The best restaurants in Copenhagen
It's no easy job whittling down the best restaurants in Copenhagen. Think of Denmark and you’d be forgiven for conjuring up images of pastries, frikadeller meatballs and fabulous smørrebrød rye bread open sandwiches piled high with herring and remoulade. But this, of course, is just a bite-sized snack of what modern Copenhagen offers.
Copenhagen’s food scene continues to soar, eschewing traditional Danish dishes in favour of daring creations inspired by nature and a global outlook. Restauranteurs are designers, travel guides and architects, choosing culinary journeying and eyebrow-raising locations to combine Nordic wonders with twists to spin heads. Their ventures are securing Copenhagen as not simply a coordinate of interest on the global foodie map but, arguably, anchoring it at its centre, leading the ‘World’s Best’ lists year-on-year.
The best restaurants in Copenhagen
Emily WilsonSelma
The battle 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 fraiche, red pearl onions and buckwheat does, 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 sample. The warm mustard walls and multi-coloured seating are welcoming and unpretentious; the simple interior leaves the food a starring role.
Address: Selma, Rømersgade 20, 1362 København
Website: selmacopenhagen.dkKoan
Possibly the hottest spot in the city right now, Koan is Chef Kristian Baumann’s odyssey into Danish-Korean fusion, reflecting both his heritage and his love for dishes with "complex layers”. Each carefully crafted plate delivers the rich taste of Korean spices and tradition, curated using Nordic ingredients. It's located just north of Copenhagen’s famous Little Mermaid statue, leafy Kastellet military fortification and under the arches of the harbour front quay. The décor is minimalist, featuring white walls and considered lighting, complemented by Japanese-style paper doors. The soaring ceilings draw your eyes to the heavens. The food is similarly divine, with multi-course tasting menus delivered in choreographed synchronicity. It’s tricky to choose highlights as every mouthful is a journey through tastebud tantalisation but, if we had to, we’d go for the noodles made from pulverised lobster brains (yes, really) with a broth made from lobster claw; the Norwegian shrimp wrapped with pickled rose petals, jujube, and oxalis; and the grilled Norwegian langoustine tail wrapped in Danish beef ribeye, which is glazed with kimchi and topped with oxalis leaves and accompanied with a beef jus. There is much to sample and enjoy, and the stories they tell are worth savouring. Watch out for the Korean-artist-made ceramic bowls, which incorporate fragments from the ancient Ming and Qing dynasties.
Address: Langeliniekaj 5. 2100 Copenhagen Ø
Website: koancph.dk
Bar Amore
Leapfrogging onto the city’s foodie scene in the summer of 2024 is Bar Amore and, as the name suggests, you’re likely to love it. Located on a main strip between Copenhagen’s lakes and the beautiful Frederiksberg district, Bar Amore is a stripped back, almost stark venue offering small plates of Italian eccellenza, focussing on fresh pasta and seafood. It joins Philip Skovgaard and Lea Parkins’ Mangia and Circolo, which also take inspiration from Italian cuisine. Simple, sumptuous ingredients take centre stage, showcasing the best of seasonal produce and enabling you to try much more. The fresh pastas, such as tagliatelle with butter and parmesan, and the linguine with garlic, olive oil and chilli are winners.
Address: Gl. Kongevej 74D, Frederiksberg
Website: bar-amore.dkPolly
On a sunny corner in Gammel Kongevej (Old King's Road) in the upmarket Frederiksberg district, Polly is a go-to breakfast, lunch and supper destination for French bistro-loving foodies. The well-versed servers sport swanky denim aprons and crisp white shirts, and the vibe is relaxed-meets-elegant. The drinks menu includes an array of local beers from the Danish-owned To Øl independent brewery (founded in 2010 by high school friends Tore and Tobias, hence the name To Øl, meaning ‘two beers’) and the zizzy Polly’s Margarita with agave syrup and a kick, and a tasty selection of Vermouths served on ice to whet the appetite. These match perfectly with a nibbles selection of subtly fiery Bloody Mary oysters and salted nuts with smoked paprika and rosemary, while you choose from a lunch menu of Danish classics such as fried breaded fish filet on rye bread with remoulade, dill and lemon. The white asparagus with shrimps and hollandaise is a highlight, with house special French toast with blackcurrant marmalade and vanilla ice cream an indulgent finale.
