The Editor’s
Copenhagen Guide
Bistros.
Sure, Copenhagen is famous for those innovative, fabulous and yes, oh so expensive new Nordic restaurants but snagging a reservation is a nightmare and anyway, mostly we just want to get a good plate of food in a nice environment without breaking the bank. Luckily, many great chefs come to work at the many Michelin-starred places and fall in love with the city, and want to stay, they end up using their high-level skills at more affordable restaurants. Thanks to that we have a great choice of bistros and casual eateries too. It’s a dynamic scene with new openings every week so let us tell you about some of our favourites.
Eat & drink
Bistros & casual eateries
Here is a selection of some of our current favourites.
With new openings every week, we keep this list fresh and updated.
Alf
Gl. Kongevej 86A, Frederiksberg
Situated on happening Frederiksberg street Gammel Kongvej, Alf is a newcomer that is already getting a lot of attention. Serving well-prepared (though small) dishes such as smoked eel with enoki mushrooms, fried cod with turnips and a good selection of vegetarian plates, the vibe is laid back and cosy. Ask to sit in the front room with its folksy decorations or at the bar rather than the back room which is a bit social Siberia...
Bar Amore
Gl. Kongevej 74D, Frederiksberg
A relative newcomer to the increasingly interesting Gammel Kongevej food and wine scene, Bar Amore lives up to its name. Quite a favourite with the fashion and creative crowd, it’s an airy, light-filled space with an open kitchen and a very welcoming vibe. We love to book seats at the high, communal bar table and order plates of truly delicious pasta (the linguine with garlic and chilli is gorgeous), seasonal leaves and very good meatballs.
Bar Moro
Placed on a rather unassuming thoroughfare in Nørrebro, this isn’t really somewhere that you would happen to walk past, but Bar Moro is really worth a short diversion. Decorated (or rather undecorated) in typical Copenhagen hygge style, the place is buzzing without feeling cramped, with beautiful cosy lighting and the air of having been there forever. Food is eclectic, very well considered and reasonably priced (the oysters with tomato water in particular were sensational), and there is an excellent offering of wine and cocktails.
Flere Fugle Bageri & Pizzabar
Situated in an old garage in what is becoming a bona-fide design district in Nordvest Copenhagen, Flere Fugle is the epitome of the urban Copenhagen vibe. Breakfast to dinner? Tick. Natural wine list? Natch. On-site bakery, attractive staff and industrial but hyggelig decor? Gotcha! The result is very popular, very cool and serves great pastries, coffee and pizza. And if you feel inspired to try it all yourself, they run occasional workshops on how to make the perfect cinnamon bun or sour-dough bread.
Frank’s Kro
Irony in the restaurant world is a very difficult feat to pull off but Frank’s Kro manages it in style. Fresh from a Michelin-starred kitchen, the chef and owner applies the same skill to very traditional Danish food and produces it with a great sense of humour. Expect prawn cocktails, frikadelle and, of course, roast pork served exactly as they should be in a room that looks like it was last decorated in 1974. Everything tastes great, the wine is excellent and the service is utterly charming.
Grimal
Little sister to Frank and Polly - a duo much loved by the city's foodies - this casual take on a brasserie serves the cuisine-de-jour of (relatively) simple French dishes. Now established as our local favourite, you'll regularly find us sat at the bar eating oysters, gougères and perfectly cooked rabbit vol-au-vents. Book well ahead - this place has become very popular.
Jah Izakaya & Sake Bar
If you fancy a bit of low-key but very authentic Japanese dining, Jah Izakaya is hard to beat. Styled as an izakaya - a sort of Japanese local pub for casual food - this is always busy, always buzzy, and the food is delicious. It’s famous for its fried chicken, but our favourite option is to go for the full chef’s choice omakase menu, sat at the bar with some Japanese beer (or German white wine) to wash it down.
Locale 21
Most of the more interesting restaurants in Copenhagen are in the more residential neighbourhoods of Vesterbro and Nørrebro with the city centre places leaning towards tourists and business guys. An exception though is this relative newcomer situated a stone’s throw from the busy shopping streets but with the air of a local favourite. Despite its young age, it feels like it has been there for years. Popular with both ladies-who-lunch and the fashion set, it serves good quality Italian food in a busy and buzzy room.
Ma Cuisine
Despite being a new kid on the block, Ma Cuisine does the usual Copenhagen trick of looking like it’s been there for years, serving unpretentious and tasty French country food at very good prices. Don’t expect haute cuisine here, it’s charming, laid-back, and slightly chaotic. Perfect for a relatively spontaneous midweek dinner, then.
Osteria 16
Graham's favourite, as it's 100m distance from his apartment (but you can find one more in Vesterbro and another one in Nørrebro), is another place which serves antipasti, a set meal of around seven or eight small dishes. The menu centres mainly around vegetables and fish so expect the likes of octopus carpaccio, scallops, bitter greens and salty baccala – it’s a world away from spag bol and garlic bread.
Piola Pastificio
Thorvaldsensvej 2c, Frederiksberg
The clue is in the title: this place only serves pasta in various forms as the main course. But it’s sensational, homemade, beautifully cooked pasta, so we ain't gonna argue. There are usually four or five different versions ranging from spaghetti with seafood to fabulous agnolotti del plin (small, meat-filled parcels) with a handful of appetisers and one or two desserts, all served up in a tiny room in a quiet neighbourhood. Sit at the bar with a glass or two of Barbaresco and you won’t want to leave.
Restobar
Small, crowded and always packed, this bistro has been a huge hit since it opened its doors in 2023. Nominally an Italian restaurant, it has hints of French cooking too - like an Italian in Nice perhaps - and the atmosphere too is reminiscent of a much-loved local: the sort of place you would want to eat midweek when you can’t be bothered to cook. Its success means such spontaneity is difficult but in good weather when tables spill out into the pretty square, the chance of a walk-in improves. Try the tasting menu to get a real idea of how good the kitchen is.
Sans Souci
Madvigs Allé 15, Frederiksberg
An old neighbourhood favourite that caused outrage when it closed down after 120 years has reopened quietly and confidently to become a favourite with the media crowd and well-heeled locals. Serving a mix of classic French bistro dishes and Danish smørrebrød depending on the time of day, the vibe is relaxed and easygoing but with classical training in the kitchen. It’s a particularly lovely place to have a long lunch with a bottle of Sancerre.
Turkish Showbiz
Oehlenschlaegersgade 5, Vesterbro
Situated in the old location of Italodisco and run by the same team, this instead leans into the owner’s Turkish heritage, but in the same tasting menu format. Expect fresh, elevated meze, interesting takes on grilled meat and fish and the obligatory sweet desserts. The atmosphere is lively and, as you would expect from the inspired name, the soundtrack is fantastic.
Other places worth mentioning:
Cicheti Norrebro, Mangia Vesterbro, Safari, Circolo Frederiksberg…
