The best restaurants in Copenhagen
Think of Denmark and you’d be forgiven for conjuring up images of pastries, frikadeller meatballs and smørrebrød rye bread open sandwiches piled high with herring and remoulade. But this is just a bite-sized snack of what modern Copenhagen restaurants offer.
These days, the city is a savvy culinary hotspot that has been pushing forward not only Danish cuisine but also the foundations of how we source, serve and taste ingredients from around the world. Copenhagen restaurants are not simply a coordinate of interest on the global foodie map but at the centre of it.
Chef René Redzepi’s three-Michelin-starred Noma is credited with catapulting Nordic cuisine to the fore. Rasmus Kofoed and Søren Ledet’s Geranium, where diners navigate a three-hour tasting menu called Universe, tipped Noma to be named the World’s Best Restaurant 2022. But there are breadbaskets of other fine eateries to be discovered.
The best restaurants in Copenhagen
Brett LavenderARK
Not content with already revolutionising Denmark’s plant-based food scene and being the first vegan restaurant in the Nordics to be awarded a Michelin Green Star, Ark is on a mission to push the boundaries and show its guests what’s possible with meat-free cuisine. Everything here, from the food to the furniture, is totally vegan, sustainable and locally sourced. Striking lamps by Jonas Edvard are made from a mixture of seaweed harvested on Danish beaches and recycled paper waste, and lounge stools fashioned from salvaged floor beams. The nine-course tasting menu with (mainly) organic wine or non-alcoholic pairings is a masterclass in creative cooking. Every dish showcases layers of surprising flavours. To begin, seaweed jelly with a cucumber skin reduction, then umeboshi is served to cleanse the palate. It tastes as if it’s been steeped in Japanese fish sauce, but it is completely vegan. Other highlights from the menu include the blue oyster mushrooms with umami glaze and turnip with white radish, apple and macadamia. The cabbage with yeast and crunchy chestnut, cooked just like a steak would be, is a revelation. I will never look at a cabbage in the same way again. Karin Mueller
Address: ARK, Nørre Farimagsgade 63, 1364 København K, Denmark
Website: restaurantark.dk
Emma SejersenDelphine
Decked out with colour-splattered plates and soaring white walls, Delphine transports you to the elegant edge of Greece, with blue artworks and floral displays Its huge windows soak in sunlight – when Copenhagen allows – and the smoke-mirrored pillars offer beautiful reflections across the white and black-striped marble floor. It’s a small plate haven, where each dish is given close attention and the quality of the ingredients has nowhere to hide. Table-wide sharing is highly encouraged, meaning you can pick, dip and dunk at will. The watermelon and feta salad is a fresh fancy; the grilled langoustines oozing with parsley, lemon and garlic are divine.
Address: Delphine, Vesterbrogade 40, 1620 København
Website: cofoco.dk
Nikolaj Thaning RentzmannSonny CPH
Huddled within a row of striking city centre buildings, Sonny is Copenhagen’s touch of Parisian flair and is located just a few minutes from Nytorv square and the imposing neoclassical Court House. Owners Sara and David have transposed elements of real-life experience working in Paris to create a warm, welcoming space serving homemade dishes and cakes. As you view artworks celebrating Chanel and the Eiffel Tower from Paris-style bistro tables, the coffee is decidedly Danish (brewed in collaboration with Aarhus-based La Cabra) and the lunches are too: they bake their own rye bread and seasonal sweets (the locally sourced strawberries that top the house Strawberry Tart are a must). For lunch, Sonny’s trademark Green Frittata is a tastebud tantaliser.
