The Danes are the happiest people on the planet for a reason. The emphasis on green living, the history, the food, the hygge – it really is oh so easy to fall in love with the place!
Here is a collection of my favourite foodie moments from a truly joyful city.
Foods of Copenhagen Food Tour
What better way to get to know the city than by galavanting around Copenhagen with our lovely guide Stinne. It felt less like a food tour and more like a long progressive lunch with the girls, an absolutely brilliant experience!
First stop was at Cafe Gl. Torv for curried herring and meatball smørebrød, followed by a visit to one of Copenhagen’s oldest bakeries Sankt Peders Cafe for some flaky, messy, wonderful wienerbrød.
Next was a beautiful Danish cheese tasting at Torvehallerne before a stop in at Brus for some fermented goodies (beer, kimchi and a selection of their epic bar snacks, the cauliflower with brown butter and fried tapioca was divine!).
Then it was time for sweets with some Danish liquorice, a visit to Istid for their superb salted caramel liquid nitrogen icecream, followed by the irresistible sea buckthorn flødeboller at Rochokolade.
We finished our tour with porridge at Grød and another Danish beer tasting at Mikellarandfriends. A leisurely 5km walk and 8 food tastings with lovely company – a great day out and one I’d highly recommend for fellow first timers in Copenhagen!
Grød
This is one of my favourite restaurants of all time. You wouldn’t think that porridge could be so spectacular, but Grød have made it their life work. Serving variants of porridge including oats, chia, gluten free grains, barley and congee in sweat and savoury form, Grød is just as much a tribute to a humble part of traditional Danish cuisine as it is an ongoing experiment in boundary-pushing in the world of porridge. I visited three times in four days and still can’t decide on a favourite between the pea barley-otto, the skyr yogurt with house granola, or the gluten free porridge with every single topping they have – they were all truly spectacular. So much so that I purchased their cookbook for back home. It’s simple: if you’re going to Copenhagen as a foodie, Grød should be a non-negatiable on your to-do list!
Torvehallerne
I have a love of food halls and this one is no exception. A truly wonderful display of modern Danish food; from the fresh seafood and meat cuts to be cooked at home; to the aromatic pastries hot out of the bakery oven; to the dairy haven of traditional Danish and French cheeses; and everything in between including licorice, chocolate, fresh salad and traditional smørebrød. It’s also a cheap way to eat in an otherwise somewhat expensive city, and serves as a great opportunity to try before you buy on a number of products.
SimpleRaw
Raw vegan may not sound like the most exciting food but my goodness, this cafe certainly knows how to make it interesting! An ethical plant based menu served in a gorgeously clean, white-walled, wooden-furnished and typically Danish space, the hygge is almost palpable in the air. I recommend the parsley sauce rice paper rolls to start and followed by one of their spectacular bowls which are just as filling as they are pretty and Instagram-worthy. If you’re a fan of raw desserts they also have a small selection of these, and the seasonal choice of rhubarb with cashew cream was a beautifully light way to end a meal. With vegan food that will make you say, “this is delicious, I can’t believe it’s planted based”, this is one that even the meat eaters can appreciate!
Osterberg
I couldn’t understand why there was such a fuss about this gelato store until I tried it.
Omg.
Seriously amazing icecream, with different flavours like licorice (a Danish specialty), nougat and gooseberry sorbet. Definitely worth a visit to discover what the hype is all about yourself!
Copenhagen Street Food
This warehouse hides a veritable haven of international food and a relatively inexpensive way to eat out in Copenhagen. You won’t find much traditional Danish food here, but there is an otherwise huge variety of cuisines represented, all at reasonable prices. A great place to grab a cocktail and sit on a deck chair overlooking the harbour too!
42Raw
You can see I really embraced the green living concept while in Copenhagen, with another fantastic plant based find! A great cafe notorious for super fresh and nourishing salads, with a side of good coffee. You can mix and match the salads to your liking (which is great if you’re indecisive) and they also serve brunch until late if an acai bowl is more your thing.
Soul
When two Aussies team up with one of Denmark’s best vegan chefs, the result has to be good, and Soul lives up to that reputation. You won’t actually miss the meat on their planted based menu as their dishes are so inventive and creative with texture, colour and flavour. I highly recommend the Viking bowl with their meatless meat balls!
Oats and Cheesecake 