What to Eat in Copenhagen: A Food Guide

Copenhagen sits on a salty strait with a cool maritime climate that favors hardy grains, root vegetables, and preserved seafood. Danish cooks rely on rye, barley, cabbage, potatoes, pork, and dairy, along with herring and cod from nearby waters. Pickling, smoking, and curing remain everyday techniques.

Daily meals balance a quick, bread-based lunch with a warm, home-style dinner, and coffee punctuates the day. Seasonal habits are strong: light, fresh produce in summer, richer stews and sauces in winter, always supported by butter, tangy pickles, and mustard. Eating is practical, precise, and deeply tied to local farms and fisheries.

Smørrebrød starts with dense, sourdough rugbrød spread thinly with butter to seal in moisture. Toppings are composed for contrast: marinated sild (herring) in a vinegar-sugar-spice brine, røget laks with dill and lemon, æg og rejer (sliced egg and shrimp), leverpostej with crisp bacon, or roast beef with remoulade and fried onions. Each piece is garnished precisely—syltede agurker, rødbeder, chives, or radishes—to balance acidity, sweetness, and crunch. Eaten with knife and fork at midday in canteens, homes, and festive julefrokost gatherings, smørrebrød reflects Copenhagen’s preservation heritage and seasonal rhythm, from early-summer new potatoes with chives to hearty winter liver pâté.

This classic pairs salt-cured pork belly slices with boiled potatoes and a thick parsley sauce. The flæsk is pan-fried or oven-roasted until the fat renders and the rind blisters crackling-crisp; drippings are often reserved for later cooking. The sauce starts with a roux of butter and flour, thinned with milk to a glossy texture and finished with chopped parsley for freshness, sometimes accompanied by agurkesalat or pickled beets. Widely cooked for weeknight dinners and popularized as Denmark’s “national dish” in a 2014 public vote, it captures the country’s pork-centered agriculture and the comfort of hot, herb-scented sauces—especially satisfying when new potatoes arrive in early summer.

Frikadeller are spoon-shaped patties made from ground pork or a pork–veal blend mixed with finely chopped onion, egg, milk, and either breadcrumbs or oats, seasoned simply with salt and pepper. The mixture rests briefly, then patties are formed with a wet spoon and pan-fried in butter until browned outside and tender within. Their flavor is savory and delicate, with a gentle sweetness from onion and dairy, and a satisfying crust from the pan. Served hot with potatoes, brun sovs, and rødkål for dinner—or sliced cold on rugbrød with remoulade—they embody economical home cooking in Copenhagen households and are frequent components of lunch boxes and family gatherings.

Rød pølse is a cured, red-dyed sausage served from ubiquitous pølsevogn (hot dog stands), either boiled or grilled to order. The casing offers a clean snap, while the mildly seasoned pork interior is gently smoky and salty, designed to carry assertive toppings. Typical garnishes include remoulade, mustard, ketchup, syltede agurker, and both raw and crispy fried onions; some opt for a bun, others take it plated with sides. Licensed stands appeared in Copenhagen in 1921, and today the hot dog remains a democratic street bite, eaten for a quick lunch near squares and transit hubs or as a late-night snack on the way home.

Wienerbrød uses a yeasted dough laminated with cold butter into multiple thin layers, then shaped and filled before baking. Fillings range from remonce (butter-sugar paste) and almond to custard or seasonal jam, with forms like spandauer and kanelsnegl common across the city. Properly made, the pastry shatters into crisp shards, revealing a honeycombed crumb and deep buttery aroma balanced by sugar or cardamom. The style gained ground in 19th-century Denmark under influence from Central European lamination techniques, and in Copenhagen it anchors morning routines and afternoon kaffepause, particularly welcome during long, dark winters when indoor coffee breaks are a daily ritual.

Copenhagen’s table combines cool-climate staples, careful preservation, and a strong lunch-and-coffee rhythm. Seasonality is visible citywide: new potatoes, berries, and herbs in light months, and slow-cooked meats, sauces, and pickles in cold weather. Explore more food-led travel planning on Sunheron.com, where you can match destinations and activities to the weather and cultural experiences you seek.