When I told people that I was going to Copenhagen during my autumn Europe trip this year, more than half of them raised their eyebrows and responded something in the vein of: “Why Copenhagen?” This surprised me, in the way that someone surprises you when they say they’ve never heard of a prolific band or artist. To someone whose life revolves around writing and food (in whichever order), it seemed overly sensical, almost trite, to visit the Danish capital.
And as confirmed, it is indeed a city that lives up to its reputation. All the restaurants and bars I visited there brought immense joy, too much so to keep to myself. If you find yourself in the quaint cyclist’s city, these are the restaurants and bars one should visit.
1. Hart Bageri
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The most widely understood thing to come out of Denmark, besides its “happiest place in the world” ranking, is the cardamom bun. Hart’s cardamom bun has an exceptionally caramelised exterior that’s crispy and sticky (and not stingy with the spice). Hart has multiple locations and the ones we walked past were always full of locals – a universally good sign.
2. Mikkeller
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Mikkeller is another spot that has multiple locations across the city while being high quality, so you’re guaranteed a carbonated respite wherever you are, but especially after a long lunch. If you’re not big on beer beer (lager, ale, etc.), they have lovely seasonal sours too.
3. Kødbyens Fiskebar
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Go for the glorious mussels (in their gorgeous cream broth and herbs!) and the most innovative, interesting seafood menu (monkfish pâté, anyone?). Stay for the indoor pool/ex-butchery fitout – lots of water reflections on tile and stainless steel – and the kitchen tour.
4. Silberbauers Bistro
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Truth be told, I would do terrible things to have this exact venue in my city. It’s the perfect bistro on all counts – the food is divine (escargots, pate en croute, various game and rich sauce), the service is warm (and very Danish) and the space is chic and homely and doesn’t once feel like it’s trying too hard. Out of all of the restaurants I went to in CPH, this one is non-negotiable.
5. Duck and Cover
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The sun has set and your belly is full of bistro food and creme caramel – where to next? For an impeccable cocktail in a lower-ground bar with Japandi furniture and moody lighting, there is really none other than Duck and Cover. The cocktail offering is as sharp as they come – seasonal, locality-based, effortlessly cool. And, if you’ve never had aquavit, a Scandinavian neutral spirit, this is a good place to try it.
Notable mentions…
- Auren’s Deli for counter seating and an itsy-bitsy, fresh daily men
- Nr.30 for vibrant small plates and hospo staff approval (they all love it here)
- Gasoline Grill for a great burger and homemade elderflower lemonade
- Restaurant Schønnemann for traditional smørrebrød – less is more
