Copenhagen is home to 20 Michelin Stars distributed over 13 restaurants so, it’s no surprise that the food culture is a strong aspect of the Danish culture.
As I explained before in my Copenhagen Travel Guide the city is easy to explore even by foot, so you could potentially hit a few of these spots in just one weekend.
In this blog post I will guide you through some of my favorite places to eat and drink in Copenhagen without spending a fortune.
Although remember that Copenhagen ranked 17th on the ‘2020 Top 100 Most Expensive cities in the World’ to live, so even the “budget-friendly” places can be a little pricey compared to many other countries.
Here are some examples of prices that you can expect when eating and drinking in Copenhagen.
Water bottle 50cl in 7Eleven – 22 DKK ($3,6)
Cheeseburger from Gasoline Grill – 80 DKK ($13,1)
Porridge bowl at Grød – 50-80 DKK ($8-13)
Classic Danish Hotdog from DØP – Den Økologiske Pølsemand – 35 DKK ($6,2)
Craft Beer from Nyhavn 37 – 60 DKK ($9,8)
Kebab from Kebabistan – 38 DKK ($6,2)
Cinnamon Roll from Lagkagehuset – 22 DKK ($3,6)
A cocktail from 1656 Cocktail Bar – 125 DKK ($20,5)
Pizza from Gorm’s – 130 DKK ($21,3)
Cappuccino from The Coffee Collective – 35 DKK ($5,7)
FOOD MARKETS IN COPENHAGEN
The food markets are my favorite areas in town so I’m starting with them! These places are budget friendly, fun, trendy with many incredible food offers.
Torvehallerne Food Hall: It’s a market where you can buy fresh meat and fish, flowers and a variety of local products like cheese. Some of these vendors have little sitting areas where you can eat and drink and the food is fresh and delicious. It’s one of the best places to try the traditional Danish open sandwich, the Smørrebrød.
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Meatpacking District: If you are looking for a casual place to eat and drink this is where the hipsters go! This outdoor food market has some established restaurants like WarPigs, Kødbyens Fiskebar and Tommi’s Burger Joint. In addition to restaurants is a popular place to go out on weekends. Go for the cocktails at NOHO, the best!
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Reffen: This is the coolest food market in town in my opinion where you can eat good food and keep your budget. Popular with locals and tourists it can be busy at times but it has a large sitting area. It’s beautiful to sit there during summer with the sun shining by the river. There are 41 food stalls and bars and the choice is hard because everything is so good. Don’t miss the tacos from Tacos Pastor and the Danish hot dogs from Nordic Hotdog.
Hot Dog Vendors: These hot dog vendors selling the traditional Danish hotdogs are everywhere across town and are super budget-friendly for a quick bite. Some even have sitting areas. I was always surprised with the quality of the food so please don’t miss it even just for one try! You will probably encounter some of the most popular ones like John’s Hotdog Deli just outside Copenhagen Central station and the popular DØP – Den Økologiske Pølsemand just at the start of the shopping street Strøget.
Broens Gadekøkken: Located by the Inner Harbour Bridge between Christianshavn and Nyhavn the ‘Bridge Street Kitchen’ combines tasty street food with a perfect location just by the river.
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TRENDY AND HIPSTER AREAS
As I mentioned before the Meatpacking District in Vesterbro and Reffen are some of the trendiest places to see in town. On top of that there are also a few other places that are really popular too.
Copenhagen Lakes: It’s one the most popular areas in town where you can see people doing all sort of activities from running, walking around with the kids or new mother’s getting together like it happen to me a lot! When the sun is shining you can see all the locals enjoying the weather in the outdoor sitting area of some of the best restaurants in town. Other people get takeaways and gather together around the lake doing picnics and soaking up those sun rays which are so precious in Denmark!
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Istedgade street: A popular area for nightlife that starts at Copenhagen Central Station where you can find a few strip clubs and adult stores.
Jægersborggade Street: Located in the Nørrebro neighborhood this is where the hipsters go! With over 40 art galleries, vintage clothes, ceramics and jewelry shops it’s got all Danish favorites: Coffee Collective, Meyers Bakery and Grød so it’s no surprise a super popular street.
