The best restaurants Copenhagen

Timetable

Nordic people are used to eating early. Lunch, frokost, is traditionally served between 12 and 3:30 pm, but dinner,aften, is served from 5:30 pm! After 9pm, it can be difficult to be received, even if this custom is changing and adapting to the development of tourism. The good news is that the vast majority of restaurants are open for lunch on Sundays.

Budget & Tips

Note, however, that the cost is generally high, and it's advisable to reserve a table at a restaurant - essential at Michelin-starred restaurants up to a month or two in advance - or in touristy places like Nyhavn. Credit cards are accepted everywhere.

The Danes are accustomed to eating lunch on the go, so this is an opportunity to do as they do and try a smørrebrød and a pølser, or indulge in the gourmet sweets and other prepared dishes - to eat in or take away - from bakeries such as Meyers bageri or Emmerys. These formulas are less expensive, but still hearty enough. Inexpensive food can be found in the large covered markets near Nørreport Station or at Reffen - Copenhagen Street Food (closed in winter, reopening in April) in the harbor area. Museum restaurants are an excellent alternative: quality food, quick hot and cold options, moderate prices.

What costs extra

The carafe of water on the table is not a Danish custom. You'll always be offered bottled water. Flat or bubbly, the choice is yours!

The local way

Eating out is a habit, which is why picnic areas abound in city parks.

The Danes are used to eating on the go at lunchtime. As soon as the weather's fine, the whole city is an invitation to settle down on a bench, a quay or a park lawn. And you can find all kinds of take-away food, without having to fall back on a fast-food restaurant. In restaurants, order and pay at the counter.

Herring is a staple of Danish cuisine, and there are at least twenty different ways to prepare it! In brine, marinated, in a sweet-and-sour sauce, served with chopped hard-boiled egg... Another specialty is frikadeller or meatballs, made with equal parts of veal and pork, flour, milk, eggs, onions and spices. The national dish, Stegt flæsk med persillesovs, is prepared with crispy pork in a parsley sauce, accompanied by potatoes.

A few gourmet ideas before heading to your bench:

Pølser: numerous street vendors offer sausages, sandwiches, hamburgers, croque-monsieur, drinks and ice cream in their pølsevogn.

Smørrebrød: these traditional sandwiches can be found just about everywhere. Every day, these famous little slices of buttered bread are prepared with shrimp, herring, beet, curry sauce or not... In short, there are numerous combinations. Not so easy to eat without spilling, though.

Bakeries: these can be spotted from a distance by their sign in the shape of a wreath of plaited bread. In general, you won't find much in the way of savoury products. Note that Bageri-Konditori are open on Sundays and also sell drinks and newspapers.

To be avoided

The disgusted smileys! The windows of restaurants display the report of the control carried out each year: the Smiley Certificate. For the vast majority of them, you will see proudly displayed a happy smiley named Elite! Since 2008, four additional emoticons, from happy to disgusted, indicate if the restaurant has received a notification or a fine. The strong point of Danish restaurants is the strict hygiene conditions and food standards.

Kids

Children are very welcome. The restaurants provide baby seats, high chairs and changing tables. Adapted menus are available à la carte.

Smokers

Smoking is not allowed inside restaurants or bars, but Danes appreciate the fact that smoking is permitted on terraces in all seasons. An exception is made for cafés that have a license to sell alcohol and are less than 40^m2 in size: in this case, smoking indoors is still permitted! Of course, the cigarette butt goes home with its owner or ends its life in an ashtray, but never, ever on the ground or in a manhole.