My Favorite Places in Copenhagen Foodie Map of the Best Restaurants & Bars

Copenhagen is our favorite city in Scandinavia – that’s why we’ve picked the capital of Denmark to be our home base! With some of the world’s best restaurants within the city’s borders, Copenhagen is without a doubt the food capital of the Nordic countries, and it’s also the birthplace of the New Nordic cuisine. You probably won’t find a better selection of natural wine anywhere else in the world, both in dedicated shops as well as in restaurants. Combine that with the Danish philosophy of “hygge” and you have the perfect destination.

In this city map, we have gathered all our favorite spots to create the best restaurant guide to Copenhagen. You will find coffee shops, wine and cocktail bars, bakeries, fine dining restaurants, and casual eateries. Navigate the map easily either by scrolling through the list on the right or by clicking the points on the map. Places are listed in geographical order.

Enter the world of Alchemist. Part restaurant, part art installation, and part think piece on issues like sustainability and food waste. Chef Rasmus Munk’s visionary thinking is paving the way for a new kind of dining experience, in a setting that embraces various art forms, where culinary issues are also food for thought. Most of your meal at Alchemist takes place inside “The Dome,” where the ceiling projections change throughout your dinner, transporting you to other worlds while you eat. During our meal we viewed sakura in Japan, the Northern Lights in a Scandinavian forest, and swam under the sea with jellyfish. With fifty different impressions served to you during the course of your meal, this is a holistic dining experience like no other. Alchemist is one of the most innovative and exciting restaurants in the world.

La Banchina is a tiny wine bar, café, and restaurant, located in an old boathouse with a wooden pier along the harbor at Refshaleøen. Particularly in the summertime, this is a small paradise in Copenhagen. Enjoy natural wines, organic food, and simple Italian cooking by the waterside.

Noma is undoubtedly the most famous New Nordic restaurant in the world. Chef René Redzepi and his team are creating some of the most innovative and groundbreaking dishes in the modern era of gastronomy. The front of house team is second to none – the moment you open the door you're greeted with the warm "Noma welcome" and instantly feel at home, even on your first visit. Since the relocation to Refshaleøen in 2018 and the opening of Noma 2.0, Redzepi and his team have crafted three new tasting menus a year, depicting what’s in season in the Nordics. During winter, the water is the coldest, making it a prime time to showcase Scandinavian seafood. In the summer, the plant kingdom is on full display with a completely vegetarian menu. Finally, as the year comes to a close, the game and forest season kicks off, with a focus on mushrooms, berries, and wild animals.

A cozy little hole-in-the-wall in Amager is serving some of the absolute best pastries and ice cream in Copenhagen. Alice first opened as an ice cream shop, but has expanded to add a café on the corner with coffee, pastries, natural wine, and charcuterie. Don't miss the flawless butter croissant – moist on the inside, crunchy on the outside, with perfectly layered dough. At the scoop shop, the milk ice cream is our favorite flavor – be sure to order it in a house-made tonka bean waffle cone! Craving more pastries? Check out our Copenhagen bakery guide.

Through graffiti-adorned concrete walls, up a rusty service elevator reminiscent of the Twilight Zone, down a hallway where rock music and the scent of marijuana seep from band practice rooms is a hidden oasis. Restaurant Alouette, Copenhagen’s newest Michelin-starred restaurant, is situated in the unlikeliest of places. A beautiful juxtaposition of grunge and luxury, it’s a location that instantly begs the question: are you ready for a culinary adventure? The five-course tasting menu is quick and punchy (and very reasonably priced), unlike other more drawn-out dining experiences. Highlights included the pain au lait with apple and bacon butter and the turbot drenched in chicken sauce.

Kadeau in Copenhagen is the two Michelin-starred flagship of the restaurateurs Nicolai Nørregaard, Magnus Høegh Kofoed, and Rasmus Kofoed. This New Nordic fine dining restaurant showcases the ingredients of Bornholm, the island where the trio is from. Nature is presented on your plate, almost naked and raw. The Kadeau guys have simply lifted it up a level, extracted its true flavor, and forced the full potential out of each bite. Indulge in a 20-course tasting menu in a strikingly beautiful dining room where the style is a mix of Scandinavian and Japanese. The menu features a lot of balanced acidity from the various fermentation and preservation techniques.

