Where to eat in Copenhagen: the best restaurants + foods

Last Updated on August 5, 2026 by Ioana

If you’re wondering where to eat in Copenhagen, you’re in for a treat. Copenhagen’s food scene is one of the reasons I was so excited to visit. And it ended up being even more interesting than I expected.

I spent several days eating my way around the Danish capital, from traditional Danish pastries and hot dogs to smørrebrød, burgers, Indian food, and some seriously good coffee. And while Copenhagen is known for fine dining and Michelin stars, you absolutely don’t need to book a tasting menu at one of the world’s best restaurants to eat well here.

In fact, some of my favorite places were incredibly casual.

I had some of the best pastries of my trip at tiny bakeries, found my favorite hot dogs at Copenhagen Hotdog Deli, and discovered that even a simple bakery can be a destination in itself.

Copenhagen can be expensive, though. A casual meal that would cost you $10–15 in another European city can easily cost considerably more here. That’s why I’ve included a mix of splurge-worthy restaurants, traditional Danish restaurants, food halls, bakeries, and casual spots.

And if you’re a serious foodie, I’ve also included two food tours toward the end of this guide. They’re a great way to try several Danish classics without having to research and book a dozen different restaurants yourself. This post contains affiliate links. When you make a purchase I may get a small commission at no extra cost to you. Find out more here.

The Danish foods you need to try in Copenhagen

Before getting into the restaurants, let’s talk about what you should actually eat.

Smørrebrød

If you try only one traditional Danish lunch, make it smørrebrød.

It’s essentially an open-faced sandwich served on dark rye bread, but calling it a sandwich doesn’t really do it justice.

The toppings can include everything from roast beef and herring to shrimp, eggs, chicken salad, cheese, and various sauces and garnishes.

You’ll find everything from very traditional versions to modern interpretations with beautifully arranged toppings.

I wasn’t personally a huge fan of smørrebrød, but I still think it’s something you should try at least once because it’s such an important part of Danish food culture.

Danish pastries

You probably already know Danish pastries. But eating them in Denmark is a different experience.

And despite the name “Danish pastry” being used around the world, the Danish word you’ll see is wienerbrød.

Copenhagen’s bakeries are obsessed with quality, and you can find everything from cardamom buns and cinnamon rolls to flaky pastries filled with custard, chocolate, fruit, or pistachio.

I ate pastries basically every day during my trip, and I have a whole guide to the best pastries in Copenhagen if you want to plan a bakery crawl.

Danish hot dogs

Don’t overlook the humble Danish hot dog.

You’ll find hot dog stands and casual sausage shops around the city, and they’re a great budget-friendly option compared with Copenhagen’s sit-down restaurants.

I tried several during my trip, and Copenhagen Hotdog Deli was easily my favorite.

Ice cream

If you’re visiting during the summer months, leave room for ice cream.

Copenhagen has plenty of excellent ice cream shops, and grabbing a cone is particularly nice when you’re walking around the city’s canals or green spaces.

The best traditional Danish restaurants in Copenhagen

Schønnemann

If you want a classic Danish food experience, Schønnemann is one of the most famous places to try smørrebrød.

The restaurant has been around since 1877, so you’re getting more than just lunch. You’re eating at one of Copenhagen’s historic food institutions.

The menu focuses on traditional open-faced sandwiches with toppings such as herring, seafood, roast beef, and other Danish classics.

It’s an especially good choice if you’re interested in trying the more traditional side of Copenhagen’s food scene rather than contemporary New Nordic cuisine.

Just make a reservation well in advance. I tried to make one 2 weeks before my trip. LOL, how naive of me. It was sold out 1.5 months in advance. So make your reservations very early on.

Restaurant Palægade

Another excellent choice for traditional Danish lunch in the heart of Copenhagen.

Restaurant Palægade specializes in smørrebrød, but the restaurant gives the classics a more contemporary twist.

The lunch menu focuses on open-faced sandwiches, while the evening menu moves toward classic Danish and European dishes.

I like this option if you want traditional food but prefer a more polished dining experience than a casual lunch counter.

Restaurant Kronborg

Restaurant Kronborg is another traditional option in central Copenhagen.

This is the kind of restaurant I’d choose if you’re looking for classic Danish food in a cozy setting rather than an experimental tasting menu.

Order smørrebrød and pair it with a Danish beer or aquavit for the full experience.

