{"id":660806,"date":"2026-06-27T08:43:06","date_gmt":"2026-06-27T08:43:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/660806\/"},"modified":"2026-06-27T08:43:06","modified_gmt":"2026-06-27T08:43:06","slug":"where-copenhagen-leads-the-food-world-still-follows-food","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/660806\/","title":{"rendered":"Where Copenhagen leads, the food world still follows | Food"},"content":{"rendered":"

I didn\u2019t realise I was a fussy eater until I left Denmark. During 12 years of living Danishly, with regular trips to the capital, I just \u2026 liked most things. Danes specialise in high-quality, organic produce, eaten as close to its natural state as possible. Denmark has very specific, diverse climatic conditions, making seasonal eating a science. Forget root vegetables in autumn and strawberries in summer \u2013 we\u2019re talking micro seasons, week to week, with cabbage, kale, apples, potatoes, berries and rye a speciality. None are around for long, but when they are, they\u2019re fabulous \u2013 and the seasonal Nordic diet has been proven to be as healthy as the renowned Mediterranean diet<\/a> and better for the planet<\/a>. No wonder Copenhageners look so smug.<\/p>\n

The Guardian\u2019s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link.\u00a0Learn more<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But the city\u2019s food scene hasn\u2019t always been so good. Many who grew up in the 1970s and 1980s report being reared on canned food and frozen vegetables, with pork and potatoes, sm\u00f8rrebr\u00f8d (open sandwiches) or junk food making up much of the offerings. (You\u2019re never far from a p\u00f8lservogn, or \u201chot dog wagon\u201d, in Copenhagen \u2013 doling out bright red wieners baked in their own bready prophylactic.)<\/p>\n

New wave \u2026 K\u00f8dbyens Fiskebar sits in the heart of the Meatpacking District. Photograph: K\u00f8dbyens Fiskebar<\/p>\n

The capital\u2019s culinary offerings finally got a facelift when Copenhagen was made European capital of culture in 1996. Then came Noma<\/a>. Chefs Ren\u00e9 Redzepi and Claus Meyer turned a former warehouse in Christianshavn into a restaurant in 2003, named after a combination of the Danish words nordisk (Nordic) and mad (food). Noma eschewed the Mediterranean bias in fine dining at the time in favour of homegrown Danish produce. The following year, they brought together fellow chefs to develop a set of principles to help Nordic food move forward. Just as Dogme \u201995<\/a> took things back to basics in film, the New Nordic Kitchen Symposium<\/a> vowed to focus on the raw materials of cooking \u2013 using local, often foraged, seasonal produce.<\/p>\n

double quotation markForget root vegetables in autumn and strawberries in summer \u2013 we\u2019re talking micro seasons, week to week<\/p>\n

After an 18-hour-long workshop, chefs formulated the New Nordic Kitchen manifesto<\/a>. It\u2019s outline: to express \u201cpurity, freshness, simplicity and ethics\u201d by prioritising \u201cingredients and produce whose characteristics are particularly excellent in our climates\u201d, and helping to \u201cpromote Nordic products and producers\u201d. And it worked \u2013 encouraging everyone to up their game and influencing chefs globally. Copenhagen began hoarding Michelin stars (30 at last count<\/a>), but in the kitchen, pressure built. Redzepi acknowledged as far back as 2015 that he had been a bully<\/a> who \u201cyelled and pushed people\u201d, then in March this year he resigned from Noma amid allegations <\/a>of physical and verbal abuse.<\/p>\n

Noma alumni \u2026 Propaganda is run by former Noma chef Youra Kim. Photograph: Giulia Fontana\/Propaganda, Copenhagen<\/p>\n

What made Redzepi\u2019s fall so spectacular was that it collided with Noma\u2019s image as a progressive, sustainably driven, Danish restaurant. There\u2019s no doubt that Noma helped normalise ideas of seasonality, foraging and ingredient-led storytelling in fine dining (sometimes it was more of a Ted Talk than a meal), but innovation can\u2019t come at the cost of accountability. There\u2019s hope that Redzepi will act as a cautionary tale for other chefs contemplating how to run their kitchens \u2013 with Noma alumni now heading up dozens of restaurants in the city, from Propaganda<\/a> (run by Youra Kim, former chef), to K\u00f8dbyens Fiskebare<\/a> (Anders Selmer, former restaurant manager) and the ubiquitous B\u00e6st<\/a> (Christian Puglisi, former sous chef).<\/p>\n