Christianshavn gem Donda is a relatively new face on the Copenhagen culinary scene, but has already become quite popular with the Danish locals. An affordably priced set menu is on offer, made up of some of the best Latin American food in the city. On our visit, the menu included a Peruvian ceviche, tuna tiradito with truffle oil, a chanterelle quesadilla, and family-style pork cochinita tacos with house-made flour tortillas. Natural wine and fresh cocktails (margaritas, palomas, etc.) are available.

Located inside the former Noma venue is restaurant Barr. Teaming up with Thorsten Schmidt, René Redzepi has created a beer-focused bar and restaurant that gets its inspiration from the cuisines of all the countries in the beer-producing countries surrounding the North and Baltic Sea. Eat classic Danish meatballs (frikadeller), German-Austrian schnitzels, or Belgian waffles with Swedish vendace roe (løyrom) and an optional topping of Gotland truffle.

The natural wine bar and eatery Den Vandrette is a favorite industry hangout in Copenhagen. After a recent trip to the country of Georgia, chef Dave Harrison was inspired to add some Georgian-influenced dishes to his menu. One signature this summer is the khachapuri: a Georgian cheese bread filled with three types of cheese. Don't miss the lobster arancini and scallops with sea buckthorn and fig leaf oil, if available.

The name Iluka means “by the sea” in Australian, and that’s exactly the feeling you get when dining at chef Beau Clugston’s sustainable seafood bistro. Beau comes from a small fishing village in Australia, and worked at Noma for ten years. Now, he works with local fishermen to showcase the absolute best of Scandinavian seafood, from Danish crayfish to Faroese shellfish to Norwegian scallops. To drink, enjoy delicious natural wines and the world’s best limoncello.

The French/Danish Chef Yves Le Lay has opened a new restaurant together with his brother, Kasper Langkilde, who is the restaurant's sommelier. The duo was last seen at Nærvær in Christianshavn, but now, they’ve taken over the old venue of PMY/Taller. The name À Terre means “down to earth.” You can expect a relaxed setting, but a high level of cooking. Le Lay’s style of food has roots in classic French cuisine, but he also finds inspiration elsewhere. For example, he’s not afraid to meddle with Danish traditions, and serves a modern take on desserts like "Ris à l’amande."

Admiralgade 26 is a Nordic-Japanese restaurant and sister establishment to the wine bar Ved Stranden 10 which is located just down the block. Go here for a traditional Japanese breakfast, a hearty Danish lunch, or enjoy the full evening menu. The beautiful Scandinavian interior dates back to the early 1900s.

The wine bar Ved Stranden 10 is one of our favorite hangouts in Copenhagen. With its white-painted wooden walls and vintage Scandinavian furniture, the old house has a unique atmosphere. In the summer you can sit by the piers along the canal with a glass of natural wine in hand. Some favorite producers always on the shelf here include Gut Oggau, Christian Tschida, and Matassa. There's always some snacks on the bar menu, but if you get really hungry you can walk around the corner to their restaurant Admiralgade 26.

Located in the old venue of Geist is Esmée, a French brasserie from chef Andreas Bagh (the former head chef of Marchal). You’ll find some of his signatures on the menu, including the truffle gougeres and the jamón ibérico and gruyere toast, but, unlike at Marchal, there’s no tasting menu at Esmée. The menu is à la carte, and it’s a place you can drop by for a seafood platter and a glass of bubbles, as well as for a full meal. At the core of the restaurant is an open kitchen with a rotisserie, and the food is rooted in classic French dishes, but with a lighter, and fresher Nordic touch. Be sure to try the seasonal soft serve!

If you find yourself craving authentic Chinese food in Copenhagen, you’re in luck. Follow the neon red signs from Kongens Nytorv into a secret back courtyard and you’ll find restaurant Goldfinch from chef Will King-Smith. The stunning venue is outfitted with large booths and Lazy Susans where you can share modern, playful Cantonese food with a group. There’s also a kitchen counter perfect for solo diners and small groups. Don’t miss the scallop toast (our favorite!), the char siu buns, the salt and pepper squid, or the char siu pork. And definitely save room for the Hong Kong-style French toast – a triple stack of deep-fried, house-made milk bread, layered with chestnut pureé, topped with evaporated milk ice cream, and condensed milk flakes.