The best casual food in Copenhagen

You don’t have to spend a fortune to eat great food in Copenhagen.

Some of the best meals can be quick, casual, and eaten while you’re sightseeing.

Copenhagen Hotdog Deli

This was my favorite hot dog I tried in Copenhagen.

The sausage tasted fresh and flavorful, and the menu is wonderfully simple: you can choose between thin or thick sausages, with or without a bacon wrap.

That’s it.

I actually preferred these significantly to the hot dogs I tried at DØP – The Sausage Man.

At DØP, the sausage had a much thicker casing and, after sitting for a few minutes, became dry. I ended up throwing mine away, which is not something I expected to do with a Danish hot dog!

Copenhagen Hotdog Deli was a completely different experience, and I’d happily eat here again.

If you’re sightseeing around City Hall Square, it’s also a convenient stop because there are benches nearby where you can sit and eat.

Gasoline Grill

Gasoline Grill is one of Copenhagen’s most famous burger spots, and for good reason.

The original location is particularly fun because the burger restaurant was built into an old gas station. The concept has since expanded to several locations, but the gas station setting remains the most memorable.

The menu is intentionally simple, with burgers, fries, and a few other options rather than a huge list of choices.

The restaurant has been widely recognized internationally, including appearing on lists of the world’s best burgers.

One thing to know: some locations have very limited seating, and the original restaurant can sell out. If it’s on your list, don’t leave it until late at night.

Hija de Sanchez

If you’re craving Mexican food rather than Danish classics, Hija de Sanchez is one of my top picks.

The restaurant comes from chef Rosio Sanchez, who previously worked in Copenhagen’s high-end restaurant scene before opening her own Mexican concept.

You can expect tacos and other Mexican street food rather than a formal dining experience.

It’s a great place to go when you’ve eaten enough rye bread and pastries and want something with completely different flavors.

The best food halls and street food markets

Broens Gadekøkken

For an easy, casual meal, head to Broens Gadekøkken.

This street food market is right in the heart of Copenhagen, close to the water and within walking distance of several major attractions.

You’ll find food stalls serving a wide variety of cuisines, making it a good choice if you’re traveling with other people who can’t agree on what to eat.

It’s particularly nice when the weather is good and you can sit outside.

Tivoli Food Hall

If you’re visiting Tivoli Gardens, don’t assume you need to eat inside the amusement park.

Tivoli Food Hall is located right next door and gives you plenty of choices without requiring a Tivoli admission ticket.

It’s a convenient option when you’re already in the area and want something casual.

Meatpacking District

Copenhagen’s Meatpacking District, known locally as Kødbyen, is another great place to explore if you want a more modern side of the city’s restaurant scene.

The former industrial area is now packed with restaurants, bars, food concepts, and nightlife.

It’s especially fun in the evening when the brick buildings and busy dining rooms give the neighborhood a completely different atmosphere.

You can find everything from casual street food to more serious restaurants here.

Where to get the best pastries in Copenhagen

Pastries deserve their own section because they were honestly one of the highlights of my trip.

Juno the Bakery

Juno was my favorite bakery in Copenhagen.

It’s a small bakery in Østerbro with a reputation for its cardamom buns, and yes, the hype is justified.

The buns are soft, fragrant, buttery, and full of cardamom flavor.

There’s one catch: seating is almost nonexistent. There are only a few tables outside, and they’re usually occupied.

The annoying part is that the queue runs right between the tables, meaning people waiting in line stand directly next to you and stare at your pastry while you’re eating it.

I decided not to sit down because I felt like I’d choke on my cardamom bun under the pressure of everyone watching me eat it haha.

Still, I’d absolutely come back.

Sankt Peders Bageri

This was my second favorite bakery in Copenhagen.

It’s much more convenient if you’re staying in central Copenhagen, and when I visited, the line was only around five minutes.

I tried the cardamom bun and a saffron bun with vanilla custard.

The saffron bun was my favorite.

The combination of soft saffron pastry and creamy vanilla custard was something I hadn’t really encountered elsewhere in Copenhagen.

It wasn’t overly sweet, and there was a generous amount of custard inside.

The bakery itself is tiny, though. There are only around three tables inside, so don’t count on getting a seat.

Andersen Bageri

I visited Andersen Bageri about an hour before closing, so unfortunately the cardamom bun I tried wasn’t as fresh as it probably would have been earlier in the day.

