The Best Cafes in Copenhagen: A 2026 Coffee Lover’s Guide

Copenhagen is a serious coffee city, and the cafés are where you’ll find some of the best pastry too. These are my top seven picks right now, split between specialty roasters and bakery-cafés so you can find the right one fast. You’ll get world-class espresso, the famous cardamom bun, and even a quiet library table to work from. My favorite spot in Copenhagen is listed last. It’s a waterside spot that’s best on a sunny morning. Go early, because the best pastries sell out fast.

---

Most Popular Cafe in Copenhagen: Andersen & Maillard

Andersen & Maillard tops most local rankings, and the pairing is why. Milton Abel and Kristian Andersen both have Noma and Coffee Collective on their résumés. They opened this spot in Nørrebro in 2018 with an in-house bakery and roastery under one roof. The espresso-glazed croissant is the signature order, and the flat whites come from beans roasted a few feet away. The original café is airy, with picnic tables outside that fill up by mid-morning.

What to Order: The espresso-glazed croissant with a flat white. In summer, get the croissant topped with housemade espresso soft serve.

Best If: You want the most popular coffee-and-pastry combination in the city and don’t mind a queue.

Skip If: You need a quiet corner. The Nørrebro café gets busy and loud, and seats go fast.

Best Spot for Coffee Snobs in Copenhagen: Coffee Collective

Coffee Collective is where Danish third-wave coffee started. The founders opened the Jægersborggade shop in Nørrebro in 2008 and set the standard for the light Nordic roast the whole city loves. There are several locations, so you’re rarely far from one, but the Jægersborggade original spot is worth the pilgrimage if you’re serious about your coffee. The Bernikows Gade shop is a 10-minute walk from Nyhavn, and the Torvehallerne market counter is the easiest to drop-in if you’re market-hopping. They source and roast everything themselves.

What to Order: A pour-over of a single-origin filter coffee, or the affogato when it’s available, soft serve with a fresh shot of espresso.

Best If: You care about the coffee first and want to taste the roast that defines the city.

Skip If: You want a big food menu. This is a coffee bar, and the pastries are a supporting act.

Best Coffee in the Meatpacking District: Prolog Coffee

Prolog opened in Kødbyen in 2016, and co-founder Jonas Gehl has won the Danish Barista Championship twice. The original café faces Hart Bageri, so the pastries on the counter are Hart’s, including the cardamom croissant. The coffee is the star here, with a rotating selection of beans for espresso, and poured by baristas who take it seriously. On a sunny day, grab an outdoor terrace table.

What to Order: A cappuccino or an iced Americano, with a Hart cardamom croissant on the side.

Best If: You’re exploring the Meatpacking District and want some of the best espresso in the city.

Skip If: You want a wide pastry selection. The food selection is small, as this spot is coffee-first.

Coolest Cafe in Copenhagen: April Coffee

April Coffee is a design-forward cafe. Founder Patrik Rolf built a minimalist, gallery-like space on Pilestræde in the center, and the focus is squarely on pour-over. You can work through April’s full range, from espresso drinks to carefully brewed filter coffee, and buy travel brewing gear while you’re there. There’s a coffee tasting menu for anyone who wants to go deeper.

What to Order: A pour-over of the current featured coffee.

Best If: You want the most refined, design-led coffee experience in Copenhagen.

Skip If: You want a cozy, cluttered café to linger in. April is sleek.

Coziest Cafe in Copenhagen: Darcy’s Kaffe

Go to Darcy’s Kaffe for hygge, the Danish concept of warmth and comfort with good people. Located on Rantzausgade in Nørrebro, owner Darcy Millar pours a rotating selection from top roasters like April, Coffee Collective, and La Cabra, rather than roasting his own. Pastries are baked in-house, and there are seasonal toasts if you want something more. The whole place is built for slowing down and watching the street.

What to Order: Whatever single origin option is on rotation that day, with an in-house pastry or a seasonal toast.

Best If: You want a relaxed, cozy café for people-watching.

Skip If: You’re in a hurry. The point of Darcy’s is to sit a while, not grab and go.

The Best Cafe to Work in Copenhagen: Democratic Coffee

Democratic Coffee is tucked inside the Copenhagen Central Library on Krystalgade, which makes it the best choice when you need to get things done. The croissants have a citywide reputation and the queue moves fast, so you can grab one and settle in. Being in a working library means you’ll find quiet tables where you can bring your laptop and get some work done.

