Where to Eat in Copenhagen
We come to this place for magic. No, not AMC movie theaters, I’m talking about Copenhagen.
Ever since Noma opened its doors in 2003, Copenhagen has become the preeminent culinary destination for food-savvy travelers, even those lucky enough not to get a reservation (I kid). The city is so rich with culinary destinations, you could spend an entire week there just eating and have a grand time.
As it was, we managed to squeeze in many non-food activities, including an excursion to the beautiful Louisiana Modern Art Museum:
And a day trip to Tivoli Gardens, where I watched Craig ride on insane roller coasters (no thank you) and joined him on the Hans Christian Anderson ride, which was so pleasant, I went on it twice.
Our hotel, the Hotel Sanders, was so charming, we spent many a morning sipping coffee in the lobby and many an evening sipping cocktails in the chic bar. It was there that I learned about a cocktail called the Trident: equal parts Fino Sherry, Aquavit, and Cynar with a splash of peach bitters.
We also had a grand old time shopping, scoring some gorgeous new bowls and a throw for our couch at Studio Arhoj, plus a grasshopper plate at Royal Copenhagen.
And yet, the real highlights of our trip were almost all food-related. So without further ado, here are our favorite meals from our week in Copenhagen.
If you watch the Copenhagen episodes of Somebody Feed Phil and Parts Unknown, you’ll see that both hosts wind up at Kødbyens Fiskebar and for good reason. This place was just the best. The room had amazing energy, the staff was warm and welcoming, and the food was some of the best seafood you’ll eat in Copenhagen — or anywhere, really.
That dish you see above — Sikrom (a kind of whitefish) with dill, créme fraiche, and a seaweed waffle — may have been our favorite bite of the entire trip. Like a caviar dip, but way more complex. We also loved this tuna with rhubarb.
Our sommelier was so cool, she posed for a picture before suggesting an awesome white to go with our meal. (Take note of the naked bodies near her elbow: one has a wine stopper, one has a corkscrew.)
As for the rest of our meal, we ate oysters unlike any oysters we’d ever experienced, a scallop served in its shell, and a magnificent presentation of fish and chips.
Trust me: if you only have one meal in Copenhagen, go here. You won’t regret it.
2. Sanchez
Mexican food in Copenhagen? Wouldn’t that be like eating Indian food in Hawaii? Maybe. But when you realize that the chef of Sanchez, Rosio Sanchez, was the pastry chef at Noma you’ll begin to piece together what makes this place so special. For starters: the attention to detail.
Those drinks for starters — a Mezcal Rosa (with Mezcal Koch Espadin, plum syrup, lime and a spray of rose vinegar) and a Bergamot-Vanilla Daiquiri (El Dorado & Paranubes Rum, Vanilla de Madagascar and bergamot) — were off the charts delicious. And then something as simple as chips and salsa were next-level good. This white asparagus served like Mexican street corn was genius.
And these mussels with chili were the perfect marriage of Mexican flavors with Scandinavian seafood.
I’d also be remiss not to show you the cochinita pibil with puffed up tortillas and all kinds of fixings. As one of my followers said on Instagram: “Best Mexican food I’ve had outside of Mexico.” I have to agree.
Next time you’re planning a trip to Mexico, plan a trip to Copenhagen instead and eat at Sanchez. That just makes good sense.
3. Restaurant Barr
Our first night in Copenhagen, we walked from our hotel to Restaurant Barr which is housed in the old Noma space. It was such a delightful walk: along the water, over a bridge, past all kinds of people eating and drinking outside.
My first impression of Restaurant Barr was: sleek space, beautiful light, handsome staff. The chef here is a graduate of Noma and the food here is actually more approachable and pleasant than the food that we had there.
I started with a walnut Old Fashioned which had brown butter in it and was smooth and balanced. Our first course — it’s a set three-course menu — was smoked trout with gooseberries and dill. It was a parade of surprising, unexpected flavors and textures that had us both looking up in happy surprise.
The next course was a beef tartare with ransom, tartar sauce, and black radish and it too was a party on the palate.
For our entree, we shared the giant pork schnitzel on the bone which came with fried capers and pickled green strawberries and al dente leeks.
The only misfire of the meal was the dessert, a weird frothy chocolate thing that wasn’t quite a mousse and wasn’t quite a foam? I’m pretty promiscuous when it comes to dessert, but even I had to turn up my nose at it. Otherwise, this meal was a slam dunk.
4. Hart Bageri Bakery
A bakery? A bakery’s not a restaurant! What gives, Amateur Gourmet?
Well on a sunny Sunday we took a stroll past the canals and all the touristy stuff and, on our way to Freetown Christiana (a must visit hippie enclave), we stumbled upon Hart Bageri which turned out to be my favorite bakery of the trip. (And yes I had the cardamom bun at Juno, which was indeed worth the schlep.)
The vibe inside was bustling. In fact, we had to wait in a very long line before we were able to peruse the pastries, but it was entirely worth it when we settled on the cardamom bun and the twice-baked pistachio croissant.
Now from the picture, you may think the cardamom bun was the star of the show; and, indeed, it was every bit as good as the one at Juno. But it’s that inauspicious pastry in the back that knocked me on to the floor in disbelief. One bite, and I was in pistachio heaven, especially since there was also a surprise layer of jam.
The first bite of that was seriously one of the best first bites of a pastry I’ve ever experienced, and I’ve experienced a lot of first bites of pastry. If you’re only going to one bakery on your trip to Copenhagen, make it Hart Bageri.
5. Apollo Bar
Our last stop on this whirlwind culinary tour of Copenhagen is Apollo Bar which came to our attention when we saw this article in The New York Times.
That article is about dinners at Apollo. We didn’t go for dinner. We showed up at lunch and ordered something called “an omelette burger” which turned out to be a perfectly executed omelette on a toasted brioche bun with — the most surprising component of all — braised radicchio. Texturally, this sandwich was a marvel. Soft on the bottom half, firm on the top half; salty, creamy, tart and bitter.
We also ordered anchovy toasts which came on little soldiers of toasted bread. It was a quick lunch, but probably our most memorable lunch of the trip.
Our trip to Copenhagen was such a blast and even though our big climactic meal was spoiled by food poisoning (not from any of the places I mentioned), I’m so glad we ate these meals that we did in the sequence that we did because by the time we got to Wednesday (the day of our dinner at Noma), we could’ve already gone home and raved about our experience.
Honorable mention must go to this hot dog that we ate at Tivoli Gardens, which came in the traditional Copenhagen style with remoulade, pickled cucumbers, and crispy shallots.
And after our dinner of fish eyeballs and beetle poop tea at Noma, we were craving something basic and comforting, so our last meal of the trip was a burger at the Hotel Sanders which completely hit the spot.
And we didn’t make the connection to The Menu, but our friend Gabe texted the following:
Indeed! And what a great ending it was.
Thank you, Copenhagen, for a swell time. Can’t wait to come back.
