Our latest trip to Copenhagen mixed old favourites with new discoveries. Instead of hotels, we chose an Airbnb flat in Frederiksberg, and nine days there gave us space to settle in and enjoy the city.
We have already covered in earlier posts Calma, Boutique Emilia, and Odette’s three-star Michelin pop-up at Tivoli. These are the rest, just how we experienced them at the time.
Lunch without a plan landed us at Polly in our neighbourhood. Ordered two Croque Monsieurs, but out came Croque Madames with egg on top. I told the waitress this was not what I ordered.
She went to the kitchen to check, came back, said “It says Monsieur on the ticket,” and left. I scraped off the egg. The sandwich was too tall, soggy, not appetising. This should have been foolproof, yet here we were. Service sleepy. Maybe coffee is better.
Polly
Gl. Kongevej 96
No dinner plans, just wanted something close. We ordered one main each and a bottle of wine. The wine list leans heavy French, expensive, with margins to match.
We spotted a favourite, Piano Piano from Jade Gross at a decent price. Steak was fine, service friendly but attention seemed more for the regulars in the next room. Cozy restaurant, bar to the left.
The chef comes from Geranium, which sets some expectations. All in all, okay. Would we book again? Do not think so.
Sans Souci
Madvigs Allé 15
Sunday lunch. We had covered Silberbauers before and it remains a favourite. Back for mussels with ’nduja and the lamb ragù gnocchi. And of course to end it off with the drink Nam Nam. Still just as good. Sometimes you simply want the same thing again.
Silberbauers
Jægersborggade 40
We have been here before and love their smørrebrød. Quality always up there, but when the room is full the service cracks. Thirty minutes just to place an order, and we nearly walked out.
Once moving, things went back to normal and we left happy. Still, we will avoid peak hours.
The chairs are classic Danish design, beautiful to look at, but clearly the work of a sadistic designer with a grudge against backs. Mine started protesting after twenty minutes. They do have some sofas if you are lucky.
Yes, I am anal about noise, slow service, restaurant chairs, when staff throw cutlery into bins, and crooked teeth on a fork.
Smørrebrød worth the wait, but my back disagrees.
Palægade
Palægade 8
A small marché on Værnedamsvej. Filled with French cheeses, charcuterie, foie gras, and wine. Not a big store, but the selection is excellent. Perfect for picnic supplies or a slice of Paris to bring home. We left with a piece of Beaufort Réserve, a hard Savoie cheese with superb flavour.
Proof that small shops can punch far above their size.
Le Gourmand
Værnedamsvej
Strange we were Gasoline Grill virgins after so many trips to Copenhagen. We always talked about going to the original petrol station where it all began in 2016. The city wants to tear it down, so it is almost the last call there.
This time we tried the Frederiksberg location. Burgers were good, not the best ever, but good. Ours came medium rare, if you prefer well done, give them a heads up.
Organic beef, daily grind and potato buns. They close when burgers are sold out, which sometimes explains the lines. Iconic for a reason.
Gasoline Grill
Værnedamsvej 2
New York-style pizza in Nørrebro. Diamond Slice has two locations in Copenhagen, and we went to the one on Blågårdsgade.
Big, foldable slices, toppings like hot honey and ricotta. For me, the crust was too soft, sourdough?
Ok pizza, but not one I would run back for. On the plus side, they serve wine. On the downside, it comes from two taps in the wall.
We could not help comparing it with Lucia Pizza in Soho, New York. Pure magic, with one of the best crusts we have ever had.
Diamond Slice
Blågårdsgade 27
Second visit. We still dreamt of that roasted chicken with morels and Vin Jaune. Sat facing the kitchen, side by side at the round table. Romantic. Sadly, the magic was gone.
The red wine served stone-cold, service messy, no one at the pass. The chicken fine, but without that sensational crust. Staff looked lost, guests looked unhappy. The room felt like a sinking ship, lacking leadership.
We will give it another try, but not in a hurry.
Restaurant Vie
Århusgade 128E
Late Friday lunch at this Copenhagen classic. I counted three other women in a room full of men on long lunches. And it is loud, especially to the left next to the wall, the sound bouncing around.
Not for a romantic Friday date. Service come ci, come ca, just on the fine border to being bad. My beef with béarnaise drowned in tarragon. My wife’s lobster bisque, overloaded with leeks and croutons, was mushy but flavour-wise good.
Solid wines by the glass. A true French bistro portrait, noisy, busy, nothing subtle.
Bistro Boheme
Esplanaden 8
Smørrebrød since 1894. Late lunch, queue outside, thankfully a reservation waiting. Tight like sitting in the aisle in economy, shoulder out five centimetres and you are performing American football tackles with staff carrying plates. Buzzing loud, 75–79 decibels on my iWatch.
Service ferocious and gritty, staff moving like seasoned pros through the chaos. Plates more generous than finesse, but my shrimp sandwich was the best I have had in Copenhagen. Tradition and chaos in equal measure.
Sankt Annæ
Sankt Annæ Plads 12
Once the Harbour Police Office, this restaurant now has Michelin plaques plastered left of the entrance door. We had visited years ago and thought “ok,” so why not give it another chance.
Cozy restaurant, kitchen to the right, narrow section to the left opening up toward the back. That narrow stretch was taken over by a long table of 20+. Next to us, plates set for 11 more, which soon arrived.
Service collapsed the minute we sat down. Chicken drowned in sauces, my napkin quickly a mess, no wet tissues. Hard to eat cleanly (which I cannot), harder to flag down help. So I walked to the toilet with my hands in the air, like a surgeon in a film waiting for gloves.
Maybe the Harbour Police should have kept the place.
Kanalen
Wilders Plads 2
Last night. A glass of wine at Angleterre’s Champagne bar, Balthazar, just open for the season. Recapping the trip. A good ending to our nine days in the Danish capital.
Balthazar Bar
Ny Østergade 6
Using Our Map: Tap the top-right corner to open in Google Maps. Click the star icon to save it to your Google account.
To read Part I of our Copenhagen notes, see Where to Eat in Copenhagen: From Kong Hans to a Hotdog →
To see more restaurants we have visited in Copenhagen, visit our Restaurant List →
Curious what all this looks like? We post (some of) it on Instagram →
Which is your favourite place to eat in Copenhagen?
