Mood eating in Copenhagen
Mood: Burgers, fries, & shakes
You can find a burger at most every grill bar in town. But, if you’re looking for a particularly tasty cure for that hangover (the Danes swear by this cure for their “tommermand”), these are the best we’ve found in the Copenhagen region.
This is the OG Gasoline Grill, but you’ll find several around town, including a central location in Tivoli. The burgers ARE really that good and I also really enjoyed the spicy chicken sandwich. But — hot take— I’m not a huge fan of their fries.
There are several locations of this local favorite burger house scattered in the suburbs around Copenhagen. Go for the walls painted with scenes from the comic books and stay for the multiple Hulk-themed burgers. I’m a big fan of The Professor with some added avocado. And the fries here are generally really good — especially with their crunchy aioli + pesto dip.
While there are several restaurants who like to fill their walls with tchotchkes oozing with Americana, this place is the one that can actually lay claim to it. These Chicagoans have built a cozy American diner in the middle of Copenhagen and they deliver the diner goods as well — burgers, amazing milkshakes, chicken & waffles, and fried everything from pickles to Oreos. It’s best to make a reservation on weekends and holidays.
Sallie’s is the original burger joint in the Copenhagen area, but many who live in the center of the city aren’t even aware of it and you won’t see a tourist in sight. What you will see are locals lining up outside the door in most any weather to enjoy the 1950’s vibe in Denmark’s oldest motor inn and diner. We go for the burgers and shakes, but Sallie’s also whips up fried chicken, steaks, and ribs.
Mood: TexMex, CalMex, and Mexican
There has been a boom in the number of TexMex and Mexican food in Denmark in the past 20 years. When I first moved here, the best one could find was owned by a great guy named Kevin, who sold chimichangas out of a small Austin-themed storefront in Frederiksberg. While we have great memories of Kevin, there’s a lot more diversity today.
We ate here one Friday night when it was packed to the rafters. Nevertheless, the service was good, the tacos were tasty, and the margaritas were divine. We’ve also grabbed lunch in the location in the inner city and it was tasty — although with less ambience.
This place feels like your local burrito takeout with abit more buff and polish. While I haven’t seen them defying the laws of physics with seam-busting burritos (I’m looking at you, Gilberto’s in Glendale, AZ), the food is tasty and there’s a pretty wide variety. There are multiple locations throughout the city.
If you’re looking for elevated Mexican food, visit these three restaurants started by a former pastry chef at Noma. Sanchez is the fanciest of the three, with the Hija de Sanchez outlets serving more casual fare.
Mood: Smørrebrød
Yes, we do get cravings for a nice smørrebrød that goes beyond the daily salad on a piece of rye bread. These places will cantilever toppings and garnishes on top to create works of art that you’d never expect to pull out of your lunch box.. if you can’t make it to one of these, you’ll find a local smørrebrød deli (sometimes it’s also the butcher) in the center of most every town. They won’t be as fancy, but they are sure to be filing. Traditionally ( and these sandwiches are steeped in tradition), one eats the sandwiches in the order of cold fish, warm fish, meat — and they are is placed in this order, left to right on the plate if served together.
If you want to experience a bonafide traditional smørrebrød lunch complete with your choice of snaps AND feel as if you’ve stepped into Korsbæk (this is a reference to Denmark’s most beloved mini-series, Matador…), then Slotskaelderen is the place to go. It’s just across from Parliament, so you never know who will be seated at the next table. The service is warm and friendly, the smørrebrød divine (though you won’t find anything experimental here), and you can find letters and telegrams from the likes of King Christian and Victor Borge on the walls. You’ll need to call and make a reservation — which go quickly. I just had lunch here, and it’s become a new favorite.
With Ida K sadly out of business, Aaman’s is another classic smørrebrød lunch place of choice for the powerful and important in the center of the city. It’s classic and formal. While it’s clearly not my cup of tea, it is well-known and liked by many.
There are several locations of this restaurant scattered around the city, but this is the original. It’s located in the Torvehallerne, which are two large food halls filled with both cafes and gourmet groceries in the center of town. They have a lovely selection of beautiful sandwiches with prime people-watching seating. Another outlet is in the Tivoli Food Hall.
Mood: BBQ
Barbeque has made it to Denmark in odd waves. Of course, hot dogs are a staple meal both on the run and at a backyard get-together. The classic Weber charcoal grills may actually be more popular here than in the US. U fortunately, about 10 years ago, the pulled pork craze came to town. You couldn’t throw a cat without it landing in another restaurant advertising “pulled pork.” There was even a gas station that advertised a “pulled pork” sausage. How does that work, and why? Sadly, that led to people thinking of bbq as a commodity food rather than a craft. As a result, there’s really only one place in town that I’ve found has BBQ that tastes the way it should.
