Guide: The Best Bakeries in Copenhagen Sourdough Bread & Pastry

There has been a silent bread revolution happening in Copenhagen over the last couple of years – a bakery boom, if you will – which intensified in 2018 with four new grand openings. Some call it the third wave of bakeries, probably with reference to what has happened in the specialty coffee industry. What’s even more unique is that, for the first time ever, people in the Nordics are actually queuing up to get their hands on freshly baked bread and sweet pastries. While lining up for food may be normal many places in Asia and the U.S., it’s not something we see much of here in Scandinavia (partly due to the cold weather, which makes it a nightmare in the autumn and winter months). During the Corona lockdown when bakeries were some of the few places that still could be open for take-away, their popularity intensified – and the city saw even more openings.

All over the city, new bakeries have popped up – each with a specialty of their own. Østerbro has Juno the Bakery, Nørrebro is home to a slew of great bakeries (Bageriet Benji, Collective Bakery, Andersen & Maillard, Rondo, and Bageriet B), and Bageriet Brød is found in Vesterbro. Frederiksberg just added Hart Bageri, Amager has Alice and Andersen Bakery, and Refshaleøen sports Lille Bakery. You simply cannot travel to the Danish capital without paying a visit to at least a few of these spots.

Looking for more great spots for food and drinks in the Danish capital? Check out our city map of Copenhagen!

Juno the Bakery is the best overall bakery in Copenhagen and truly world-class.
Juno the Bakery is the best overall bakery in Copenhagen and truly world-class.

The Best Bakeries in Copenhagen

Juno the Bakery

Our favorite pastry in the world is not found in Paris, the viennoiserie capital, but in Copenhagen, at Juno the Bakery. Swedish-born baker Emil Glaser, a former Noma chef, has perfected the art of pastry – Juno’s croissants are buttery, laminated things of beauty. But perhaps their most impressive treat is the kardemummabulla – a traditional Swedish pastry that is typically dense and heavy, but here is transformed into a light and airy miracle of a cardamom bun. It’s fluffy and buttery and oozing with cardamom and sugar, but not in a syrupy sweet way. The best part? Juno bakes their buns all day long, so they never sell out, and they’re pretty much guaranteed to be warm and fresh from the oven. Juno’s almond croissant must be tried as well (it’s simply the best we’ve ever had), and the sourdough bread is also one of our favorites in town. We’d be lying if we said Juno wasn’t a huge factor in our decision to move to Copenhagen.

The cardamom buns from Juno the Bakery are the best we've ever tasted.
The cardamom buns from Juno the Bakery are the best we’ve ever tasted.
JUNO THE BAKERY

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Århusgade 48, Østerbro, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Københavns Bageri

The founders of the popular bakeries Benji (in Nørrebro) and Alice (in Amager), teamed up to open Københavns Bageri in Carlsberg Byen. Inspired by Danish baking history and traditions, they serve modern versions of old-fashioned treats. Whether you’re craving a bit of nostalgia, or just looking for something buttery to satisfy your sweet tooth, this is one of the best bakeries in Copenhagen. Be sure to try a slice of the kringle – a layered pastry filled with almond remonce, prunes, macarons, and cardamom. Københavns Bageri supplies pastries to Alice and Benji, where you can find handcrafted ice cream for sale as well.

Københavns Bageri supplies pastries to Alice and Benji.
Københavns Bageri supplies pastries to Alice and Benji.
KØBENHAVNS BAGERI

Address & Contact Information
Flaskehalsen 22, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Alice

Despite having been open since 2017, Alice has remained a bit of a hidden gem in the Copenhagen food scene. Noma alum Anders Lorenz started making small-batch, artisanal ice cream at his cozy Amager shop, but when the winter season came he decided to start making pastries. Although he had no training or experience with baking, he managed to craft the most perfect butter croissant we have ever tasted. And we’re not the only ones who think so – previously, Alice won the “City’s Best Croissant” in a blind taste test. Now, Alice and Benji have joined forces and opened Københavns Bageri, where they bake all the pastries to supply the three locations. Don’t miss the brunsviger, a sinful brown sugar, coffee cake-like pastry made with croissant scraps and a hint of orange zest. In addition to pastries, you can find Alice’s handmade ice cream and tonka bean waffles available year-round.

You won't find more perfect plain butter croissants than at Alice.
You won’t find more perfect plain butter croissants than at Alice.
ALICE

Address & Contact Information
Markmandsgade 1, Amager, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Bageriet Benji

In the summer of 2021, a slew of new bakeries opened in Nørrebro, all within about a kilometer of each other. (Ah, the post-lockdown bakery baby boom!) One of these new additions was Bageriet Benji, from Noma alumni Rasmus Kristensen. Benji serves exceptional sourdough bread and incredible pastries. One of our favorites is the vanilla spandauer, which is speckled with Mette Ravn vanilla – it tastes like biting into a crème brûlée. The lamination here is impeccable, layer after layer of buttery perfection. Now, Alice and Benji have joined forces and opened Københavns Bageri, where they bake all the pastries to supply the three locations.

