Eating my way through Copenhagen
Potatoes and bread are a perfect pair
About two weeks ago, my partner and I took a little trip to Copenhagen. It is a city we both wanted to visit, my partner since they first saw the movie Copenhagen (2014), and I because of its food scene, obviously.
We are back now, and I am happy to report that we’ve successfully eaten our way through Copenhagen. Since we are both vegan, our choices were a bit limited, but I am really happy with the meals we ended up having. I hope that this newsletter helps those who are looking for plant-based options (or just food, really) in Copenhagen, and encourages them to also try places that might not seem like an obvious (vegan-friendly) choice at first.
Studio x Kitchen
We started our 5-day culinary quest through Copenhagen at Studio x Kitchen. The menu offered two options that were made vegan upon request, so we went for those, plus a homemade chamomile-lemon soda and grapefruit-tajin soda. The first dish was a delicious crispy bun, layered with smoky aioli, lettuce leaves, shaved fennel, and raw zucchini. The second option was a salad with boiled potatoes, kale, zucchini, fennel, toasted hazelnuts, mustard dressing, and a side of sourdough focaccia. We finished our meal with a dark chocolate & buckwheat cookie, which was perfectly sweet, crunchy on the outside, and slightly gooey on the inside.
The space of Studio x Kitchen is beautifully furnished and bright, and the menu is seasonal and thoughtfully curated.
Lille Bakery
Lille Bakery has been on my list since I first came across this beautiful place on social media, probably around 2020 or even before. I was excited to finally stand in their space, sit at communal tables, and taste their bread, simply but thoughtfully prepared vegetables, and homemade beverages.
They didn’t have anything specifically vegan on the menu that day, but the kind employee behind the counter offered that they could substitute eggs and mayo with olive oil in one of the dishes, and prepare their seasonal focaccia without cheese. So we got a plate of blanched spring onions, sprouting cauliflower, boiled potatoes, and a radish, sprinkled with fresh herbs and served with a side of olive oil in sourdough bread. Paired with potato and chive focaccia, rhubarb lemonade, and homemade iced tea, the meal was a perfect fuel for our bike ride to one of the beaches (Amager Beach Park).
Riviera Bakery
We decided to treat ourselves to a little make-shift hotel room breakfast, and luckily for us, our hotel was a short walk from Riviera Bakery. We got their poppy seed-oat and sesame seed buns paired with some coffee to wake us up. We took the buns back to our room, slathered them in Naturli butter (I conveniently bought a cobalt blue Sabre butter knife the day before), and sprinkled them with Maldon salt, which I, of course, had to get since they don’t sell 0,5 kg buckets in Slovenia.
These buns were the best buns I had while in Copenhagen, and I did try a couple of different ones. They were perfectly crispy on the outside, but not too tough, and soft on the inside.
Bistro Lupa
Our meal at Bistro Lupa was probably the most memorable meal we had in Copenhagen and one of the best we had in our lives. It all started with me having a crisis and not being able to decide whether we should do a set dinner menu or order à la carte. After a 10-minute debate with my partner (who was very supportive and understanding), we finally settled on à la carte, since that meant we could try more dishes. We ordered almost everything on the menu, and I have zero regrets.
The food was amazing, like nothing I've ever tasted before. We had housemade milk bread, soft as a cloud, and an amazing milky aroma. Their fried blue oyster mushrooms (which they grow on their farm) are sticky, caramelized, and crunchy at the same time. We finished our meal with Greek mountain tea ice cream paired with tangerine gel and oat-nut crumble. The flavor of ice cream reminded me of the walks we take with our dogs when they run through fields covered with thyme, and the aroma of fresh herbs fills the air in the warm spring evenings.
I was on the verge of tears the entire meal, because every dish was so tasty, thought out, and well executed.
Alle Tiders
We visited Alle Tiders based on a follower's recommendation. They offer affordable seasonal sharing trays consisting of cozy dishes, salads, pickles, and bread. Since I’m vegan, it’s always a bit awkward asking if food can be prepared vegan, but at Alle Tiders, both FOH and the chef were super kind, explaining how they can alter the dishes to make them suit my dietary restrictions.
We got a sharing tray with fregola in tomato sauce, topped with sumac onions and parsley, seasoned chickpea salad, pickled veggies, leafy salad with mustard dressing, and breadcrumb sprinkle, their homemade kimchi made of veggie scraps (absolutely delicious and genius), sourdough focaccia, and homemade rhubarb soda. It was a comforting and filling meal that tasted like a home-cooked meal, full of love and care.
This was my partner’s favorite meal.
Apotek 57
Apotek 57 was, of course, also on our list. We went there for a little breakfast. They kindly told us they could prepare granola with fruit compote and oat milk, and bread buns with vegan butter and fruit preserves. We paired that with oat milk matcha and enjoyed our breakfast in their beautiful space, filled with stunning Frama furniture.
Hart Bageri
We crossed paths with Hart Bakery on multiple occasions. We enjoyed oatmeal flat white, and kombucha (Cherry one by Bouche, absolutely delicious) on the bank of one of the canals, and snacked on buns (with vegan butter) for breakfast. We also got a loaf of their Everyday Rye to take home with us, and prolong the Danish experience for a bit.
Darcey’s Kaffee
On the only bad weather day of our vacation, we found refuge from rain in Darcey’s Kaffee. Always hungry to discover more dishes and flavor combinations, we ordered their Coronation chickpea sandwich to share, and two matcha tonics. The place was cozy, the sandwich delicious, and the service extremely friendly.
Hot Pot Republic
I am ashamed to say that this was my first hot pot experience, but I am definitely hooked (already checking where I can buy the pot so that we can make this at home). We visited Hot Pot Republic for dinner one day, to fuel our tired bodies after walking around all day. It was exactly what we needed, a meal of warming soup, funky mushrooms, chewy noodles, and crunchy vegetables.
Places that we didn’t manage to visit
There are many cafes, restaurants, bistros, shops, and sights that we sadly didn’t manage to visit in our 5 days, due to a lack of time and stomach space. I also got many recommendations from kind people on Instagram. Here is a little list of those (I am not entirely sure if all listed restaurants/cafes offer vegan options since I didn’t check all of them firsthand, but I will add notes to those I have):
Ark (fully vegan)
Baka d’Busk (fully vegan)
Beyla (fully vegan)
Copenhagen Contemporary
Danish Design Museum
Gaza Grill (offers vegan options)
Kismet (offers vegan options)
Lido (offers vegan options)
Louisiana Museum
Slurp Ramen (offers vegan options)
SMK
Non-food related things
During all the meals, we also managed to squeeze in some sightseeing. We walked through many of Copenhagen’s green, blooming parks, picturesque streets, and browsed many carefully curated and almost too aesthetic shops.
Final thought:
Potatoes and bread are a perfect pair
I need to make homemade soda/water kefir/kombucha asap
I should cook with rhubarb more
Simple foods, like blanched vegetables with olive oil and flaky salt, are the answer
See you next time when I’m back, sharing recipes again.
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