Having spent a good deal of my life in central Texas, I definitely get hungry for BBQ. There is only one place in town that serves proper BBQ, and that’s Warpigs in the meat packing district. There is no muss or fuss to this place — walk up to the counter with your cafeteria tray and get a pile of meat plunked down onto it. The brisket is delish — though come early because it often sells out. This restaurant is part of the Mikkeller company, so you can wash down your meat of choice with any number of cool brews. This place has some issues with ambience, so unless you like hard core metal blasting while you’re eating, find a table outside and enjoy the beautiful weather.
Mood: Outdoor Dining
Extraordinary food in a beautiful setting. It’s set back from one of Denmark’s landmark beaches north of the city, and if you get a table on the terrace on a warm summer’s evening, there’s not a better place to dine in Copenhagen.
We’ve spent many nice evenings here sipping cocktails and eating fish & chips. While the food is fine, the real draw is the location on the harbor. If you’re a fan of the movie “Another Round,” you’ll be taking in the same views they had in the closing scenes.
What list of outdoor eating in Copenhagen would be complete without Reffen. It’s an interesting place that we’ve visited several times. Before Reffen existed, we loved visiting the food hall on Papirøen where many of the Reffen food stalls started. With tons of outdoor seating and choices of cuisine, Reffen can be a fun place to sit, eat, and drink on a warm day in Copenhagen.
Mood: Classic French Brasserie
These are ideal date night restaurants that serve classic French dishes at a high quality. Honestly, the food is good at all of them and quite similar. So, pick whichever best works for you and you’re not likely to be disappointed.
Mood: Asian
OK, there are a TON of great restaurants with various Asian cuisines all over Copenhagen. Here are some of my favorites, but this list can’t be exhaustive.
This is my daughter’s favorite place for a family dinner. And, she is much more adventurous here than at home, If I served her lotus root at our dinner table, she would laugh and laugh — at HPR, it’s a cultural experience. Yea!
Yes, this place is amazing. Thai cuisine served in an exquisite and delicious manner. But, you’re going to need to know you’re in the mood for Kiin Kiin in advance. While it may not be as difficult as other Michelin-starred restaurants to get into, it’s not walkup friendly.
This is next on our list— it has great reviews on google, and I’ll return with comments soon.
Mood: Baked Goods
Denmark is world-renowned for its baked goods, and I can almost guarantee that you’ll be delighted with the bread from most any bakery you step into across the country. Two hints:
1) There is no such thing as a “danish” in Denmark. Instead, ask for a vienna bread (wienerbrød, this will be a sweet braid of bread with cinnamon or marcipan and you generally decide how much of a cake you want) or a spandauer (these take the shape of what the rest of the world thinks of as a Danish and are made with flaky pastry dough; you generally have the choice of crème or raspberry jam in the center. Both are delicious and well worth trying while in Denmark.
2) Those things that look like cinnamon rolls are— but they are made with flaky pastry dough instead of sweet dough. There are also variations on the standard — chocolate glazed or sprinkles with rum extract are two typical and delicious flavors beyond the classic. If you happen upon a Swedish bakery, then you’ll find cinnamon rolls made with sweet dough (or get a cinnamon wienerbrød, which has the taste but not the shape).
I know I said that you’d be happy with most any bakery — and you will! But, if you want the best of the best, it’s to be found in outer Østerbro at Juno. I wish I could relive my first bite of a warm Juno’s croissant again because it may have been the best thing I’ve ever had in my mouth. I followed that with their famous cardamon sweet roll and the delight continued. And, I made grilled cheese sandwiches that night with a loaf of their bread — *magical*. There are generally lines out the door, but they move quickly and the wait is worth it!
Chesecake is not the first thing that comes to mind when you think of baked goods in Copenhagen. But, if you step into Bertel’s, you won’t want anything else. On any given day, there are 20-25 different flavors to choose from, and the servings are generous. And, if you visit on a warm and sunny day, you can sit out front and enjoy prime people watching as you devour your sweet and creamy treat.
This is the most traditional place in Copenhagen to have a proper piece of cake. You’re likely to see many multi-generational tables celebrating a birthday or other special occasion while here — not with clapping or singing, but with quiet elegance and perhaps a small Danish flag next to the celebrant. The cakes are beautiful, traditional, old-world masterpieces and served with the finest tea or coffees.
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