Since Noma burst onto the global dining scene in 2010, when it topped the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list for the first time, Copenhagen has been one of the world’s great gourmet capitals. Thousands of people from all around the world visit the Danish capital each year purely to eat at its destination restaurants, from the legendary Noma to the current world number one, Geranium. For globe-trotting restaurant lovers, this all comes at a price, however. Copenhagen is one of Europe’s most expensive cities, and once you get into the realms of fine dining, with its tasting menus and matching wine flights, the costs can quickly become eye-watering.
But there is an alternative: many of the city’s best chefs also run more casual, affordable restaurants, meaning you can still enjoy the cooking of Copenhagen’s culinary elite but at a fraction of the cost. This isn’t to say that the more famous restaurants should be completely ignored – if you want to eat at Noma and can afford to, then it’s still worth doing before it closes – but for everyone else, these wallet-friendly restaurants from Copenhagen’s best chefs represent some of the best value in the city.
Kappo Ando
Opened in December 2022, Kappo Ando is a new Japanese restaurant from husband and wife team Henrik and Akiko Ando-Levinsen, and chef Mads Battefeld. The trio made their name in Copenhagen with Sushi Anaba, a tiny eight-seat sushi counter restaurant renowned as the best in Scandinavia. The omakase menu costs around £200 per person – if you can even get a reservation in the first place. Kappo Ando, which is inspired by the atmospheric backstreet joints of Osaka, is an altogether more laidback affair offering an exceptionally good menu of yakitori, sashimi, rice, and inventive dishes like cauliflower tofu, together with an incredible list of craft sakes, many of which are imported directly by Henrik himself. The full omakase menu will set you back £115, but if you are on a tighter budget, look out for the a la carte Sunday sessions, where you can pick and choose the dishes you want.
Address: Kappo Ando, Øster Farimagsgade 93, 2100 København, Denmark
Website: kappoando.com
Juju
Kristian Baumann is Copenhagen chef royalty, having worked at landmark restaurants such as 108 and Relæ. While a meal and wine at his new Korean-inspired fine-dining restaurant Koan will set you back £300 a head, Kristian also runs a phenomenal casual restaurant called Juju, offering modern Korean favourites for a fraction of the price. At Juju, a five-course set menu costs just £45, or you can also order a la carte, mixing and matching snacks and larger sharing dishes to make your own feast. Highlights from the menu include the pickled cucumber salad with chilli; the delicate rainbow trout with citrus, sorrel, and sesame dressing; the white kimchi, made in-house; and the mushroom mandoo (a type of dumpling typical in Korea). If you’re in a group, it’s well worth checking out the bee ribeye bulgogi too, a mix of buttery short-grain rice served with grilled rib eye, kimchi, and vegetables.
Address: Restaurant Juju, Øster Farimagsgade 8, 2100 København, Denmark
Website: jujucph.dk
POPL Burger
Missed out on a reservation at Noma? Or perhaps the cost, at over £700 per person, including wine, was a step too far. Well, happily, there are plenty of options to enjoy the Noma culinary philosophy without handing over the best part of a month’s rent. The newest and most fun is POPL Burger, which started as a pop-up at Noma during the lockdown in 2020 and has now gone permanently. The core team comprises Noma veterans, so as you might imagine, this isn’t any ordinary burger restaurant. The menu spans the humble cheeseburger made with organic Danish beef to a fried fish sandwich with caviar and a ‘lions mane’ mushroom burger that takes three days to complete. Added flavour bombs come from fermented vegetables and pickles, all made in-house, the seasonal salad dressed with Noma Projects’ own smoked mushroom garum, and some of the best fries you’ll ever taste.
Address: POPL Burger, Strandgade 108, 1401 København, Denmark
Website: poplburger.com
Restaurant Barr
Opened in 2017 by chef Thorsten Schmidt and Noma’s Rene Redzeppi, Barr is another fantastic Noma alternative that’s easier to get into and a lot kinder on the wallet. Situated on the waterfront in Christianshavn, Barr is in the original Noma site. If you weren’t lucky enough to visit the legendary restaurant in its former guise, you could at least see where it all began. Barr is much more casual than its older sibling, perhaps best showcased by its superb beer list, featuring a vast range of craft brews from Denmark and beyond. A three-course menu comes in at around £55, including spiced herring with onions, hip berries, crème fraiche and pork fat, and a crisp, golden schnitzel served with an anchovy butter sauce. For even better value, you can visit the adjoining beer bar instead and opt for a few simple snacks and a couple of pints.
Address: Restaurant Barr, Strandgade 93, 1401 København, Denmark
Website: restaurantbarr.com
Hija de Sanchez
Even on cold, blustery days in Copenhagen (and there are plenty), you can find a burst of Mexican sunshine at Hija de Sanchez, a mini-chain of taquerias founded by ex-Noma pastry chef Rosio Sanchez. While her fine-dining restaurant Sanchez offers a more refined take on Mexican cuisine, with a five-course set menu for £60, the taquerias offer a simple lineup of tacos and sides starting at just £5. Tortillas are all made in-house from 100 per cent corn, and fillings include a classic carnitas and al pastor, alongside fresh guacamole, chips, and salsas. The taco stands are dotted all around the city, including at the famous food market Torvehallerne, the meatpacking district, and Christanshavn – making them perfect for a quick bite whilst on the move. In the up-and-coming Nordhavn neighbourhood, there’s also a sit-down outpost, offering a slightly more extensive menu than the outdoor taquerias but with the same great value.
Address: multiple locations; check the website for details
Website: lovesanchez.com
Bæst
Christian Puglisi is one of Copenhagen’s most influential chefs, having championed New Nordic Cuisine at his Michelin-starred fine dining restaurant Relæ, which sadly closed during the pandemic in 2020. Fortunately, his casual pizzeria Bæst is still going strong, and it offers what is undoubtedly Copenhagen’s best value meal on a cost-to-quality ratio. Pizzas here start at just £15, with toppings coming from Christian’s organic farm outside Copenhagen, including charcuterie, vegetables, ricotta, and mozzarella. The care and skill of making their produce extends to the final crafting of the pizzas, which are expertly made and cooked in the wood-fired oven in the centre of the restaurant. The menu is completed with small plates, snacks, and desserts, so you could either pop in for a quick pizza or a full meal – there’s even an 11-course set menu for £60 which is fantastic value.
Address: Bæst, Guldbergsgade 29, 2200 København N, Denmark
Website: baest.dk
Mirabelle Spisería
From the ashes of Christian Puglisi’s celebrated Mirabelle Bakery has risen Mirabelle Spisería, a restaurant and wine bar which opened in March 2023, offering another venue to try the cooking of this legendary chef. Mirabelle Spisería is open from breakfast until dinner and is inspired by Christian’s Sicilian background, but as with Baest, the focus is always on local organic ingredients. Mirabelle’s past as a bakery is honoured with thick slices of focaccia that come freshly baked before the menu moves on to Sicilian classics such as arancini and meatballs in nduja tomato sauce. Fresh pasta is a big draw, too, with standouts including spaghetti with breadcrumbs and anchovies and lamb cappelletti. In the evening, there’s a seven-course menu for a very reasonable £55, or you can order a la carte – pasta and a glass of wine would make for a fine dinner and cost no more than £20.
Address: Mirabelle Spiserìa, Guldbergsgade 29A, 2200 København N, Denmark
Website: mirabelle-spiseria.dk