Barabba has one of the best natural wine cellars in town (and that’s saying a lot considering Copenhagen just might be the natural wine capital of the world). No, really – their collection is so good that we simply could not choose a bottle. So, we had several! Bini, Tschida, The Other Right, Momento Mori, are just a few of the gems we spotted on the shelves here. The stellar wine list, paired with the fact that this is one of the few places open on a Sunday night, makes Barabba a prime industry hangout. Oh, and the food! Barabba’s pastas are some of the most sinful in town, loaded with buttery sauces, and often topped with generous amounts of truffles or caviar.

Gasoline Grill is our favorite burger joint in Copenhagen (and Scandinavia). The name comes from the original location which is actually located inside a gas station. Since then, the owner Klaus Wittrup has expanded with a few more locations including Broens Gadekøkken, Vesterport train station, and Carlsberg Byen. Each location grinds their own meat every day, semi-smashes it on a griddle to get that perfect caramelization, and sandwiches it inside a freshly baked potato bun. Our favorite is the classic cheeseburger which comes with Gasoline's signature sauce, but we also love the butter burger.

If you’re looking for an outrageous and raunchy dining experience unlike any other, Punk Royale is the place for you. Expect strobe lights, fog machines, vodka shots, a copious amount of caviar, and, possibly, some nudity. (Leave the kids at home!) But also expect a fantastic menu – it’s seriously impressive what a high level of cooking these chefs are achieving in such a hilarious setting.

You’ll feel transported to France at Bistro Boheme, a truffle, caviar, and Champagne lover’s paradise. Get lost in the luxurious ingredients, bathe in the sauces, and bask in the attentive and friendly service. This is classic French food at its finest. Don’t miss Per Thostesen’s signature fried eggs with duck confit, truffle mashed potatoes, truffle sausage, hazelnuts, and a mountain of shaved truffle. Be warned: this is not a light meal.

Lille Blå is Copenhagen's colorful new natural wine bar from the team behind Ved Stranden 10. The walls are painted in a vibrant shade of royal blue and stand as a memory of the former inhabitant of the venue – a paint shop. Sip wine made by small, independent Austrian producers from Zalto glasses and enjoy the quintessentially Scandinavian vibe.

Chef Kristian Baumann (formerly of 108) has opened a modern Korean eatery and casual little sister restaurant to his fine dining restaurant Koan. Juju is only open Monday through Friday, and serves both lunch and dinner. The kitchen is run by head chef Youngjin (Jin) Kim, who has worked closely with Baumann to craft the à la carte menu. Fill your table with Korean barbecue skewers, kimchi, mandoo (Korean dumplings), noodles, banchan, fried chicken wings, sesame rice, nori fries, and bingsu (Korean shaved ice). All dishes are meant to be shared family-style.

Slurp Ramen is the new noodle star in Copenhagen. In a tiny venue at Nansensgade 90, with a hipster dog as their logo, everything is made in-house and from scratch. These guys are dedicated to making their own noodles and broths, as authentic as possible, but with locally sourced ingredients. In the summertime, the cold noodles are a must-eat!

At Selma, you find something as rare as a Swedish chef making contemporary Danish “smørrebrød”! Chef Magnus Pettersson had the audacity to take on the task of re-inventing Denmark’s number one food classic – the open-faced sandwich. The restaurant serves lunch every day and dinner from Wednesday to Saturday – with a menu consisting of smørrebrød and some snacks. You can choose from an à la carte or the affordable set menu which has been awarded a Bib Gourmand in the Michelin guide. A large selection of craft beers from Mikkeller are available on tap.

After a tragic fire at Restaurant Palægade, the core team moved on to open a new restaurant in a historic building in Copenhagen. Restaurant Møntergade serves some of the best, classic Danish "smørrebrød" in town. You can expect all the classics like herring on rye, "kartoffelmad," fried plaice, and chicken tartelettes – as well as lots of schnapps!

