Our PR and Social Media Executive, Ellen, recently returned from a short city break to Copenhagen, Denmark. In this blog she rounds up some top foodie picks:

Copenhagen has quickly become a hotspot for a short weekend break, so we decided to jump on the bandwagon and visit this coastal city. Like all Nordic countries, there is a keen emphasis on seafood in Danish cuisine, which my partner, Sean, and I aren’t huge fans of. Instead, we focused on finding the best Danish pastries in Copenhagen – although we later discovered from our local guide that Danish pastries are in fact adapted from a traditional Viennese recipe, so perhaps it should be Austrian pastries!

Our first spot was a stop at Hart. This bageri has several locations across the city centre, so it’s a convenient way to start the day before heading over to see popular tourist attractions like Nyhavn and The (very!) Little Mermaid Statue. Here we tried the traditional ‘Danish’ pastry, Spandauer. Named after the Berlin borough of Spandau, these pastries actually have nothing to do with Germany, just to make things confusing. They’re characterised by flaky golden pastry with a dimpled centre filled with custard or jam. These were delicious, and their indulgent chocolate cake was also amazing!

Another bakery boasting several locations is Buka Bakery. We split a sticky cardamom bun and a pistachio croissant, which was lovely. Pistachio-everything is extremely on-trend at the moment, so every bakery we went to had at least one pistachio product behind the counter.

If you’re staying in the north end of the city, Juno Bakery may be more convenient to get to. Our eyes may have been a bit bigger than our stomachs on this day, as we greedily got four items to share between us; a sugared cream bun, a slice of lemon loaf cake, a cardamom bun (because the Buka one was so good!) and the highlight – a toasted pecan pastry. Inside they also have tins of traditional Danish butter cookies that make a great gift, and outside is a shaded courtyard to enjoy your baked goods in.

Last, but by no means least was Andersen & Maillard. While I’d have to say Hart was my favourite for sweet treats, Andersen & Maillard had the best cheese rolls. Translating into ‘bun with butter and cheese’, bolle med smør og ost is more commonly known as BMO for short. Although pretty much every bakery offers it, it’s not always advertised as an option so you may have to ask for it. You can choose your favourite freshly baked bread, and they then usually make them to order, elevating this simple lunch. Andersen & Maillard’s cinnamon rolls are also amazing!

Beyond bakeries, we couldn’t leave without trying some classic Danish Smørrebrød – open sandwiches made with rye bread. While the place we tried it was nice, it was massively overpriced, so learn from our mistake and avoid eating anywhere near Nyhavn to avoid extortionate tourist prices! For reference, we had one singular slice or smørrebrød each and a beer, and our bill came to a whopping £60. With Danish Krone feeling a bit like monopoly money, that was a painful realisation to come to afterwards.

The exception to this rule lies in Broens Gadekøkken. To reach this outdoor street food court, simply walk to the end of Nyhavn’s iconic colourful buildings and cross the bridge. This amalgamation of international cuisines has something for everybody and offers a great atmosphere with events running throughout the summer. We settled on gyros from Strangas, which hit the spot. For more street food options, head up to Reffen by renting a bike or taking the water boat from Nyhavn. This is a great option for craft beer lovers keen to check out Mikkeller Brewery’s broad range.

For more of a traditional restaurant setting, Pluto offers a 10-dish tasting menu for hungry tourists after a busy day sightseeing. After our great tasting menu experience in Malta, we decided to opt for this – though note the portions are very generous! For starters we shared hummus with harissa oil, salad with avocado dressing, beer tartar, and duck-fat potato dauphinois sticks with spicy mayo. This alone would have probably been sufficient! For the fish course we braved cod in a coconut and spicy shrimp foam sauce, as well as mini jacket potatoes topped with mussel sauce and trout eggs – not as bad as I imagined, but certainly not for me. Next, we tucked into a dish of chicken parmesan and a beef ragu pasta. We were truly struggling by this point, but soldiered on to make room for dessert; tiramisu and rhubarb ice cream (closer to a sorbet in texture) topped with a coconut cream. Overall, a very enjoyable evening, and worth checking out as Pluto updates its menus fairly often.

On the flip side of things, right opposite Pluto is the famous Gasoline Grill. Also boasting several locations (including at Broens and inside Tivoli Gardens – though I wouldn’t say the £20 entry fee to Tivoli is worth it unless you wanted to go on the rollercoasters!), Gasoline Grill is built into a functioning petrol station. Although it only opened in 2016, it quickly went viral and consistently sells out – so don’t leave it too late! The menus may differ by location, so it’s probably best to go to the OG venue at Landgreven. But the good news is, if you run out of time, you’ll have one last chance to grab one at the airport as you fly home!