The best restaurants in Copenhagen right now

In the past dozen years, Copenhagen has swept to the top ranks of the world’s dining destinations. The city’s restaurants have come to define the now iconic New Nordic cuisine, featuring forward-thinking dishes built on ancient techniques like foraging and fermenting.

There are more than 29 Michelin stars spread across 19 restaurants in Copenhagen, and its culinary landscape continues to evolve from cardamom buns to space bread and similar high-concept dishes.

Meanwhile, Denmark has just been named the winner in the culinary world’s Olympics, the prestigious Bocuse d’Or Europe.

Copenhagen — and the food world — has recently had to acknowledge the consequences of serious abuse allegations levelled at Rene Redzepi, co-founder of world-famous Noma. (Redzepi has issued an apology and resigned from the restaurant.)

But Denmark’s capital city has much more going on beyond Noma. From a new wave of Korean kitchens to reinvented smorrebrod (open-faced sandwiches) to a genius way with local seafood, Copenhagen’s food scene continues to expand.

Read the latest edition of ROAM by The Nightly here.

New: Ouri, Latin Quarter

Nestled in a charming backstreet, Ouri taps into the increasing popularity of Korean food across Copenhagen. In a white-lit, minimalistic room with wooden tables and clay pots, friendly waiters guide diners through a small menu centred on sharing dishes.

There’s homemade kimchi ($6.50), the crispy pork cutlet don-gaseu ($33) and chef’s recommended tteokgalbi, coarse chopped, chargrilled beef wrapped in king oyster mushrooms ($52).

Alongside your meal, order glasses of makgeolli, the funky, milky white Korean rice wine. At Ouri, it’s sourced from Yunguna Brewery, which makes it in partnership with the two-Michelin-starred restaurant Koan. Because Ouri is already popular with the locals, it helps to make reservations in advance whether you’re going for dinner or its one lunch service, on Saturdays. Sankt Peders Stræde 24a; ouri.dk/

Business Meal: Esmee, Kongens Nytorv

There’s plenty of reasons Esmee is popular with local finance and business crowds - well-spaced tables, an understated air of luxury and terrific food. And then there’s its central Copenhagen location on historic Kongens Nytorv, just a few streets away from the private equity and legal hubs around Sankt Annæ Plads (St Ann’s Square), and within easy reach of the metro, the Royal Theatre and five-star Hotel D’Angleterre.

The elevated French brasserie-style menu features the signature Esmee toast with gruyere, truffle duxelles and jamon iberico ($31), and thinly sliced raw halibut with winter radishes and first-harvest olive oil ($50).

Main courses include sea bass baked in salt and wine leaves with sauce vierge ($92) and market-price Danish wagyu steaks. The extensive wine reflects Esmee’s French influence and features offerings from classic regions such as Meursault, Gevrey-Chambertin and Sauternes.

For dessert, take a risk and try the caviar soft-serve ice cream ($92). There’s a generous roster of lunch salads too, a welcome perk for anyone who’s grabbing meals out several times a week. Kongens Nytorv 8; esmee.dk/

No Reservations: Kodbyens Fiskebar, Meatpacking District

Once the domain of butchers and wholesalers, Copenhagen’s Meatpacking District has evolved into a neon-lit cluster of bars, restaurants and creative studios.

Few places capture its spirit better than Fiskebar (which translates to Fish Bar). The space channels the neighbourhood’s raw energy with a lively, industrial room that blends urban minimalism with Scandinavian warmth.

Fiskebar is the brainchild of Anders Selmer, an early Noma alum and advocate for pushing Nordic seafood into modern dining; chef Jamie Lee helms the kitchen. His menu leans on small plates, ideal for sharing and sampling a wide sweep of products from local waters.

Fish and chips, featuring lightly smoked cod, are artfully wrapped in local newspaper ($40). Both the blue mussels in apple cider ($39) and lobster with quince and carrot ($164) are sourced from the Limfjord in Denmark’s north, while the sea urchin, served with carrot and hazelnut, comes from Iceland ($42). The restaurant saves space for walk-ins alongside its bookable tables. A streetside terrace brings the energy outdoors in warmer months. Flæsketorvet 100; fiskebaren.dk

Cheap Eats: Fu Hao, Vesterbro

The gentrified neighborhood west of Copenhagen’s central train station still has some restaurant holdouts that remind diners of the simpler, less pretentious days before the Danish capital became a hot spot for high-end restaurants. These include Fu Hao, which over three decades has built a cult following that includes top chefs, and was among the first to introduce dim sum to the Danes.

Fu Hao has a long menu of more than 50 variations of the bite-sized dumplings, ranging in price from $15 to $26. The friendly owner recommends the deep-fried wantons with shrimp, pork and crab meat or the boiled dumplings with pork and cabbage. Order three to five plates per person and share, or make it fewer if you want to try the hearty soups, including the duck noodle option with bok choy.

The crowd ranges from business types to local families with children, and the atmosphere is homey with a hint of Chinese kitsch. (Be warned: The mirrored ceiling reveals a lot to fellow guests, including who’s checking their phone under the table). Colbjørnsensgade 15; fu-hao.dk

DINE: No. 2, Christianshavn

For a crystal-clear snapshot of New Nordic cooking, head to No. 2 on the Copenhagen harbor waterfront in the historic, formerly hippie neighbourhood of Christianshavn.

The informal sibling of the two-Michelin-starred a|o|c, the place draws on Danish produce while folding in Japanese touches to create innovative dishes such as roasted cauliflower paired with miso beurre blanc, or baked Hokkaido pumpkin sharpened with ponzu.

The ambiance is laid-back and airy, with pale-wood tables, broad windows and steady views of boats passing outside.

Diners can order from a concise a la carte selection ($36 - $98) or opt for a four-course set menu ($120), offered in both meat/fish and vegetarian versions. Standouts include the catch of the day in a light mussel foam, as well as baba au rhum finished with Champagne sabayon. There’s an international range of options on the multi-page wine list, or you can take the short cut of a four-glass pairing ($120). Nicolai Eigtveds Gade 32; nummer2.dk/en