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RESTAURANTS IN COPENHAGEN
As I mentioned before Copenhagen can be expensive but then again it has a little bit of everything when it comes to restaurants and you can find a balance within your budget.
These following places are my recommendations for you to try in town, either you are just visiting or you are living in Copenhagen.
Gasoline Grill: There are a few locations in town for budget friendly burgers and organic fries.
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Tommi’s Burger Joint Kødbyen: The best juicy burgers and milkshakes.
Hija de Sanchez: Delicious Mexican food with the best tacos and cocktails.
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Halifax: Funky burgers where you can personalize your own with a lot of choices and the best sweet potatoes fries. It’s vegan friendly as well.
Restaurant Klubben: If you’re in a mood for some Danish classic dishes at a reasonable price this is the place!
La Neta: Authentic Mexican street food and best tequila.
District Tonkin: Vietnamese food at reasonable prices.
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Sporvejen: Best burgers ever and so many choices!
GAO: A dumpling bar right in the middle of Copenhagen.
The Union Kitchen: Best place for a weekend brunch, so delicious!
Pincho Nation: A fun concept serving small plates from cuisines from the world and colorful cocktails.
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Phønix Café & Restaurant: Just a short walk from Nørreport Station with a nice atmosphere to eat outdoors even during winter. The food is good at reasonable prices.
Restaurant Jacobsen: Just opposite to Phønix Café it serves traditional Danish dishes.
Schønnemann: One of the best “smørrebrød” restaurants in Copenhagen.
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Østerbros originale Burgerrestaurant: This place was always a favorite of mine for the weekends! The burgers are massive the service is really good.
Gorm’s Pizza: It’s one of the best pizzas you can have in town and there are several locations. The most popular is the one located in the colourful street Magstræde.
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Now just some recommendations which are NOT budget friendly but worth the visit you are looking for different gourmet experiences and a little bit of fine dining in town.
Nyhavns Faergekro: Located in a top spot in the famous Nyhavn street it serves all the Danish traditional dishes and it’s lovely to seat outside during summer.
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Alchemist: A trip through flavours with a menu composed of 50 different impressions and that lasts 4-6 hours. The prices start at DKK 3500.
Restaurant Krebsegaarden: The food and décor are inspired by the exhibition in Gallery Krebsen.
Amass Restaurant: Another place for a gourmet experience and fine dining. Their menu is always changing depending on their kitchen garden; they aim for organic food and zero waste.
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CAFES AND BAKERIES
As a coffee lover I must say I was really happy in Copenhagen. Their cafes are just so good and I never even once had a bad coffee! These following places are the ones I tried and recommend.
Mormors: The interior design alone is worth a visit and it’s a nice place to go after watching the change of guards at Amalienborg palace. It has all the traditional Danish pastries.
Meyers Bageri: A popular bakery in Copenhagen with several locations across town. You can get fresh bread, cakes and other quick pastries, always a stop when going by.
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Cafe Livingstone: Mostly popular for their brunch menu which is delicious, located just by the lakes in Copenhagen with a beautiful trendy décor.
Lagkagehuset: There are several locations across Copenhagen and it has a long history of quality coffee, bread and pastries.
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Sankt Peders Straede Bageri: It became a favorite of mine when I tasted their amazing cinnamon buns, honestly they are so good, and you can’t miss them!
Andersen Bakery: The best bread and cakes, worth to buy for special occasions!
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The Coffee Collective: If you consider yourself the coffee specialist then you have to give it visit as they are serving award-winning coffee which is fresh roasted the and baristas are the best! There are several locations across Copenhagen.
The Living Room: Super stylish cafe, cosy atmosphere and perfect to just relax or even work a little bit there.
CUB Coffee Bar Boldhusgade: It’s a little coffee shop just in the middle of Copenhagen worth the visit.
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Bastard Cafe: This is a great place to be social with your friends! They have great coffee, snacks and loads of board games.
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Democratic Coffee: This cafe is popular with students and it’s just next to the public library. If you’re looking for a place to read or even work for a couple of hours, it has decent coffee and pastries.
Ø12 Coffee and Eatery: Located in Østerbro this place is just the most beautiful place to have brunch!
