I bite into small bowls of crusty cheese Tartlet with asparagus pastry at the new Restaurant Palaegade. As a vegetarian, I am happy with my dining choices in this seafaring country. The national dish of Denmark is Smorrebrod, an open-faced sandwich on buttered rugbrød (dark rye). It is usually topped with cold protein such as fish, potatoes, sauce, vegetables and herbs. These sandwiches have their origins in the 1800s when they were packed and brought to work as easy meals by farmers.
Danish cuisine is rooted in peasant dishes based on natural products such as rye, bread, barley for beer, smoked pork, etc. The New Nordic cuisine is about fresh, local and organic, with chefs foraging mushrooms and weeds to plants and flowers locally. This kind of cuisine reflects changes of the seasons in the meal with its fish, game, berries and herbs, and expresses the freshness, simplicity and ethics of the Nordic region.
My favourite place in the capital city of Copenhagen is the street food market on Paper Island (Papirøen), where you can relax in deck chairs on the pier. It opened in April 2014 and has over 33 food trucks, booths and containers, all housed in the enormous Papirøen Building. I have a meal of Colombian bean and rice and Mexican tacos with an organic elderflower juice.
What makes the market special is the social objective that comes with it. This market aims to support the conservation of the original Danish Red Dairy cattle, a rare breed of cows.
As part of Denmark’s green conscience, three-quarters of all food and drink served in Copenhagen’s institutions is green. So is a quarter of the retail market in the capital. There is a design element to the food too—local ingredients that might appear inedible are arranged as skillfully as a fine painting.
Copenhagen is home to 15 Michelin-starred super restaurants. In some, reservations open four months in advance.
Danes are also obsessed by gelatos and ice-cream. Every Danish meal is accompanied by a glass or can of local beer and schnapps, also called akvavit. There are over 200 microbreweries, with dozens of styles and hundreds of craft beers, in Denmark. Mixology is also booming with bartenders making inventive cocktails.
At the buzzing Meatpacking District at Vesterbro, buzzing bars, restaurants and clubs are housed in former slaughterhouses and butcher shops. A good window into local produce is at Torvehallerne, the indoor food market with 60 stalls selling pizza, chocolate, artisanal honey, blue cheese, pastries, rhubarb juice, cakes, smoothies, organic wine and spices.
Cooking and food festivals celebrate the culinary culture of the city and the country. The Copenhagen Food and Cooking Festival in August has pop-up community kitchens, insect food, street dinners and block parties.
For a different ambience, head to the Kayak Bar under the bridge by Christiansborg Palace. It started as a hangout spot for watersport enthusiasts who store their gear and have a clubhouse here. You can kayak in the canals, take a swim or relax on the beach here with sand and sun chairs.
My most delicious memory is of one afternoon at Jægersborggade, once a derelict area. Urban regeneration has woven its magic here with tiny boutiques selling wine and ceramics alongside cafes and restaurants.
I follow my nose to the Coffee Collective, a tiny booth-size café where they roast their own beans procured from Panama, Brazil, Guatemala, and Kenya. Sitting in the sun and sipping espresso at the picnic table outside, life is good.