Today, there\u2019s still an emphasis on quality and attention to detail – from ingredients to cutlery, crockery and even candlesticks. Service culture has improved (you might get a smile now) and restaurants book weeks in advance, so it pays to plan ahead. Eating out in Copenhagen isn\u2019t cheap, mind, but every bakery allowed to thrive in the city will have affordable options. And there\u2019s nothing like biting into some dense, buttered rye topped with whatever\u2019s in season as the sun bounces off the water that slices the city (hard recommend: Aamanns<\/a>). .<\/p>\n

Copenhagen is more relaxed than other capitals and more human in scale, dominated by four- to six-storey buildings, and biking Vikings<\/a> outnumbering cars in the city. With hyper-local menus, climate-conscious cooking and a devotion to detail, it is still, in the words of Danny Kaye, \u201cwonderful\u201d.<\/p>\n

Travelling to Copenhagen \u2013 what to do when you\u2019re not eating<\/p>\n

Compiled by Laura Hall<\/a><\/p>\n

Imposing \u2026 Copenhagen\u2019s iconic city hall. Photograph: arcady_31\/Getty Images\/iStockphotoWhere to stay<\/p>\n

Steps from food market Torvehallerne, stylish Kong Arthur Hotel<\/a> prides itself on offering a local feel with morning saunas and a social running club for guests. Double rooms start at \u00a3202 per night, two-night minimum stay. In Nordhavn, the newly opened Hotel Frihaven<\/a> has 28 rooms and is well located for a morning swim. Double rooms start at \u00a3170. For a budget option, Next House<\/a>, close to the foodie-orientated Meatpacking District in Vesterbro, has compact double rooms from \u00a3138.<\/p>\n

Things to doA forager\u2019s delight \u2026 the beach at Amager. Photograph: Heini Kettunen\/Alamy<\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t fancy going on a packed tourist-boat trip to see the city, take a bike ride or walk around the Harbour Circle Route<\/a> instead, via some of the best Danish architecture and numerous swimming spots.<\/p>\n

Speaking of swimming, the city\u2019s floating pools are free for everyone \u2013 and something of a local obsession. Islands Brygge Harbour Bath<\/a> has the largest and most central pool.<\/p>\n

If you needed more incentive, the CopenPay<\/a> initiative rewards visitors who participate in climate-friendly activities. Arrive by bike or metro, help with some gardening or bring a water bottle: all earn rewards such as drinks, free tours or a coffee.<\/p>\n

If you want to bump into a Danish chef in the wild, try foraging in the Amager Strand<\/a> area. The app VildeMad<\/a> introduces the edible Danish landscape and has foraging guides to follow.<\/p>\n

Copenhagen has a vibrant vintage shopping scene. Elmegade<\/a> in N\u00f8rrebro is a great place to start. If you\u2019re in the city on a Sunday, look out for flea markets. It\u2019s a tradition to set up impromptu markets across the city, selling anything from vintage furniture to clothes.<\/p>\n

Stop by Alma<\/a> in Frederiksberg for a spot of supermarket tourism. The independent grocer is on a par with Waitrose and stocks specially produced chocolate from Michelin-starred restaurant Alchemist<\/a> on its shelves.<\/p>\n

Have you even been to Copenhagen if you don\u2019t return with a biscuit tin? For the best iteration of the souvenir, head to Juno the Bakery<\/a>, where they sell buttery cookies in chic containers. And yes, you can repurpose the tin for a sewing kit afterwards.<\/p>\n

Places to seeHaunting \u2026 Cisternerne in Frederiksberg Park. Photograph: Design Pics Inc\/Alamy<\/p>\n

Amusement park Tivoli Gardens<\/a> dates back to 1843 and is a classic day out with family-friendly attractions, thrill rides, arcades and parading peacocks in its lush gardens. Restaurants are \u2013 surprisingly \u2013 outstanding, including a pop-up<\/a> that hosts some of the country\u2019s most acclaimed chefs.<\/p>\n

Copenhagen\u2019s art scene is particularly exciting this year. At Arken<\/a>, scrapwood artist Thomas Dambo\u2019s first major exhibition Garbage Man displays his enormous and charming trolls, while at Cisternerne<\/a>, Marina Abramovi\u0107\u2019s Seven Deaths offers a haunting experience.<\/p>\n

The Coastal Route<\/a> train line is a lovely trip once you\u2019ve had your fill of wandering historic streets and hygge<\/a> in the city. Take it to the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art<\/a> or continue to Helsing\u00f8r<\/a>, home to the castle where Shakespeare set Hamlet<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I didn\u2019t realise I was a fussy eater until I left Denmark. During 12 years of living Danishly,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":660807,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[96,59,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-660806","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entertainment","tag-entertainment","tag-gb","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/660806","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=660806"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/660806\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/660807"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=660806"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=660806"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=660806"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}