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GRØD: Named as the ‘Hippest Porridge Bar’ it is exactly that what they offer mostly: porridge. They serve delicious porridge for breakfast and have savoury options later in the day. There are a few locations across town but I visited mostly the one in Jægersborggade.
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WHERE TO GO DRINKING IN COPENHAGEN
Copenhagen is a busy place when it comes to the social scene so not a surprise that there are a lot of great bars and they take it really serious when it comes to beer quality and cocktails! Here are a few of my favourites from my time living in the city.
BEST BEER BARS
Copenhagen has some of the best beer bars ever! Home to international beer companies like Carlsberg it’s only fair to say that you won’t be disappointed if you’re a beer lover.
Mikkeller Bar: is the most popular craft beer bar in Copenhagen from Mikkeler microbreweries. It’s a nice place to meet new people with a crazy amount of different types of beer on tap. Check out Mikkeller & Friends Bottle Shop as well for a grab-n-go kind of thing.
Mesteren & Lærlingen: Located in the Meatpacking district is really chilled with great drinks and music.
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WarPigs: also located in the Meatpacking district it’s well known for their American BBQ and for their nice quality beers on tap.
Fermentoren: Another quirky place in the Meatpacking district with a good selection of craft beers.
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Nørrebro Bryghus: It’s a bar with great beer where you can also have a meal. They brew their own beer with a good selection on tap.
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Kølsters Tolv Haner: Good beer and ciders, great outdoor space with colorful light jars and the staff are great!
BRUS: Located in Nørrebro it’s a chilled place for food and beer.
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Taphouse: It’s a big space which is great for groups with loads of beers on tap.
Søernes Ølbar: With a quirky décor of raw brick walls, wooden furniture and lit up beer bottles they have 20 different beer taps available as well as more than 100 different bottles of beer from all over the world.
BEST COCKTAILS BARS
As a cocktail lover I truly enjoyed to discover new bars every once in a while whilst living in Copenhagen. There are always new flavors to try and new bars opening up all the time and you should really try out some of my favorites listed below.
Lidkoeb: One of the best places for cocktails in Copenhagen with a beautiful outdoor space and incredible vibe.
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Strøm Bar: Located just in central Copenhagen this place is known for gourmet cocktails with top quality ingredients and their experienced staff which will give you good recommendation depending on your mood.
Ruby: Trendy cocktail bar with classy and creative cocktails.
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Balderdash: Great service and nice décor.
NOHO Copenhagen: One of the best bars for a night out. The decorations are beautiful and cocktails are good.
The Jane: Another great place for a night out with excellent cocktails and cool DJ’s playing until the early hours.
Curfew: Relaxed and cosy retro vibes with great drinks.
Brønnum: Excellent cocktails with a really great outdoor space.
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Have you been to any of these? Is there any other I can include in this list? Let me know on the comments.
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Please remember that some of these places listed could be closed and although this article is regularly revised it’s best if you check them online before you plan a visit.
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Wow! Such an amazing list with lots of variety. Now, I know where to go if I ever visit Copenhagen. Great post.
Never been there but it looks really fun! missed traveling already. Man, that dog in the middle of the street is just tourist feels hehe
What a great list of places to eat and the food looks so amazing! Never visited Copenhagen before so good to know about it.
This is one comprehensive food guide. I won’t have a hard time choosing a restaurant when I get the chance to visit Copenhagen someday.
That burger from Gasoline Grill looks delicious! I’m saving this post in case I ever visit Copenhagen!
The food hall is great! I lived nearby when I visited Copenhagen and I couldn’t help but eat there. very convenient and priced friendly. Hot dogs are nice as well, I love eating them during cold days (which somehow always happen when I visit Scandinavian countries)
This place looks so beautiful to visit. Your recommendation is really good for food.
I’m not a foodie, but your comprehensive review has convinced me that I want to go to Copenhagen and eat all the bakery treats and drink all the gourmet cocktails!
This is such an exhaustive list to choose a place to eat and drink in Copenhagen. Great choice of places and I love your pictures. So colourful. I’ll definitely try porridge bowl, craft beer and hotdogs.