Denmark

• Copenhagen

  Copenhagen, or København to the Danes, is renowned for its picturesque canals and bike-friendly streetscapes, its cutting-edge design and sky-high standard of living. In recent years, however, it’s gotten a disproportionate amount of press on the culinary front, and for good reason—the Danish capital of 1.2 million was awarded a record-breaking 18 Michelin stars among 15 restaurants in 2015, while Noma, that pioneer of so-called New Nordic cuisine, has been voted the World’s Best Restaurant for four of the last five years. The majority of those Michelin-starred restaurants are doing something “Nordic” in the kitchen— no small feat in a city where, 15 years ago, fine dining predominantly meant French cooking.

  But none of this is news to any traveling food lover. What’s news is that traditional Danish food never went away. The classic open-faced sandwich lunch, smørrebrød, has never gone in or out of style; it’s been there all along, in hundreds of creative varieties, feeding the Danes at home, in elegant basement eateries, and in casual takeout cafes for the past century and a half. Wienerbrød, beloved Danish pastry, is just as old and varied, and mind-bogglingly delicious. Know what’s immensely satisfying in the late afternoon? A classic Danish hot dog, or pølse, on the street, paired with velvety chocolate milk. These dishes aren’t new or hot or experimental. They are the unsung heroes of Danish cuisine, the ones that continue to live on in relative anonymity while the “New Nordic” concept, the very foundation of which is rooted in tradition, spreads across the globe.

  In this guide, we pay tribute to both aspects of Copenhagen’s food scene, as they are equally essential to experience while in town. On the one hand are the nostalgic dishes that have long sustained the Danes, and continue to do so today; on the other, the modernist, innovative twists on regionally sourced Nordic ingredients that have come to define modern gastronomy in Copenhagen. It’s a beautiful thing, this choice of old and new, homey and groundbreaking. Here is a truly exciting town to eat in. Are you ready?

  Copenhagen, or København to the Danes, is renowned for its picturesque canals and bike-friendly streetscapes, its cutting-edge design and sky-high standard of living. In recent years, however, it’s gotten a disproportionate amount of press on the culinary front, and for good reason—the Danish capital of 1.2 million was awarded a record-breaking 18 Michelin stars among 15 restaurants in 2015,…   Read more

   

  Find local foods in Copenhagen.

  Tarteletter (Chicken + Asparagus Tarts)

  Leverpostej (Danish Pork Liver Pate)

  Wienerbrød (Danish Pastries)

  Smørrebrød (Danish Open-Faced Sandwiches)

  Frikadeller

• User Content

Below is user-submitted content for this region. Have something to contribute? Upload your regional-food photo or food memory.

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  Frikadeller

  Copenhagen
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  Smoked eel and scrambled eggs

  København
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  Flodebolle

  København
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  Local Danish beer

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• Blog Posts

• Where to Eat (Absurdly Good) Nordic Food in Copenhagen

  We mean: outside of Noma. But must the word Noma be in every title of every article about Copenhagen dining? Dessert at Relæ To many an eater, Copenhagen means Noma, chef-owner René Redzepi’s temple to hyper-local Nordic…   Read more

• What We Brought Back: Copenhagen

  This new series will detail the souvenirs—of the culinary variety and otherwise—we pick up on our travels, from pimiento cheese in Charleston to roasted ants from Colombia. Copenhagen is the type of city where you walk into a…   Read more