In 2010, a Danish newspaper called Noma's selection as the best restaurant in the world as "important as winning the Handball World Cup". Denmark is still waiting for the handball title, but Noma has now won the coveted top rating of the trade journal "Restaurant Magazine" four times, thus revolutionising the reputation of Scandinavian cuisine in the long term - and inspiring numerous top Danish chefs to run first-class restaurants.
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In terms of population, Copenhagen now has more star-rated restaurants than any other city in the world. Even beyond the purist Nordic cuisine temple Noma (currently closed and getting a new concept), there are plenty of great gastro locations to discover in Copenhagen - from Michelin-starred restaurants to hipster canteens and street food. Here are seven very special tips.
1. radio: Gourmets love the restaurant
The name comes from the neighbouring concert hall, the concept follows the new Nordic cuisine: high-quality seasonal ingredients and close ties to regional quality producers who grow traditional Danish grain and fruit themselves. Co-owner Jesper Kirketerp has already cooked at Noma and the almost as posh Geranium.
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The prices in the pine-panelled Radio are more moderate than at Noma, however, and the purist food philosophy with which the flavour-intensive multi-course menus are put together is comparable. Gourmets particularly praise the scallops with Jerusalem artichokes and the salmon with crispy endives and watercress from the changing menu.
Radio | Julius Thomsens Gade 12 | Tuesday to Friday from 5 p.m. to midnight, Friday and Saturday from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.
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2. døp : Here you get hot dogs
Yes, hot dogs! This typical Danish dish that has a reputation for being an unhealthy filling for people without time or taste. But the readers of the Copenhagen daily newspaper "Politiken" have voted the ecological hot dog shop Døp the tastiest snack in the capital.
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The fat here is as organic as the pølser, which are made of either beef, chicken, pork, goat or tofu and covered in crispy buns made from slowly fermented sourdough.
The pølser are seasoned with wild garlic, rosemary, rosehip, parsley or a spicy North African blend. "There are sausages here for every mood," wrote the New York Times. Hot dogs probably don't taste better anywhere. If you want, you can order the organic pølser even healthier with braised cabbage and beetroot or with parsnips, kohlrabi and potatoes instead of bread.
Døp | Købmagergade 52 (by the Round Tower) | Monday to Saturday from 11 am to 6.30 pm
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3. aamanns smørrebrød
The simplest and probably most classic of all Danish dishes has experienced a gastronomic renaissance in recent years: Smørrebrød. These are sandwiches topped with fish, meat or vegetables. Adam Aamann, one of the stars of the new Nordic gastronomic scene, has dedicated a deli to this trend, which has since been expanded to include a restaurant right next door.
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Here you can get the Dane's permanent favourite with exquisite ingredients arranged on different types of bread like little works of art: Grambogard pork rillettes, Icelandic herring pickled in a barrel or blue cheese with hazelnut nougat topping.
The refined Smørrebrød restaurant has won several awards, including from the Danish Academy of Gastronomy. The deli also has out-of-home sales and a delivery service for the city area.
Aamanns Smørrebrød | Øster Farimagsgade 10 | daily from 11 am to 5.30 pm
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4th Kødbyens Fiskebaren
Anders Selmer, the former sommelier and manager of Noma, runs what many critics consider the best fish restaurant in Copenhagen: Kødbyens Fiskebaren. In the casual rooms in the trendy Meatpacker District, you are spoilt for choice at the exquisite fish bar: on top of tons of ice, there are several varieties of oysters (the tastiest ones do not come from France, but from the Limfjord), crabs, shrimps and delicious mussels such as the hand-dipped scallops from Norway.
The warm cuisine delights with lightly smoked cod, mussels steamed in cider or fish & chips from the Kattegat with hand-cut potatoes and fresh remoulade. The eye-catcher is a large, cylindrical aquarium with jellyfish, and the comfortable sofas, on which cocktails are drunk, are often occupied by contentedly cheerful guests until two in the morning at weekends.
Kødbyens Fiskebaren | Flæsketorvet 100 | Monday to Thursday from 5.30 p.m. to midnight, Friday from 5.30 p.m. to 2 a.m., Saturday from 11.30 a.m. to 2 a.m., Sunday from 11.30 a.m. to midnight
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5th Gorilla: Mediterranean cuisine
The Meat District location with its industrial look is divided into two areas: The bar and the large, canteen-style restaurant. On the menu are snacks, main courses or combinations with ten or 15 mini dishes, which are very popular. Because that is the concept of Gorilla: gourmet cuisine in small portions that can be shared.
Choices include Mediterranean-inspired dishes such as white fish with dried tomatoes and ham jam, tartare in oyster sauce with radicchio and potash, or crispy fried fish with artichoke cream, roasted almonds and preserved lemons. A vegetarian evergreen is the pasta with three types of cheese, which is so delicious that the course regularly leads to arguments or repeat orders from larger groups.
Gorlla | Flæsketorvet 63 | Monday to Thursday from 5.30 p.m. to midnight, Friday and Saturday from 5.30 p.m. to 2 a.m.
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6th Amass: regional cuisine
Californian chef Matt Orlando quit his job at Noma to open Amass, a modern restaurant accessible to everyone. In the high-ceilinged, graffiti-covered rooms, a colourful mix of hipsters, food tourists and business people gather to be served six- or nine-course meals to hip-hop sounds.
Some of the fresh ingredients come from the restaurant's own garden; typical dishes include beetroot with black pepper and bergamot, butter-tender neck of Icelandic lamb or smoked mussels.
Amass | Refshalevej 153 | Dinner: Tuesday to Saturday from 4pm to midnight, lunch: Friday and Saturday from 12 noon to 3.30 p.m.
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7 Kiin Kiin: Thai restaurant with a star
Literally translated, the name means "Eat, eat!" Behind it is the concept of top chef Henrik Yde Andersen, who lived in Thailand for several years before opening Kiin Kiin in Copenhagen, Europe's only Michelin-starred Thai restaurant.
Only menus are offered, the ingredients are excellent, the taste extremely aromatic and often surprising. For example, there is a red curry with baby lobster from Jutland on asparagus, lychee foam and coconut milk, which is served simultaneously in a hot and a cold version on dry ice. The wine list focuses on German and Alsatian growths, especially Riesling, which is considered the ideal companion to the spicy Thai cuisine. Definitely make a reservation.
Kiin Kiin | Guldbergsgade 21 | Monday to Saturday from 5.30 p.m. to midnight