Copenhagen's food scene: new, exciting, international

A cheerful smile greets visitors who enter Connection by Alan Bates through a large, dark door. The eponymous owner and chef warmly welcomes his guests before leading them to a large wooden table. The wiry Briton cooked under Heston Blumenthal, then moved to Copenhagen, where he initially worked as head chef at Studio before opening his own restaurant in 2021. He is one of the many international talents who came to Copenhagen for its creative culinary diversity and whose ideas are now further enriching the city's gastronomic scene. The success of New Nordic Cuisine has attracted chefs from all over the world to Denmark's capital, where diners are also particularly open-minded and curious. This provides fertile ground for innovation – which is why many of these Copenhagen-based chefs go on to open their own restaurants.

One of the best ramen bars in Copenhagen

Noma and in the highly decorated

RyuGin worked in Tokyo and in the best ramen restaurants in the Japanese capital. He brought what he learned there with him.

Slurp Ramen Joint is back in Copenhagen. It's one of the best ramen bars in the city, with perfectly seasoned broths made with homemade noodles and the finest ingredients. He fulfilled his dream of opening a restaurant at the end of 2020.

kōnā (Japanese for corner) his dream. Behind the glass door, two Japanese restaurant concepts unfold: Upstairs is the Izakaya with simpler cuisine. Downstairs, the principle of Omakase is celebrated, meaning: The guest leaves everything to the chef.

Above all, food should be fun, in Copenhagen's gastronomic scene

From ARK, it's less than a five-minute walk to the corner restaurant offering sustainable, plant-based fine dining. The young team, led by British chef Brett Lavender, isn't trying to convert anyone to veganism; most of the staff aren't vegans anyway. The focus is on making the food enjoyable, ensuring there's something for everyone. "After 20 years in kitchens around the world, I wanted to do something new, something challenging. For me, that's plant-based cuisine," says Lavender, who's been with the restaurant since day one.

Chef Brett Lavender at ARK focuses on plant-based ingredients from his own farm. His grilled oyster mushroom with oyster mushroom tartare is a complete success.

Intimate atmosphere at Alan Bates in Copenhagen

Connection by Alan Bates is captivating: "So much is happening here, as a chef you simply want to be a part of it." The cheerful Briton still seems surprised by his own drive when he talks about how he opened his restaurant. In a very short time, together with chef Oli Gross and sommelier Jeppe Nexø, he established a concept unique even for the idea-filled city of Copenhagen, which also thrives on the charm of the three hosts: There are only two tables, one for ten people, the other for six. The atmosphere is intimate, almost festive, and above all authentic – the dishes are not pretentious, but approachable, clear, and very well-balanced in flavor.

Bread from around the world in Copenhagen's culinary scene

Hart Bageri has been delighting Copenhageners since 2018. Even at the opening, the queue was long. Besides the sourdough breads, it's the sophisticated pastries that attract customers. Brioche with vanilla cream filling, choux pastry pralines, and sourdough croissants are all handmade with plenty of time and care.

The Swedish specialty in Copenhagen

Juno the Bakery is of such high quality that even residents from more distant parts of the city make the trip for it. Owner Emil Glaser comes from Sweden, cooked at Noma, and then spent four years in Paris, where he was, among other things, the chef at the Swedish embassy. "There, bakeries are like a kind of 'watering hole' in the savanna, where locals come to pick up their bread. I liked the interaction and the daily rhythm," he says.

Denmark and Scotland harmonize perfectly

Collective Bakery also offers coffee from its own roastery, as the bakery belongs to the premium roaster Coffee Collective. The pioneers of high-quality coffee in Copenhagen originally only wanted to bake for their six coffee shops, but then decided to offer their bread and pastries in their own bakery as well. "We set the highest standards for our coffee, and it should be no different for our bakery," says Klaus Thomsen, one of the three founders. Flour and butter come from Denmark, and head baker Michael Craig is from Scotland. "We want to give our bakers the freedom to create new things and question standards – just like we do with coffee." The rye bread, which is made with coffee instead of water, is a good example. "It harmonizes perfectly, and we don't waste any coffee that hasn't been sold."

There is a lot of competition in Copenhagen's restaurant scene.

Competition is fierce in Copenhagen, but none of the top bakeries see that as a disadvantage; quite the opposite. "On our first day, the people behind Hart Bageri were here and wished us all the best," recalls Klaus Thomsen. "Copenhageners are lucky to have so many good bakeries in the city to choose from," says Emil Glaser of Juno the Bakery, who is pleased that the quality continues to improve with every new opening in the city. And that's not just true for bakeries.