Address: Gl. Kongevej 96, 1850 Frederiksberg C
Website: restaurantpolly.dk
Köd
Vesterbrogade is one of Copenhagen’s most vibrant food and drink destinations, buzzing with divine cocktail bars and delicious restaurants. Köd is Head Chef Frederik Anderskov’s steakhouse-powerhouse, firmly established in the city as a go-to for prime cuts and hygge décor. It’s down-to-earth in the way that it offers an enviable wine list and an ‘unlimited’ concept, where if you are in a group you choose a menu for a set price, and after a seasonal starter go in for a cut of beef with a chance to order more for no extra cost of it if it tantalises your tastebuds, and it’s likely to. The American Striploin, and Ribeye from Uruguay, are the ticket. The concept has proven so successful that there are now multiple sites in Denmark, and a London branch is now open, too.
Address: Vesterbrogade 33, 1620 Vesterbro
Website: restaurantkoed.dkHanzo Vesterbro
Værnedamsvej is a street known for its French atmosphere, known to locals as Copenhagen’s Paris. Luxury French delicacies store Le Gourmand, traditional French bistro Les Trois Cochons, and checkered tablecloth Café Viggo celebrate joie de vivre on the avenue. Opposite is Hanzo, where sharing is caring, and Asia meets Antibes. Bao buns, tempura prawns, and dumplings are key dishes here, in a space adorned with dragons and cats. It’s a great people watching spot where prawn crackers are spiced with a secret Hanzo mix and served with an avocado dip, and crispy pork spring rolls require enveloping in lettuce and mint to bring out oodles of flavour. Highlights are the smashed cucumber salad with Lao Gan Ma and peanut sauce, yellowfin tuna summer rolls topped with trout roe, and the Hanzo Red Curry with chicken and pak choy. Each dish is presented with meticulous attention to detail, featuring delicate additions. It’s a buzzing venue, offering hygge in the evening and rays of Oriental sunlight by day.
Address: Værnedamsvej 14, 1619 København V
Website: madklubben.dk
Emma SejersenDelphine
Decked out with colour-splattered plates and soaring white walls, Delphine transports you to an elegant edge of Greece, with blue artworks and floral displays adding a touch of the national colours. 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 plates 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 to sample more of the wonderful flavours. 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.dkJade
Head to the brilliantly named Stormgade to experience Jade – an Asian-twist restaurant melding classic dishes from around the world with Japanese, Chinese and Thai flavours. Opening in early 2025, it’s the new kid on the block that has the city’s tongues wagging due to its playful mixing of, for example, Italian Cacio e Pepe, where spaghetti is replaced with udon noodles and Pecorino Romano remains, with the addition of Sichuan pepper. Odd, yet tasty. The steamed snake beans with toasted garlic and Nam Jim Thai chilli sauce is a winner, with the oysters served with cherry blossom atop drawing Japan directly to Copenhagen. The in-house designed cocktail menu also features Asia-inspired classics, such as the Mi-So Old Fashioned, made with Nikka whisky, soy, and white miso. There’s even a special Jade beer, brewed using lime leaf rice lager.
Address: Stormgade 35, København 1555
Website: jadecph.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’ walk 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 home-made 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 breads 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 dinner that might just transform your grain-appreciation. Its Scandi-interiors are simple and cosy, with low lighting, dark walls and light wood tables. Its 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
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 more accessible, concept place to eat. POPL is in the picturesque Christianshavn neighbourhood, and serves up melt-in-your-mouth burgers that elevate the norm. The 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 say that dedication to quality, innovation, cooking and environmental consideration is its backbone. Vegetarian options are also available. Copenhagen-based architects Spacon & 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.comHøst
Høst is the Danish word for harvest, and the name primes you for what’s in store – the best seasonal Nordic ingredients with big flavours. The décor is that mixture of rustic and elegant that the Danes achieve so effortlessly: think exposed brick walls and Danish mid-century furniture (it’s won awards for its interior design). Tasting menus are key here, with three- or five-course options, and wine pairing is available. It’s the locally sourced vegetables that maketh the wonder, with dishes such as Cauliflower with truffle and gooseberries; and Sea Buckthorn with caramel and cardamom alongside meat and fish goodies including Lobster tail with celeriac and brown beech mushrooms; and Chicken with porcini and celeriac.
Address: Nørre Farimagsgade 41, 1364 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
Kiin Kiin
‘Kiin Kiin’ is the cute 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 ten consecutive years – and 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 paring is 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.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
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