The flavor was good, but the texture had lost some of that fresh, fluffy quality I look for in a cardamom bun.

The cakes, however, were another story.

When I visited, they had a special Japan-inspired collection, and I tried cherry blossom, pistachio and yuzu, and passion fruit flavors.

They were 10/10.

The flavors actually matched their descriptions, they weren’t excessively sweet, and they looked as good as they tasted.

There are also a few tables inside, which is a nice bonus when you’ve spent half your trip eating pastries while standing on the sidewalk.

Lagkagehuset

This one is personal for me because I already knew Lagkagehuset from living in New York.

In NYC, the bakery operates as Ole & Steen, and it was my go-to bakery when I lived near Bryant Park. It was only a couple of blocks from my apartment, so I ate there constantly.

In Copenhagen, the same bakery is called Lagkagehuset.

I tried their cardamom bun, cinnamon social, bread, and seed buns — the kind of bread that’s perfect with butter and cheese.

Everything was consistently good.

And here’s the biggest advantage: seating.

One of my biggest pet peeves with Copenhagen bakeries is how little seating many of them have. Lagkagehuset is one of the better options if you actually want to sit down with your pastry and a cup of coffee.

If you want more bakeries, I’ve put together a complete guide to the best pastries in Copenhagen, including Juno, Sankt Peders Bageri, Andersen Bageri, Hart Bageri, and more.

Want to taste Copenhagen’s food with a local?

If it’s your first time in Copenhagen and you’re overwhelmed by the sheer number of restaurants, food tours can actually be a great investment.

Instead of spending hours researching where to eat, you can have a local guide take you to several places and explain what you’re eating along the way.

Copenhagen food tasting tour

This is the option I’d choose if your main goal is to understand Danish food, rather than simply eat at a bunch of restaurants.

It’s a good way to sample traditional Danish dishes and learn more about the food culture from someone who actually lives there.

You get to try several foods during the experience, so it’s particularly useful if you aren’t sure which Danish classics you actually want to order during the rest of your trip.

Or take a Danish pastry tasting tour

If you’re anything like me and would happily plan an entire trip around pastries, I’d pick this one.

The two-hour small-group tour visits five Danish bakeries and includes a pastry tasting at each one.

You’ll try traditional pastries such as Wienerbrød, Tebirkes, and Hindbærsnitter while your guide explains more about Denmark’s baking traditions.

The tour covers around 5 km of walking, so it’s essentially part food tour, part Copenhagen stroll.

I particularly like this idea for a first trip because Copenhagen’s bakery scene can be overwhelming. There are so many highly recommended bakeries that it’s difficult to know which ones are actually worth your time.

A local guide can do the research for you.

Where to eat if you want a special dining experience

Copenhagen is one of Europe’s most exciting food destinations, particularly if you’re interested in New Nordic cuisine.

The city is famous for restaurants that focus heavily on seasonal ingredients, local vegetables, seafood, fermentation, and creative interpretations of traditional Scandinavian food.

It’s also home to an enormous fine dining scene, with numerous Michelin-starred restaurants and ambitious tasting menus.

Restaurant Barr

If you want to experience modern Nordic cooking without committing to the most extravagant fine dining experience in town, Restaurant Barr is worth considering.

The restaurant focuses on Northern European food traditions and seasonal ingredients, with a menu that changes over time.

It’s located in the former Noma space on Strandgade, making the setting part of the experience.

Selma

Selma is a particularly interesting choice if you want to try smørrebrød but don’t want the most old-fashioned version.

The restaurant has a rotating à la carte menu of smørrebrød that changes with the seasons, and you can pair the food with Mikkeller beers.

It also has a Michelin Bib Gourmand, which recognizes good food at a more approachable price point than traditional Michelin-starred fine dining.

If you’re feeling adventurous, Selma also offers curated menus with five or seven servings.

Kiin Kiin

For something completely different from traditional Danish food, consider Kiin Kiin in Nørrebro.

It’s a Thai restaurant with a Michelin star and is one of Copenhagen’s best-known examples of international cuisine at a very high level.

This is a good reminder that Copenhagen’s restaurant scene isn’t just about Danish classics and New Nordic cuisine.

The best coffee shops in Copenhagen

Copenhagen has a serious coffee culture, so don’t just grab coffee from the first café you see.

Coffee Collective

Coffee Collective is one of the city’s best-known specialty coffee brands and a great place to experience the Copenhagen coffee scene.