Address: Sonny, Rådhusstræde 5, 1466 København
Website: sonnycph.dkGrød
Perhaps nodding to Heston Blumenthal’s famous snail porridge at the UK’s The Fat Duck restaurant, Grød (porridge in Danish) has created an entire menu based on the stuff. At owners Martin Daniali and Lasse Skjønning Andersen’s flagship venue in the fashionable Nørrebro neighbourhood, Grød serves up oaty-based breakfast, lunch and supper that might just transform your grain appreciation. Its Scandi-interiors are simple and cosy, with low lighting, dark walls and light wood tables. Dishes are refined takes on favourites that for dinner include Daal (where Indian spices infuse the oats and fresh coriander, cherry tomatoes and salted almonds are brought together by Icelandic yoghurt) and pea risotto where, you guessed it, rice is replaced by oats. The fried ‘Grødeller’ patties with cabbage, apple and truffle mayo are a hearty snack. Far from a fad, so popular has it become that eight other branches are now open around the city.
Address: Grød, Jægersborggade 50, 2200 København
Website: groed.com
Kristian BustLa Banchina
Meaning ‘The Quay’ in Italian, La Banchina is quintessentially Danish: understated, minimalist and natural. It doesn’t look like much from the outside – the blue and white wooden building is something of a beach shack and the distressed look is probably more due to the harsh Danish winters than by design. But the food is on-target: the menu changes every day, according to what’s been sourced, foraged and in season. Everything is plant-based, and the wine list is all-natural. The cuisine is Italian-inspired and tasty and before you eat, it’s encouraged to swim in the harbour (the water is clear and a dip is perfectly legal) and enjoy a sauna in La Banchina’s cosy circular creations. The restaurant is located in the popular Refshaleøen district, where nearby Reffen has 50 street food stalls that focus on creative cooking and world-class Noma is minutes away. During the colder months, La Banchina offers a tasting menu named The Bonfire with wine pairing.
Address: La Banchina, Refshalevej 141A, Refshaleøen, 1432 København
Website: labanchina.dk
BENDER PHOTO @ DKPOPL Burger
It’s a burger bar, yes, but born from the brilliance of the Noma team who experimented with a shift into a more accessible place to eat. POPL is in the picturesque Christianshavn neighbourhood and serves up melt-in-your-mouth burgers that elevate the norm. Organic beef is, naturally, from free-to-roam cows; the POPL team has formed relationships with the best biodynamic farmers, fermenters, brewers and winemakers and says that dedication to quality, innovation, cooking and environmental consideration is its backbone. Vegetarian options are also available. Copenhagen-based architects Spacon and X designed POPL with custom furnishings and natural colours that echo Noma’s famous garden. Booking is advised.
Address: POPL Burger, Strandgade 108, 1401 København
Website: poplburger.com
Emily WilsonSelma
The battle among the most renowned Copenhagen restaurants to be seen as the best smørrebrød spot in town is, as you might imagine, immense but Selma is a top tip among the locals. The concept seems simple: take one of the nation’s much-loved traditional dishes and elevate it to Michelin Bib Gourmand levels (they achieved this in 2019) using seasonal ingredients and a touch of ‘does that really go with that?’ The blackcurrant herring with crème fraîche, red pearl onions and buckwheat do, and you’ll have to try it yourself to taste how. If you’re feeling brave, the chefs offer curated menus where five to seven servings are up for sampling. The warm mustard walls and multi-coloured seating are welcoming and unpretentious; the simple interior gives the food a starring role.
Address: Selma, Rømersgade 20, 1362 København
Website: selmacopenhagen.dk
Kiin Kiin
‘Kiin Kiin’ is the way some Thai parents summon their kids in for supper and in the case of the Copenhagen restaurant that takes this name, it’s worth heeding that call. Holding a Michelin star for 10 consecutive years – Denmark’s only Thai eatery to do so – Kiin Kiin mixes immersive classic Thai dishes and spices with Danish produce. The evening tasting menu takes you on a journey through plates including lobster and prawn Tom Yam Soup, coconut milk and corn with quail, and yellow crab curry among many others, all of which are artfully presented. Wine pairings are available. Brilliantly, they are closed for all of July when the chefs travel to Thailand for new inspiration, resulting in later summer inventions that are worth scheduling a trip for.
