variety of restaurants under one roof where everyone in your group can order from a different place and you all sit together in the communal dining area. It is a little overpriced, but you can still find some good options here.
Still have questions about what to eat and drink in Copenhagen? Check out these FAQs, and let me know in the comments if you need anything else!
Copenhagen Food FAQ
What food is Copenhagen known for?
Copenhagen is known for fine dining, with top restaurants like Noma and Geranium. However, Copenhagen also has lots of traditional Danish foods to try, like fiskefrikadeller (fish cakes), pickled herring, smørrebrød (open sandwiches) and the Danish national dish of Stegt Flæsk (crispy fried pork), as well as street food like hotdogs.
Where to eat smorrebrod in Copenhagen
Hallernes Smørrebrød is a great place to eat some of the more gourmet open sandwiches in Copenhagen and I loved their tasty sandwiches. Schønnemann was also recommended to me, as was Domhusets Smørrebrød and Aamanns Deli & Takeaway - they're all on my list to try on my next Copenhagen trip!
How to eat cheaply in Copenhagen
If you're visiting Copenhagen on a budget it is still possible to eat well and cheaply. If your accommodation includes breakfast then make the most of that, or fill up in the morning on a hearty breakfast of porridge with fruit and nuts. For lunch and dinner look out for street food like hotdogs or fast food joints like Gasoline Grill for a cheap meal which is still delicious!
Drinking alcohol pushes the price up of meals in Copenhagen, so skip the booze and bring your own refillable water bottle with you.
If you're staying in a hostel or apartment with access to a kitchen then you can prepare some meals yourself to save a bit of cash.
Where to Stay in Copenhagen
Looking for great places to stay in Copenhagen? Check out these:
A Luxury Hostel in Copenhagen
I stayed at the fabulous Steel House Copenhagen, which is an upmarket hostel with dorm rooms and private rooms. As well as being extremely good value accommodation in Copenhagen, the hostel also has lots of social events, an in-house bar and excellent facilities including a swimming pool, gym and fully equipped kitchen (all accessible for a small fee).
I loved my stay here and it is within walking distance from the city centre and just around the corner from Gasoline Grill and Restaurant Fridas so it’s a great base to explore the city and the food in Copenhagen! Read my full review of Steel House or check rates and availability on Hostelworld.
Hotels in Copenhagen
Check out our picks for the best hotels in Copenhagen for value and location. Most hotels in the city have various room sizes so you pick the one which best suits your budget requirements!
Hotel Bethel: You can’t get a better location than Hotel Bethel, in the popular Nyhavn district where colourful buildings line the Nyhavn Canal. The hotel gets great reviews for the modern decor, location and friendly staff. The economy rooms are great value considering the location, but the superior rooms offer more space to move around. >>>CHECK PRICES
25hours Hotel Indre By: Guests love this quirky and beautiful design hotel in the centre of Copenhagen, close to the Round Tower. There is a bar on site (in the basement to avoid noise affecting your sleep!), as well as a fully-equipped fitness centre and sauna to relax after a day’s sightseeing. >>>CHECK PRICES
Andersen Boutique Hotel: Located in the trendy Vesterbro district, this boutique hotel is just 200 yards from Copenhagen Central Station and a short walk to Tivoli Gardens, and gets great reviews for the striking interior design, friendly staff and luxurious Molten Brown toiletries! >>>CHECK PRICES
BROWSE MORE HOTELS IN COPENHAGEN
Airbnb in Copenhagen
There are lots of options for Airbnbs in Copenhagen too, you can browse holiday rental apartments here. Booking.com also has a good selection of apartments in Copenhagen to choose from. I usually book my stays on Booking as there is often better cancellation terms!
FIND AN APARTMENT IN COPENHAGEN
What do you think about the food in Copenhagen? Are there any dishes you have tried or would like to? Please let me know, I’d love to read your comments below. If you like the post please share this Copenhagen food guide with your friends on social media!
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Thanks so much for all this information about Copenhagen.