Traditional Danish Food: 9 Top Dishes to Eat in Copenhagen

Danish food is built on rye bread, pork, and seafood, and most visitors only try the smørrebrød. But I think you need to also try the national dish, a plate of crispy pork belly, and the other classics on this list. This guide covers nine traditional Danish dishes to eat in Copenhagen and where to find each. My favorite spot to sample them all is listed at the end.

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Smørrebrød: The Danish Open-Faced Sandwich

Of course, I have to start here. Smørrebrød is the dish every visitor should try first. It’s an open-faced sandwich built on dense, buttered rye bread (rugbrød), topped with anything from pickled herring to roast beef, shrimp, or liver pâté, then finished with pickles, crispy onions, remoulade, or fresh dill. It’s usually eaten with a knife and fork, and often with a beer and a shot of snaps alongside. You’ll find it everywhere from century-old cellars to market counters.

What to Order: A classic pickled herring or roast beef smørrebrød to start, plus one updated or vegetarian version to try the range.

Best If: You want the quintessential Danish dish, and you like the idea of building a meal from a few small, distinct sandwiches.

Skip If: You want a hot, hearty plate. Smørrebrød is more of a cold lunch dish, not a warm dinner.

Stegt Flæsk: Denmark’s National Dish

Stegt flæsk med persillesovs is the official national dish, and most visitors walk past it. Thick slices of pork belly are fried until the fat crisps and the meat stays tender, then served with boiled potatoes and a creamy parsley sauce. It’s simple, salty, and rich, and Danes voted it their favorite for a reason. Many traditional restaurants serve it as an all-you-can-eat plate, so it’s a good-value dinner in an expensive city.

What to Order: Stegt flæsk med persillesovs, ideally somewhere with refills on the pork and potatoes.

Best If: You want the true national dish and you’re hungry enough for a plate of crisp pork belly.

Skip If: You avoid pork or heavy fried food. This one is unapologetically both.

Frikadeller: Danish Meatballs

Frikadeller are the meatballs Danes grow up on, made from minced pork or a pork-and-veal mix seasoned with onion, egg, milk, and breadcrumbs, then pan-fried. They turn up two ways: plated for dinner with brown gravy, boiled potatoes, and pickled red cabbage, or cold as a smørrebrød topping at lunch. They’ve been a staple since the 18th century, and they’re the most reliable comfort food on any traditional menu.

What to Order: Frikadeller with brown gravy and potatoes for dinner, or on rye with pickled red cabbage at lunch.

Best If: You want hearty, home-style Danish cooking without anything unfamiliar on the plate.

Skip If: You’re after something light or adventurous. Frikadeller are comfort food, plain and satisfying.

Flæskesteg: Roast Pork With Crackling

Flæskesteg is the roast pork Danes put at the center of Christmas dinner, and it’s on classic menus year-round. A pork joint is roasted until the skin turns into crisp crackling, then carved and served with red cabbage, caramelized potatoes, and gravy. The crackling is the best part, and a good chef gets it super crisp. You’ll also see it cold as a smørrebrød topping (flæskesteg med rødkål) at lunch counters.

What to Order: Flæskesteg with crackling, red cabbage, and caramelized potatoes for the full plate.

Best If: You want a proper Danish roast dinner and you’re chasing that crisp crackling.

Skip If: It’s a warm day and you want something light. This is festive, cold-weather comfort food.

Stjerneskud: The Extravagant Smørrebrød

Stjerneskud, or “shooting star,” is the smørrebrød Danes order when they’re looking for something elevated. A slice of rye holds two pieces of plaice, one steamed and one fried, topped with a mound of shrimp, lettuce, lemon, and a spoon of caviar. It’s the most extravagant open sandwich on the menu, and it’s a local favorite rather than a tourist attraction. Have it with a cold beer and a shot of snaps, the traditional way.

What to Order: The stjerneskud itself, with a cold Danish beer alongside.

Best If: You love seafood and want the most generous, celebratory version of smørrebrød.

Skip If: You want something cheap and simple. This is the priciest sandwich on the board.

Pickled Herring: The Traditional Rye Topping

Pickled herring (marinerede sild) has been part of the Danish menu for centuries and is still eaten daily. The fish is cured in vinegar, sugar, and spices to balance sour and sweet, then served on rye with onions, capers, and sometimes a curry-cream dressing. It’s the backbone of a traditional Danish lunch table and a Christmas spread, and the classic first bite of any smørrebrød meal, chased with snaps.

What to Order: Marinerede sild on rye with raw onion and capers, followed by a shot of snaps.

Best If: You want the most traditional flavor on the table and you like cured, briny fish.