Address: Kiin Kiin, Guldbergsgade 21, 2200 København
Website: kiin.dkMad og Kaffe
Literally ‘food and coffee’, Mad og Kaffe burst onto the Copenhagen scene in 2015 and continues to attract the masses for brunch and now, supper. Something of a pick ‘n’ mix, you choose multiple dishes from the menu and they arrive on a wooden board with a side of hygge. From sausage with Emmental, smoked chilli ketchup and fried sage, to avocado with pea purée and roasted hazelnuts, it’s a journey through breakfast. The ever-changing ‘treats of the day’ menu is a joy, with a highlight being the Danish red berry pudding with whipped mascarpone and vanilla – just hope it’s on when you visit. It’s a first come, first served place so get in early. The colourful Scandi-stripped back interior flagship venue is in trendy Vesterbro, but the beautiful nearby Frederiksberg and Amager district cafés are also open.
Address: Mad og Kaffe, Sønder Boulevard 68, 1720 København
Website: madogkaffe.dk
Chris TonnesenVækst
Located in Copenhagen’s colourful Latin Quarter next to the cool SP34 Hotel, Vækst is notable for its lush two-story greenhouse that, with its plants and herbs invading the entire restaurant, sets the scene for a freshly foraged dining experience. Its menu is Nordic and vegetables are the focus, served with meats, fish and seafood. At night, it feels like you’re settled into an indoor-outdoor lightbulb glowing cocoon and the owners say they have tried to create the atmosphere of a Danish summer which never ends. Plate presentation is high-end rustic; shoots and leaves are carefully arranged. The evening three-course tasting menu includes a three-glass wine pairing and standout dishes include salted cod with white currants, green tomatoes and buttermilk and on the vegetarian side, grilled romaine lettuce with unripe blackcurrants, ramson (garlic) and Danish Vesterhavsost cheese.
Address: Vækst, Sankt Peders Stræde 34, 1453 København
Website: cofoco.dk
Vojtech TesarekKødbyens Fiskebar
Copenhagen’s meatpacking district was once the gritty part of Vesterbro but, as in many cities, it has been transformed into a fashionable food lovers’ go-to. It’s here that you find Kødbyens Fiskebar, a buzzing ode to sumptuous, locally sourced seafood and fine wine that recently celebrated its 10th birthday. Housed in a listed building, the team had to work with the industrial décor and has created a rough-around-the-edges yet dazzling space. As they say, “we used demolition as a tool for aesthetic expression.” The toilets are mirrored, and sounds of dripping water are relayed via loudspeakers. It’s quite the experience. Head chef Jamie Lee learned his craft in London, with a stint at Gordon Ramsay Restaurants. The crayfish served with fennel emulsion is a winner. After a few of the famously good oysters, naturally.
Address: Kødbyens Fiskebar, Flæsketorvet 100, 1711 København
Website: fiskebaren.dk
Thanh NguyenSALT
Situated inside the heritage-listed waterfront Admiral Hotel, SALT is designed by Conran & Partners and celebrates the building’s maritime past. Head chef Ludvig Werner has created a Mediterranean-inspired menu with a twist of ‘Danish raw materials’, classing it as modern Danish food with innovation at its core. Salt is a key ingredient here and Danish, French and English salts are sourced and used in almost every dish – they say it’s a sign of friendship and hospitality. It’s worth popping in for the snack menu, with options including salted cod croquette with dill and vinegar powder, and marinated octopus with flatbread, lemon and fennel. If you’re keen to dive in deeper, the fish dishes such as salted turbot with courgette, pear and togarashi, or the crispy skin mullet with cabbage, lovage and caramelised buttermilk are plate finishers.
Address: SALT, Admiral Hotel, Toldbodgade 24-28, 1253 København
Website: saltrestaurant.dk