Our 6 Favorite Places to Eat in Copenhagen

Courtesy of Nabo

Nabo

Restaurants can wow with premium produce or perfectly executed dishes, but a true standout knows how to expand its diners' vocabulary of deliciousness. Nabo does just that. It's the newest brainchild of the Kadeau clan, who, in 2007, upped the ante on the already upwardly trending New Nordic movement by opening their eponymous establishment on the Danish island of Bornholm. A coveted location in Copenhagen came next, followed by a more decidedly downmarket venture. Nabo punches somewhere in between, bearing all of Kadeau's trademark culinary finesse but with a more accessible price tag. And it's sure as heck hyggelige, with unvarnished wooden tables, cottage cabinetry, and soft candle glow. Memorable mains, like scallops and kale in savory oyster sauce, can be served a la carte, but we recommend opting for one of the prix fixe meals, which allow you to, as the menu says, "lean back and let us decide." NaboNabo.dk

Courtesy of Format

Format

The newest among this roundup of freshmen, Format (pronounced for-MAYT) swung its doors open in late August inside the glass-topped atrium of the Hotel Skt Annae. The executive chef came from Geranium (the only Copenhagen restaurant to out-Michelin Noma), and he has a knack for taking food you actually want to eat--like crab, cod, and dry-aged steak--and giving it the royal treatment. The wine pairings are also exceptionally strong, and the matcha ice cream sandwich at the end requires its own Jacobsen-designed fainting chair. FormatCPH.dk

Apollo Bar

The tenets of restaurant design in Copenhagen are the decorative equivalent of bedhead: putting tons of time and care into an aesthetic that appears as though you're not trying at all. Apollo Bar, however, isn't overthinking things, and for that it earns extra hygge points. Set within the Kunsthal Charlottenborg--one of the largest contemporary art spaces in Scandinavia--the eatery slings whatever it desires, with one daily lunchtime special and a smattering of dinner mains from the Med, like roasted octopus and white bean salad. Grab a seat at the bar, and hang with the chef on duty as he whips up your meal. ApolloBar.dk

Host

A skeptic may assume that the winner of the most prestigious international restaurant design award might skimp on the flavors, but Host pleases the taste buds just as much as the eye. The ambiance has a certain barnyard quality, with repurposed slatting and wide-bucket chairs set against a backdrop of painted white brick. Snuggly blankets are draped throughout as though they await the embrace of shivering foragers just back from a blustery Danish fjord. And the bounty--witch flounder enhanced with chicken skin, and hand-cut veal tartare flavored with puckery red fruits--comes at a surprisingly reasonable price: Five courses will set you back only 450 kroner (around $75). HostVakst.dk

Courtesy of Gemyse

Gemyse

We love our meat (duh), but Gemyse (pronounced guh-MU-seh) makes a strong case for eating your greens, especially as you shovel down family-style portions of lentils topped with shishito peppers, and Mexican-style corn on the cob. It's possible to add a protein to your platter, but the veggies are the main event--many are grown just beyond the restaurant's doors in the kitchen garden and greenhouse out back. For something truly hyggelige, head to the garden after dinner and sit around the crackling fire to roast your own marshmallows and bread twists. Nimb.dk/en/Gemyse

Courtesy of VeVe

VeVe

Chef-owner Henrik Yde Andersen has staked his career on creating vibrant Southeast Asian flavors, but VeVe is a noticeable departure from Siam that's even more daring than doing curries in Copenhagen. The all-veggie meal, served as an ever-evolving set menu, starts on a comfy couch with a round of brightly flavored snacks. Guests then move to a proper table to enjoy a parade of mains, paired with either a carefully chosen roster of international wines or a selection of homemade juices and cold teas. Later, diners retreat back to the cozy lounge area for playful petits fours that remind everyone not to take haute cuisine too seriously. The dessert snacks, like "cinnamon in cinnamon" or "LEGO in LEGO," are like a culinary Where's Waldo in which you must find the edible bite mimicking the shape and color of an actual stick of cinnamon or brick of LEGO. VeVe.dk