Skip If: Vinegary or fishy flavors aren’t for you. Herring is an acquired taste, and that’s fine. I personally love it.

Øllebrød: Traditional Rye-and-Beer Porridge

Øllebrød is a deep cut most visitors never try. It’s a warm porridge made from leftover sourdough rye bread simmered with Danish hvidtøl (a low-alcohol beer) and a little sugar, then served with cold milk or whipped cream on top. It reads strange and tastes comforting, thick, faintly sweet, with a tang from the beer. It’s mostly a home breakfast, so the handful of places that serve it are worth seeking out.

What to Order: Øllebrød topped with cold milk or whipped cream, with fresh fruit if it’s offered.

Best If: You want to eat something old and local that almost no tourist orders.

Skip If: You want a familiar breakfast. This is unlike anything you’ve had, which is either the appeal or the problem.

Danish Pastries: Kanelsnegl and Wienerbrød

Danish pastries are so tied to the country that the rest of the world just calls them “Danish.” Locally they’re wienerbrød (buttery, laminated pastries with custard, jam, or almond paste) and kanelsnegl (the flatter, butter-and-cinnamon cousin of the cinnamon roll). The cardamom bun has become the new icon, and Copenhagen’s bakery scene takes all of them seriously. These are a breakfast and coffee tradition, best warm from the bakery in the morning.

What to Order: A cardamom bun or a custard spandauer with coffee. For the full rundown, see my complete guide to the best cafés in Copenhagen.

Best If: You want the sweet side of Danish food and a proper coffee-and-pastry morning.

Skip If: You’re only after savory traditional dishes. The pastries deserve their own morning anyway.

Rødgrød Med Fløde: The Classic Danish Dessert

Rødgrød med fløde is the Danish dessert many tourists skip, since the name is famously hard to pronounce. But you should definitely try it. It’s a thickened red-berry compote, usually redcurrants, strawberries, and raspberries, served cold with cream. It’s simple, seasonal, and about as traditional as Danish dessert gets. In summer you’ll also see koldskål, a chilled sweet buttermilk soup, which fills a similar role.

What to Order: Rødgrød med fløde in summer when the berries are in season, or koldskål on a hot day.

Best If: You want a light, fruit-forward finish to a heavy traditional meal.

Skip If: You want a rich, indulgent dessert. This one is fresh and tart, not decadent.

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Best Place for Traditional Danish Food: Torvehallerne

The best single place to eat traditional Danish food is Torvehallerne, the covered market at Nørreport, where Rørt makes smørrebrød fresh to order and you’ll find other traditional dishes throughout. It’s a great first stop in the city center that’s open year-round where you can find all the classic dishes.

🏆 My Personal Pick

Smørrebrød at Rørt in Torvehallerne is my pick of all the traditional Danish food in Copenhagen. It’s quintessential Danish, and what I love is the variety. We ordered two, one traditional with a creamy, tartare-style topping and one vegetarian with a spiced spread and fresh herbs, both on hearty toasted rye. We took them to an outdoor table with a cold beer and made a proper lunch of it. Each piece is made fresh rather than sitting in a display case, and the range from classic to plant-forward means you can taste old and new Denmark in a single sitting. It’s hearty, it’s delicious, and it’s exactly what smørrebrød should be.

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Traditional Danish Food: What to Know Before You Go

A few things help you eat this food the way locals do:

• Order smørrebrød, herring, and stjerneskud at lunch, since these are midday dishes, not dinner plates.
• Save stegt flæsk, flæskesteg, and frikadeller for dinner, which is when Danes eat hot pork dishes.
• Pair the traditional plates with a cold beer and a shot of snaps, the standard accompaniment to herring and smørrebrød.
• Visit in December if you can, when restaurants offer julefrokost (Christmas lunch) menus stacked with these dishes.
• Head to Torvehallerne market first, since it puts smørrebrød, pastries, and other classics under one roof at the center of the city.

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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.

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🍪 Final Bite

Traditional Danish food is hearty, rye-based, and better than its old reputation, and these nine dishes are the ones to seek out:

• Start with smørrebrød, the open-faced rye sandwich that defines Danish lunch.
• Order stegt flæsk med persillesovs to try the actual national dish.
• Try frikadeller for the meatballs Danes grew up on.
• Get flæskesteg for roast pork with proper crackling.
• Splurge on a stjerneskud, the most extravagant smørrebrød on the menu.
• Taste pickled herring on rye with a shot of snaps.
• Seek out øllebrød, the old rye-and-beer breakfast porridge few tourists find.
• Grab a cardamom bun or custard spandauer for the sweet side.
• Finish with rødgrød med fløde when the summer berries are in season.

Been to Copenhagen and found a traditional dish or spot I missed? Tell me in the comments.

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