If you care about coffee quality, it’s worth adding to your list.

Hart Bageri

Hart is another bakery and coffee shop worth knowing about.

I noticed several locations while walking around Copenhagen, and it’s a particularly convenient option when you want to combine coffee with a pastry.

If you don’t have time to make a dedicated bakery pilgrimage, stopping at Hart while you’re already sightseeing is an easy way to try Copenhagen’s baking scene.

My favorite places to eat in Copenhagen

If you only have a few days in Copenhagen and don’t want to save a dozen restaurants on Google Maps, I’d narrow it down to these:

• Best pastries: Juno the Bakery
• Unique pastry: Sankt Peders Bageri
• Traditional Danish food: Schønnemann
• Smørrebrød with a modern twist: Selma
• Burgers: Gasoline Grill
• Hot dogs: Copenhagen Hotdog Deli
• Mexican: Hija de Sanchez
• Food markets: Broens Gadekøkken
• Coffee: Coffee Collective
• Fine dining: Restaurant Barr or one of Copenhagen’s many Michelin-starred restaurants
• Food experience: the Danish food tasting tour
• Pastry lovers: the Danish pastry tasting tour

My perfect food day in Copenhagen

If I had one more day in Copenhagen and wanted to eat as much as possible, this is how I’d do it.

🥐 Breakfast: Juno the Bakery — cardamom bun

☕ Coffee: Coffee Collective

🥪 Lunch: smørrebrød at Schønnemann or Selma

🍦 Afternoon: ice cream somewhere along the canals

🍔 Dinner: Gasoline Grill

🍸 Evening: Drinks and more food in the Meatpacking District

And if you’re visiting for several days, I’d definitely dedicate one morning to a proper bakery crawl.

Copenhagen’s pastries were one of my favorite parts of the trip, and honestly, I could have eaten a cardamom bun every single morning.

For recommendations on what to do (besides eating haha) check out my Copenhagen 2-day itinerary and my best things to do in Copenhagen guides.

Final thoughts: where should you eat in Copenhagen?

Copenhagen is much more than Michelin stars and expensive tasting menus.

Yes, you can spend hundreds of dollars on a spectacular fine dining experience here.

But you can also eat an excellent hot dog, grab a cardamom bun from a tiny bakery, sit down for a traditional Danish lunch, or pick something up at a street food market.

That’s what I loved about Copenhagen’s food scene.

There is a huge range of experiences, and you don’t have to make every meal a major dining experience.

If you’re visiting for the first time, I’d prioritize Juno the Bakery, Sankt Peders Bageri, Copenhagen Hotdog Deli, one traditional smørrebrød restaurant, and either Gasoline Grill or Hija de Sanchez.

And whatever you do, don’t leave Copenhagen without trying a Danish pastry.

That would be a serious mistake.

FAQs about where to eat in Copenhagen

What food is Copenhagen famous for?

Copenhagen is best known for smørrebrød, Danish pastries, rye bread, hot dogs, roast pork, herring, and other traditional Danish dishes.

The city is also famous for New Nordic cuisine and its world-class fine dining scene.

What should I eat in Copenhagen?

I’d start with a cardamom bun or another Danish pastry, then try smørrebrød for lunch.

A Danish hot dog is another easy must-try, and if you’re interested in traditional Danish food, look for dishes featuring roast pork, herring, or dark rye bread.

Is Copenhagen expensive for food?

Yes. Copenhagen is one of the more expensive European cities for dining, especially at fine dining restaurants.

However, you can save money by mixing sit-down restaurants with bakeries, hot dog stands, food halls, and street food.

How much should I budget for food in Copenhagen?

Your budget will vary significantly depending on how you eat.

Casual food and bakeries are considerably cheaper than restaurants, while a tasting menu at a high-end restaurant can cost substantially more.

I recommend budgeting more for food in Copenhagen than you would in many other European cities.

Is a food tour in Copenhagen worth it?

Yes, especially if it’s your first time. A food tour lets you sample several Danish foods while learning about the country’s food traditions from a local guide.

It’s also a good option if you don’t want to spend hours researching restaurants yourself.

What pastry should I try in Copenhagen?

My personal favorite was the saffron bun with vanilla custard from Sankt Peders Bageri, but you should also try a classic cardamom bun. Juno the Bakery is my top pick for cardamom buns.