What to Order: The croissant, which regulars rate among the best in the city, with a filter coffee.

Best If: You need to work or want to read for a couple of hours over good coffee and an amazing pastry.

Skip If: You want buzz and atmosphere. This is a calm library café.

---

Best Waterside Cafe in Copenhagen: Hart Bageri

Hart Bageri was created by Richard Hart, a San Francisco sourdough baker, in partnership with former Noma chef René Redzepi, and it opened in 2018 with a grain-first approach. Fresh-milled Danish flour and wild fermentation define the sourdough and the cardamom buns, and the coffee is brewed with quality local beans. There are around ten locations across the city, so one is usually near wherever you’re staying.

🏆 My Personal Pick

Hart Bageri is my pick of every café in Copenhagen, and the Islands Brygge location by the water is my favorite. We grabbed a table outside on a sunny morning, right by the harbour, and it was the ideal place to slow down and watch locals swim and sunbathe along the promenade. The cardamom croissant was sticky, flaky, and just sweet enough, and the spandauer, filled with custard, was more indulgent but also just the right level of sweetness. With coffee, breakfast came to about $13 per person, which is fair for pastries this good in a city this expensive. Pick a sunny day, get there before the mid-morning rush, and take the outdoor seats by the water.

What to Order: The cardamom croissant and a custard spandauer, with a filter coffee.

Best If: You want a great pastry and a waterside table on a sunny morning.

Skip If: Your focused more on serious coffee than the pastry. Or if it’s cold or wet. The magic here is the pastry and the outdoor seats. Go to Prolog to pair the best coffee with the best pastry.

---

The Best Cafes in Copenhagen: What to Know Before You Go

A few things make café-hopping here easier:

• Go early, since the best pastries sell out and the popular cafés build a queue by mid-morning.
• Head to Nørrebro if you want the densest cluster, with Coffee Collective, Andersen & Maillard, and Darcy’s all walkable from each other.
• Choose Democratic Coffee or April when you need to work, and Darcy’s or Hart when you want to linger.
• Expect to pay $5 to $7 (35 to 50 DKK) for a specialty coffee and a similar amount for a pastry, which is normal for Copenhagen.
• Pair the best coffee with a bakery. Prolog serves Hart pastries and many roasters keep their food menu small.

---

Where to Stay in Copenhagen: My Top Picks

Budget

• CityHub Copenhagen is a capsule-style hotel in Vesterbro where the hubs have proper double beds, shared saunas, and a self-service bar, and it delivers real value in a city where that’s hard to find.
• Hotel Bethel is right on the Nyhavn waterfront with some of the best views in the city, and while the rooms are basic and it costs more than most budget options, you’re paying for a location almost nothing else can match at this price.

Mid-Range

• citizenM Copenhagen Rådhuspladsen is where I like to stay with my wife. It’s very close to Tivoli and Central Station, and the 7th-floor cloudM lounge is my favorite rooftop bar in the city.
• Hotel Sanders is an elegant boutique property at Nyhavn, and its rooftop conservatory garden makes it a good pick for a special trip without the five-star price.

Luxury

• Nimb Hotel is located inside Tivoli Gardens in a Moorish palace building, which puts you steps from the food hall and the park itself.
• Villa Copenhagen is a five-star spot in a converted 1912 Central Post Building next to Central Station with a heated rooftop pool.

---

🍪 Final Bite

Copenhagen’s cafés pair world-class coffee and world-class pastries, and you’ll want to try both. Here’s the short version:

• Start at Andersen & Maillard for the most popular coffee-and-croissant combination in the city.
• Make the pilgrimage to Coffee Collective for the roast that started Danish third-wave coffee.
• Grab an espresso at Prolog in the Meatpacking District, with a Hart pastry on the side.
• Visit April Coffee for the most design-led spot in town.
• Settle in at Darcy’s Kaffe for a cozy, hygge coffee and some people-watching.
• Work for a couple of hours at Democratic Coffee inside the Central Library.
• Take your cardamom croissant to the water at Hart Bageri on Islands Brygge.

Been to Copenhagen and found a café I missed? Tell me in the comments.

Explore More Copenhagen!