The vanilla spandauer, and the seasonal pumkin spice spandauer.
The vanilla spandauer, and the seasonal pumkin spice spandauer.
BAGERIET BENJI

Address & Contact Information
Fælledvej 23, Nørrebro, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Hart Bageri

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 the bread at Hart Bageri, they also serve a variety of incredible pastries that change seasonally. Our absolute favorite is their take on a cardamom bun, which is made using leftover croissant scraps and lots of extra butter, so it caramelizes like a kouign amman. Another delectable pastry is the drømmekage, a twice-baked “dream cake” croissant with coconut, brown sugar, and caramel. Hart Bageri also serves international dessert favorites like American doughnuts, a Basque cheesecake, Italian panettone for Christmas, and Danish kransekage for New Year’s Eve. Hart has expanded to become a substantial bakery chain, with a total of seven locations spread out across Copenhagen.

The cardamom bun from Hart Bageri is like a croissant, kouign amman, and cardamom bun hybrid.
The cardamom bun from Hart Bageri is like a croissant, kouign amman, and cardamom bun hybrid.
HART BAGERI

Address & Contact Information
Gamle Kongevej 109, Vesterbro, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Lille Bakery

Situated in Refshaleøen – undoubtedly the hottest neighborhood in town at the moment – is Lille Bakery. When you see the surrounding area and building, you might ponder about the strange choice of location. That’s before you realize the closest neighbors are restaurant Amass, restaurant Noma, La Banchina, Reffen (Copenhagen Street Food), and Copenhagen’s newest two Michelin-starred restaurant, Alchemist. Lille Bakery is a great place to have breakfast or early brunch, and you wanna get here early before they sell out of their famed sausage rolls. Don’t miss the Berliner doughnut or their take on a cardamom bun – buttery pastry swirled into a roll and covered in cardamom sugar. Their brioche bread with mascarpone and pickled plums reminds us of Sqirl in Los Angeles, and their whole wheat sourdough bread is one of our favorite loaves in town.

Berliner doughnuts from Lille Bakery.
Berliner doughnuts from Lille Bakery.
LILLE BAKERY

Address & Contact Information
Refshalevej 213A, Refshaleøen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Andersen Bakery

Andersen Bakery is a spot that tends to fly a bit under-the-radar in the Copenhagen bakery scene, but this Japanese / Nordic bakery in Islands Brygge took the number one spot in our 2021 Semla + Fastelavnsbolle Guide! Andersen showcased impressive technique and pastry skills, and gained creativity points to the max with their eye-catching presentations of their “luxury” fastelavnsboller. All had a buttery croissant bottom, were filled with a jam or spread of some kind, topped with a flavored cream, finished with a crispy, buttery cookie lid, and dusted with some kind of powdered sugar – the rhubarb jam, vanilla cream, and raspberry powder variety was our favorite. It should also be noted that Andersen Bakery bakes the signature potato buns for our favorite burger joint in Copenhagen, Gasoline Grill. Andersen has expanded with a second location in Ørestad, next to the Bella Center metro station.

The luxury fastelavnsboller at Andersen Bakery.
The luxury fastelavnsboller at Andersen Bakery.
ANDERSEN BAKERY

Address & Contact Information
Thorshavnsgade 26, Islands Brygge, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Collective Bakery

Another one of the five new bakeries that graced Nørrebro with its presence in 2021 was Collective Bakery, from the Coffee Collective team. Collective Bakery works with only local Danish ingredients and farms to craft their pastries and sourdough bread. Lots of their baked goods are specifically designed to go with a cup of coffee, like their signature citronbølge (lemon wave), a buttery pastry with a nice acidic zing from the lemon glaze, and the kardemommeflet (cardamom braid). You’ll find their goods in all of the Coffee Collective locations around town, and also at their stand-alone bakery in north Nørrebro.

The kardemommeflet (cardamom braid) from Collective Bakery.
The kardemommeflet (cardamom braid) from Collective Bakery.
COLLECTIVE BAKERY

Address & Contact Information
Nørrebrogade 176, Nørrebro, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Bageriet Brød

Located on Enghave Plads in Vesterbro, Bageriet Brød is more of a neighborhood spot, but this bakery has actually been around since 2012, making it the oldest on this list! We were really impressed by the high level of both the pastries and the sourdough bread. The twice-baked almond croissant has just the right amount of gooey almond filling, and the pastry layers are moist and deliciously buttery. Go on a Wednesday to try the Berliner doughnuts!

Don't miss the almond croissants from Bageriet Brød.
Don’t miss the almond croissants from Bageriet Brød.
BAGERIET BRØD

Address & Contact Information
Enghave Plads 7, Vesterbro, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Andersen & Maillard

With three locations in Nørrebro, Nordhavn, and the city center, Andersen & Maillard’s espresso-glazed croissants and sleek interior design have drawn a crowd since their opening in 2018. From that point on, they’ve added one Instagram-worthy item after the other, from a croissant acting as the cone for an espresso soft serve (made from the leftover milk from the coffee bar) to a chocolate-swirl croissant (filled with more chocolate) that looks like it has been 3D-printed to perfection. How do they make those impeccable chocolatey twists?!

These chocolate swirl croissants quickly became an Instagram favorite in Copenhagen.
These chocolate swirl croissants quickly became an Instagram favorite in Copenhagen.
ANDERSEN & MAILLARD

Address & Contact Information
Nørrebrogade 62, Nørrebro, Copenhagen, Denmark
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What is your favorite bakery in Copenhagen? Please leave a comment below.

Note: Previous versions of this guide included Democratic Coffee Bar (removed due to a drop in quality), and The Corner at 108 (removed due to closure).

Anders Husa

Anders Husa and Kaitlin Orr are food & travel bloggers and creative content creators. From their base in Copenhagen, they operate the largest and most influential restaurant-focused travel blog in Scandinavia.

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