Must-try food in Copenhagen

One thing Mr T and I love when travelling is exploring the local cuisine. Typical regional dishes, street food, food markets, you name it. And Copenhagen was no exception. We tried some delicious dishes, and it would be a shame not to share them with you. Therefore, without further ado, here are my must-try food in Copenhagen. Tried and tested by yours truly. 

Worth noting before we start: I am not big on fish and sea food, and neither is Mr T. Therefore, my list of must-try foods in Copenhagen is lacking those, even though you can get plenty of fresh fish everywhere. I am not discouraging you from trying those. I just didn’t add them to my list, since I didn’t try them myself. Please forgive me. 

This is not a sponsored post. These are all my own recommendations, paid for by myself and I do not receive any compensation for naming any restaurants.

Must-try food in Copenhagen: Stegt flæsk

We tried this in a lovely restaurant on Nyhavn. This national dish consists of thick strips of pork belly, fried crisp and served with boiled potatoes and a parsley sauce. I am always a bit wary about pork belly, as I often find it too chewy. But this was fried well and not chewy at all. Absolutely delicious.

Smørrebrød

Smørrebrød, smørrebrød, rom pom pom pom (singing this in my head with the voice of the Swedish Chef in the Muppet Show – although I think that song only exists in the German version… where funnily enough, he was actually called the Danish Chef). But either way, I’m sure you’ve heard of this dish before. Smørrebrød (from smør og brød, meaning butter and bread) is an open-faced sandwich, that is typically served at lunch time. It consists of a slice of buttered bread (usually dark rye bread) with a selection of toppings and garnishes. 

We tried several of them: Salmon and horseradish, roasted beef with pickles, fried onions and horseradish, meatball with potato salad (don’t mock it until you try it). 

Plenty of restaurants across Copenhagen serve Smørrebrød, we had ours at Hallernes Smørrebrød on the top floor of the Magasin du Nord. 

Frikadeller

Another must-try food in Copenhagen is the frikadeller.  A flat meatball made of ground beef or pork (or a mix of both) and traditionally served with potato salad and pickles. You’ll find a similar dish in Germany and other European countries. 

Pølse (hot dog)

If you feel a little hungry during the day, why not try a Pølse at one of the many hot dog stands across Copenhagen. We did, and sure weren’t disappointed. 

Must-try food in Copenhagen: Pastries

Copenhagen has plenty of cute little bakeries. Perfect for breakfast if like us, you didn’t book a hotel breakfast. Or a mid-afternoon snack… or anytime you feel peckish (you get the gist).

Liquorice

Last on my list of must-try foods in Copenhagen is liquorice. Because it seems you can’t travel anywhere in the Nordics without coming across it left right and centre. 

How do you feel about the black sweet? I know most people have very strong opinions about it. You either love it or can’t stand it… a bit like Marmite. But unlike Marmite, I do love liquorice. At least the sweet kind. I am not too keen on the salty version.

Whilst in Copenhagen, we really came across all types of liquorice (and tried a few of them): sweets in all shapes and sizes, chocolates, ice cream, tea, you name it. My favourites are probably the cute round chocolate balls from Lakrids by Bülow with the liquorice centre. 

So, there you have it. My list of must-try food in Copenhagen. Tell me, what was your favourite food in Copenhagen? Anything you think should be added to the list? Or that you are excited to try when you visit Copenhagen?