Copenhagen is home to two Michelin starred Noma, voted the world’s best restaurant in four of the last five years. So you’re sure to eat well. But if spending 1,600 DKK (approx £170) for the 20 serving menu is a little less appetising, I’ve put together my guide of where to eat for considerably less while in the Danish capital.
For my thirtieth birthday my fiancé treated me to a trip to Copenhagen. We both love city breaks – and eating is probably the most important and enjoyable part for us!
I always like blog posts that give a little insight into a place to visit and recommendations and know that before I went, I devoured any of the posts and articles I could find about the Danish capital. This is our little guide to where to eat, based on our own experiences.
We were staying in an area called Islands Brygge. It’s quite a young area, with a lot of students, young professionals and young families. It felt very safe and had quite a good cafe culture going on.
After reading a few sites about places to eat, one place right by our apartment had come up two or three times: Wulff + Konstali Food Shop. This is where we had our morning coffee every day. 30 DKK (about £3) for a latte. On the corner of two streets, with a few seats outside. We usually accompanied the coffee with a Kanelsnegl (essentially a cinnamon Danish!).
Also in our neighbourhood was Cafe Alma. Great for dinner. Again, quite relaxed. Lots of outdoor seating and even more inside if the weather isn’t so good. Amazing homemade burgers. But the menu offered much more, including some delicious looking mussels!
Everyone says Copenhagen is expensive. To be honest, we didn’t find it much more expensive than the UK. Beer and wine was maybe a bit more (unless you were drinking the local Carlsberg!).
Again in our area was an ice cream store that popped up in the posts and articles I’d read about the neighbourhood: Bryggen 11. The flavours available change each day but the mango and raspberry were the best I tried! The ice cream shop is right on the river front, by the floating swimming pools and the grass which was filled with people sunbathing when we were there. Definitely a good spot to catch some sun!
Stepping away from our neighbourhood and venturing further afield we found some real gems.
In a city with more Michelin stars than any other and the World’s Best Restaurant, this is the place for anyone with a taste for fine dining. But if the budget won’t quite stretch to Michellin star dining, there is an alternative; Cofoco. This concept restaurant, which now has nine locations across the city and serves a range of cuisine, aims to provide fine dining at a price that won’t shock! The chain now offers a range of cuisine, including French and Italian. The original Restaurant Cofoco which we went to, offers a Nordic taste. We had four courses for 275 DKK (about £28-30). The wine was pricier but we thought we’d treat ourselves!
If you’re looking for a good location for lunch the restaurant at the top of the Post & Tele Museum in the centre of town is ideal. We shared a lunch platter which was fine as we weren’t very hungry but would have done for one if you were starving.
The Danes love their porridge – or so I read. So it seems only right to go to one of the most recommended porridge places in town, named, aptly, Grød (which is Danish for porridge!):
It’s a bit of a trek but we got the metro to Frederiksberg and then walked. The street was once, according to the guidebooks, one of the most rough streets in the capital but today is a trendy street offering independent cafes and shops. Grød is a tiny hole in the wall place. My fiancé chose oat porridge with rhubarb compote while I tried spelt porridge with red berry compote and granola. Great for setting you up for the day.
If you’re looking for a proper foodie experience, as well as one place to find the most popular eateries, head to the Torvehallerne market. If you’d rather not trek to Frederiksberg for your porridge, Grød has an outlet at the market. As does the iconic Coffee Collective.
We had some fresh squeezed orange juice while cooling off from the heat of the sun. For lunch we chose pizza from Gorm’s. Very reasonable and freshly made.
For beer in the city that is the birthplace of Carlsberg, we headed to Mikkeller Bar (opposite Cofoco) for some afternoon beer tasting in the sun. A micro brewery offering a selection of 20 home brews, I am told – by the beer loving fiancé – that it was good!
Where would you recommend in Copenhagen? We can’t wait to go back and sample some more gastro delights!
Sugar & Spice 