Geoffrey Canilao is the mastermind behind Copenhagen’s best cocktail bar, Balderdash. The motto here is “keep it hygge,” and the friendly staff makes you feel like a regular just seconds after you step through the door. The creative cocktail menu changes regularly – some cocktails have included crazy ingredients from their lab. The “Let’s Get Weird Martini” is made with an ostepop (cheese puff) distillate, and the “Mushroom Alexander” has grated deer heart on top. Don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone here! Our favorite cocktail is the “Blonde Ambition,” which is made with gin, vermouth, cardamom, bergamot, and elderflower.

Chef Adam Aamann takes the Danish tradition of the open-faced sandwich to the next level with his modern "smørrebrød" creations. They are some of the best sandwiches we’ve ever had, but don’t leave without trying the beef tartare with brown butter emulsion, or the apple cake with brown butter ice cream.

Seks is a café with an ever-changing menu, inspired by the world travels of Monika and Jan Pawlak. Travel with your tastebuds to Alaska for the sourdough hot cake, to Thailand for the curries, and even to Mexico for the mole. A must-order on the menu (if you arrive before it sells out) is the sourdough bun with gzik (Polish fresh cheese mixed with cream), radishes, and chives. And don’t leave without trying a slice of Monika’s cheesecake! The cozy, eclectic vibe of the interior at Seks makes it feel like Copenhagen’s communal living room, a shared gathering place for the community. It’s a perfect place to enjoy an exceptionally brewed cup of joe from coffee nerd Jan.

Propaganda is a no frills, casual Korean restaurant and bottle shop from the team behind Barabba. The kitchen is run by Youra Kim, who hails from South Korea. The menu is pure comfort food, with dishes that pack some heat. Our favorites are the Korean fried chicken, kimchi and pork mandu (dumplings), and the galbi rice with pork neck and a cured egg yolk. One cool thing about Propaganda is that it also acts as a bottle shop – you can drop in and pick from the enormous selection of natural wines which include lots of our favorite producers. To drink the bottles in the restaurant, just add a +100 DKK corkage fee.

Hija de Sanchez in Kødbyen (the Meatpacking District) is Rosio Sanchez's casual taqueria. Located in a brick and mortar building in a vibrant part of town, this is a great place to grab tacos, aguas frescas (fresh juices), and paletas (ice pops). In the summer, you can find a second outpost of Hija de Sanchez at Torvehallerne. Rosio also has Sanchez Cantina in Nordhavn and Sanchez (a tasting menu restaurant) in Vesterbro. Hungry for more? Check out our Copenhagen cheap eats guide.

Rosio Sanchez’s sit-down restaurant, Sanchez, is home to the most authentic Mexican food you’ll find in Scandinavia. The weekend brunch is packed with locals and tourists alike, clambering over the breakfast tacos and chilaquiles. If you come at night, you’ll get to taste the “dirty carnitas” tacos with a melted cheese crust inside the tortilla (our favorite!) and Rosio’s signature open-faced churro, topped with vanilla parfait, mezcal negroni cream, and orange zest. Sweet, bitter, smoky, and delicious. Rosio also owns Sanchez Cantina in Nordhavn and the Hija de Sanchez taquerias.

Pizzaiolo Peppe Oliva helped Christian Puglisi open Bæst before branching out to open his own pizza joint with his brother in Carlsberg Byen. “Surt” is the Danish word for “sour” – all of the dough here is handmade daily from a sourdough starter, and the fluffy/crispy crust is somewhere between a Neapolitan and Roman style. These extremely thin pies are topped with seasonal toppings from small-scale farmers, such as leeks, mushrooms, and herbs.

The chef from Slurp opened a new restaurant in Carlsberg Byen. kōnā is a Japanese eatery with an izakaya, cocktail bar, and an ramen bar. Order katsu sandos, fried chicken karaage, and yakitori upstairs, or head downstairs for Slurp ramen.

If you’re starting to crave Latin flavors after days of feasting on smørrebrød and New Nordic cuisine, head to Gorda. This cozy Vesterbro shop sells all different kinds of homemade Argentinian empanadas. They’re small, street-food sized, so you can try a few flavors – our personal favorites are the braised beef, the caramelized onion and cheese, and the caprese (which tastes like pizza!). A full Latin American tasting menu is also available with dishes like tuna tostada, ceviche, tiradito, and chicken skewers. Definitely save room for the dulce de leche flan!

