Looking for the best restaurants, bars, and cafes in Copenhagen? This is our guide to the best hidden spots in each hood, from the city centre, to Vesterbro, Nørrebro and Frederiksberg.
COPENHAGEN
A new fine dining restaurant from chef Kristian Baumann opened in spring 2023 that expertly blends Korean flavours with Scandinavian ingredients. An exceptional, unique experience that’s well worth splashing out on. Koan went straight into the Michelin Guide with 2 stars a couple of months after opening, so expect the hype to just keep building around this one.
A more casual restaurant from Kristian Baumann offering takes on traditional Korean dishes like bulgogi, kimchi, and mandu. At Juju, a five-course set menu costs just £45, or you can also order a la carte, mixing and matching snacks and larger sharing dishes to make your own feast.
Kappo Ando, a 15-seat counter restaurant inspired by the atmospheric backstreet joints of Osaka, offers fresh sashimi, smoky grilled yakitori, and an incredible list of craft sakes, many of which are imported directly by the restaurant. The full omakase menu costs £115, but if you are on a tighter budget, look out for the a la carte Sunday sessions, where you can pick and choose the dishes you want.
Noma’s lockdown burger pop-up has now gone permanent, and the burgers are well worthy of the hype. There’s everything from a cheeseburger made with organic Danish beef to a fried fish sandwich with caviar and a ‘lions mane’ mushroom burger that takes three days to complete. Side dishes include fermented vegetables and pickles, all made in-house, the seasonal salad dressed with Noma Projects’ own smoked mushroom garum, and some of the best fries we’ve ever tried.
Kødbyens Fiskebar is a Copenhagen classic. Located in the meatpacking district, Fiskebar was at the forefront of the rejuvenation of this old industrial meat market when it opened back in 2009. It’s still one of the best in the area (and Copenhagen as a whole) with its menu of fresh sustainable seafood, which all comes from local Scandinavian waters. There’s everything from lobster and oysters, to halibut cod head croquettes, plus a great list of natural wines too.
Superb pastries, coffee, sandwiches and more can be had out at Lille Bakery, one of Copenhagen’s best bakeries. The Berliner doughnuts and sausage rolls are particular highlights. It’s a little out of the centre but hop on one of the many hire bikes and you’ll be there in no time.
Join the queue for Copenhagen’s most hyped bakery, Juno. It’s well worth the wait for seasonal cakes and pastries like saffron buns and strawberry tarts, plus straight up classics like the chocolate croissant and cardamom bun.
What with Koan and Juju, Korean food is having a bit of a moment in Copenhagen. And there’s another Korean-inspired spot to check out in Propaganda, a wine shop and restaurant that serves up great natural wines selected from its bottle shop, alongside some great dishes from the kitchen in the evenings. Don’t miss the clams in spicy broth, and the chilli fried chicken sando.
A great brewery and tap room in the meatpacking district offering freshly brewed seasonal beers poured straight from the tanks. On a sunny day, you can sit outside on deckchairs with your pint.
BAEST
You probably wouldn’t think you could find one of the best pizzas in the world in Copenhagen – but at Baest you really bloody can. From the talented Christian Puglisi (Manfreds, Relae), Baest takes things to the next level by making their own, dough, mozarella, ricotta and charcuterie from scratch in house, all using local organic ingredients. Its all cooked in a wood fired oven which gives the dough a smokey taste and it all adds up to a truly mind blowing pizza.
BRUS
BRUS, Guldbergsgade, København, Denmark
Copenhagen is a city that LOVES beer and they have an incredible amount of breweries and brew pubs to choose from. Our favourite has to be Brus (located opposite Baest) – it’s got a cool industrial vibe, big tanks of freshly brewed beer, and over 30 on tap to choose from. There’s also some great food if you’re peckish, but honestly, have a few beers here and then across to Baest for pizza and you will have a GREAT night.
RESTAURANT BARR
Barr is another one in the Noma family, opening in 2017 on the site of the original Noma – talk about big shoes to fill. Barr is a totally different prospect however, with a menu that is more like a posh Scandi gastro pub than any kind of fine dining. The food, such as pork schnitzel with anchovies, and ribs with green tomatoes, is still incredible and they even offer beer pairings along with each dish, which is certainly something different. Well worth checking out.
LA BANCHINA
This is the very definition of a hidden gem and might just be the nicest setting for dinner in the whole of Copenhagen. Down in the rough and ready industrial docks, this tiny restaurant is housed in the former gate house of the ship yards but it’s a totally charming space looking out on to the water. Outside there’s a pier where you can stretch out and sunbathe in the summer while enjoying some natural wines, and there’s even a wood fired sauna to dry off in – we mean how many restaurants have their own sauna?! The food is top notch too, a mixture of local Scandi ingredients with some Italian flare thrown in for good measure. Highly recommended.
HIJA DE SANCHEZ
One of Copenhagen’s hippest areas, the Meatpacking district, is full of eating opportunities and here you can get stuck in to some late night tacos at Hija de Sanchez (open till 2am). It was set up by former Noma pastry chef Rosio Sanchez so you know this is going to be something special, and the freshly made tortillas topped with succulent braised pork belly are some of the best we’ve eaten anywhere (including Mexico!).
Denmark takes its pastries very seriously and Copenhagen is full of amazing bakeries. One of our faves is Meyers Bageri which has a few locations around the city, including one on Jægersborggade (one of the city’s nicest streets). The bakery was started by Claus Meyer, who also co-founded Noma with Rene Redzepi back in the day. Start with their rhubarb and custard croissant, a chocolate cinnamon roll, and a fresh coffee and you’re set up for the day ahead.
Given Copenhagen is its home city, there’s no shortage of Mikkeller bars around town. If you’re in Copenhagen on a sunny day / night, however, it’s worth hopping on a bike out to the Baghaven location. It’s in an old industrial bit of the city and is located right on the water’s edge. There’s tons of outdoor seating so you can enjoy freshly brewed beers while looking out of the ocean and the city skyline in the distance. Reffen street food market is also right net door – it’s not the greatest food, but if you’re having a good time in the sun then the location makes it worth hanging around for.
This cute bottle shop and bar from the Bicycle cider brewery is well worth a stop. They have 10 ciders on draft, including many from their own brewery, as well as guest brews and tons to take away from the fridges in the bottle shop. There’s not a huge amount of space to sit in, but what tables they do have also come with old SNES consoles, so you can play a bit of 90s Mario Kart while you sip on craft cider.
This stripped-back natural wine bar is one of Copenhagen’s best. There’s always a good selection by the glass, or you can just grab a bottle from the shop to enjoy at one of the high top tables or on the outdoor terrace. If you’re hungry, there’s plates of charcuterie and cheese to tuck in to, or you could check out Poulette next door, a fried chicken sandwich shop from the same owners.
There’s plenty of great coffee shops in Copenhagen but one of our favourites is Coffee Collective. They have a few spots around the city now, so look out for them for a coffee fix wherever you are, but we especially like the Jægersborggade location, as it’s one of the city’s nicest streets, packed with boutique stores. The coffee is on point, there’s nice outdoor seating, and even a few tasty pastries to enjoy.
DØP
No visit to Copenhagen would be complete without a hot dog and Døp are setting a new standard with their award winning organic sausages and sourdough wholegrain rolls. These are bang on and good value too so grab a couple before heading to the airport and you’ll be set for the journey home.