There’s a cozy cabin hidden in a back alley in Vesterbro that houses one of the coolest cocktail bars in Copenhagen. In warm weather, you can enjoy your frozen daiquiri in the open-air courtyard, and during the cold season you can drink your boozy slushie inside by the fire. Cocktails at Lidkoeb change seasonally, but the fun vibe and friendly staff ensure this is a cool place to hang year-round.

Richard Hart, formerly of Tartine Bakery in San Francisco, joined forces with René Redzepi of Noma to open a sourdough bakery in Copenhagen. In addition to bread, they also serve a variety of incredible pastries that change seasonally. Our absolute favorite is the “cardamom bun”, which is more like a cardamom kouign amman with sticky, buttery croissant layers. Hart Bageri also serves international dessert favorites like a Basque cheesecake, Italian Panettone for Christmas, and Danish Kransekage for New Year’s Eve. They also have a second location (Hart Brød + Bar) in Christianshavn. Craving more pastries? Check out our Copenhagen bakery guide.

Coffee Collective paved the way for specialty coffee in Copenhagen when they opened their first shop in 2008. They set the standard for how a Danish light-roasted coffee should be made, and are passionately “focused on sustainability from seed to cup.” Jægersborggade is the original location of Coffee Collective, and their other shops are located at Torvehallerne, Bernikow, Godthåbsvej, Sankt Hans Torv, and inside Telefonkiosken at Nørreport Station. Don't miss out on their espresso soft serve when it's available during the summer. Still need caffeine? Check out our Copenhagen coffee guide.

Inspired by his time cooking in Nice, Danish chef Mathias Silberbauer transformed the former Manfreds venue into a cozy French bistro, where he serves traditional Niçoise dishes and local seafood. The menu at Silberbauers Bistro changes constantly, even hourly – the chefs cook whatever they get from the fishmongers that day and when something sells out, it’s finished for the day and crossed off the blackboard. The food is simple, in the best way, with only a few ingredients accentuating the pure, clean flavors of the fresh fish. If you love classic desserts, you will be in heaven here – the lemon tart, affogato, and crème brûlée are all exceptional.

Bæst is an authentic Italian pizzeria by Relæ chef Christian Puglisi. They make their own charcuterie, fresh cheeses (ricotta, mozzarella, and burrata) and make sourdough in their bakery, Mirabelle, located just next door. The pizza here is the best in Copenhagen – bouncy, fluffy dough topped with fresh farm ingredients. Our favorite is their take on the Margherita pizza, with the option of adding stracciatella cheese. In our opinion, adding stracciatella is never optional, it's a necessity!

Passionate wine lover Martin Ho’s wine bar and bottle shop in Nørrebro just might have the biggest selection of natural wine in Copenhagen. Only about 10% of his collection is actually on display, so if you’re looking for something in particular just ask Martin. His cellar is stocked with thousands of rare bottles including boxes and boxes of Tschida, a whole bunch of Bini, and the entire Gut Oggau family. The name Pompette means “tipsy” in French, and this super cool hangout definitely has a Parisian vibe, especially with bistro-style seating on the street. There’s cheese, charcuterie, bread, and other snacks if you’re looking for something to nibble.

Poulette is a spicy fried chicken sandwich shop from the owners of the natural wine bar Pompette. Be prepared for some heat – Poulette is the first place in Copenhagen to serve Nashville-style hot chicken! They also have a vegetarian option – a fried mapo tofu sandwich that comes with Sichuan chili oil and a mapo mayo made with doubanjiang (a fermented Chinese bean paste). Hungry for more? Check out our Copenhagen cheap eats guide.

One of our favorite Copenhagen bakeries is Benji, from Noma alumni Rasmus Kristensen. Benji serves exceptional sourdough bread and incredible pastries. One of our favorites is the vanilla spandauer – it tastes like biting into a crème brûlée. In the fall, they also offer a seasonal twist, a pumpkin spice spandauer, which tastes like pumpkin pie. The lamination here is impeccable, layer after layer of buttery perfection. The last must-order treat here is the kartoffelsnurre, a twist on the Danish kanelsnurre, that substitutes savory ingredients like potatoes, cheese, and garlic butter in place of the traditional cinnamon or cardamom-stuffed bun.

Rødder & Vin is a tiny shop in Nørrebro selling natural wines and root vegetables – exactly as the name promises. Self-taught sommelier Solfinn Danielsen always has a glass of something delicious ready when curious customers come by to study his four shelves of carefully selected bottles. Look for some of our favorites like FruktStereo (cider), Garo'Vin and Anne et Jean-Francois Ganevat. If the wine shop isn't open, it's probably because Solfinn has moved two doors down to his wine bar Rødder & Vin:Bar.

For the past four years April Coffee only operated as a roastery, but now award-winning coffee brewer Patrik Rolf has his own shop in Østerbro. The sleek, sophisticated space feels much more like a designer store or an art gallery than a coffee shop. Drop in to sample April's full range of high-quality products from pour-overs to espresso-based drinks, and buy innovative brewing gear for travel. Still need caffeine? Check out our Copenhagen coffee guide.

Østerberg Ice Cream is a small artisanal ice cream vendor in the Østerbro neighborhood. Everything from the cone to the cream is homemade, created with top-quality ingredients and a whole lot of passion. Founder Catherine Østerberg's dad owns an exotic fruit import company, which means you can enjoy exciting flavors like dragonfruit, tamarind, and jackfruit. Of course, they also serve classics like vanilla, chocolate, and hazelnut.

Head chef Rasmus Kofoed is one of the world's most decorated chefs, and the only person ever to win bronze, silver, and gold in Bocuse d'Or. Together with sommelier Søren Ledet, he runs the three Michelin-starred Geranium on the top floor of Copenhagen's main football stadium. Geranium is one of the world's most beautiful dining experiences. You feel almost as if you're attending a ballet rather than a meal, with the servers floating around the dining room in complete synchronization. But, unlike other restaurants of this caliber, it never feels stuffy or overly formal – the friendly team at Geranium makes you feel relaxed and at ease. Chef Kofoed's interpretation of New Nordic cuisine is simultaneously precise and poetic, food art on a plate. It's no surprise that Geranium has climbed to no. 1 on the World's 50 Best Restaurants list – it's one of our favorite restaurants in the world.

Our favorite pastry in the world is not found in Paris, but in Copenhagen. Juno's cardamom bun is a light and airy miracle – it’s fluffy and buttery and oozing with cardamom and sugar. But don’t leave without trying their almond croissant – it’s like biting into a warm cookie, still soft and somewhat raw on the inside, with croissant layers on the bottom, warm almond filling, and then an amazing texture of sliced almonds on top. The best part? Juno bakes their pastries all day long, so they never sell out, and they’re pretty much guaranteed to be warm and fresh from the oven. Craving more pastries? Check out our Copenhagen bakery guide.

With only eight counter seats, Sushi Anaba is one of the hardest-to-snag reservations in Copenhagen. Chef Mads Battefeld trained in Tokyo before opening his own sushi restaurant in Nordhavn. The omakase primarily features sustainable seafood from Denmark and Norway – not only is it the best sushi we’ve had in Scandinavia, it’s the best omakase we’ve had in our entire life. Natural wine and sake are both available.

Unlike the New Nordic restaurants in central Copenhagen who serve their tasting menus in very relaxed settings, chef Eric Vildgaard's two Michelin-starred restaurant Jordnær is the picture of elegance. Located just 20 minutes outside of the city in the suburbs of Gentofte, Vildgaard has transformed the ground floor of an old inn from the 17th century into a modern setting for Nordic fine dining, complete with white tablecloths and a classical wine list. The tasting menu changes seasonally, but you can expect to see a focus on Scandinavian seafood accompanied by creamy sauces, often topped with a healthy amount of luxury ingredients like caviar and truffles.

Sit back, relax, and let Jan Restorff (one of the world's best restaurant hosts) pamper you at Søllerød Kro, a one-Michelin starred restaurant outside of Copenhagen. Stepping into the old inn is like entering a different era completely, but with food that has a modern appearance despite its classical setting. That's thanks to the talented Chef Brian Mark Hansen, who will take any excuse to add some luxury ingredients to the plate. His series of caviar servings is the stuff of legends, including the signature "caviar en surprise." At first glance, you think it's an entire can of caviar, but once you break through the top layer of fish eggs you realize there’s a treasure underneath: a celeriac cream panna cotta mixed with seasonal seafood.