In Copenhagen, stopping for a coffee (and a cardamom bun) is almost a plan in itself. The city has some of the prettiest cafés and bakeries in Europe: bright spaces, lots of wood, candles lit by mid-afternoon and an almost religious obsession with good bread. In this article we share the ones from our Copenhagen travel guide PDF, sorted by neighborhood, with what to order at each and what time of day they work best.
They're all pinned on our Copenhagen map for Google Maps, so if you have it on your phone you can hop from one to the next without looking up addresses.
What hygge is (and why you feel it so much in a café)
Hygge is that Danish word with no exact translation that roughly means "a feeling of coziness and contentment." In a café it comes down to very specific things: warm light, candles on the tables even at midday, blankets on the terrace chairs, long shared tables and no rush at all. Danes spend many months with few hours of daylight, so the café becomes a little refuge. That's why people here stay, chat and order another coffee instead of drinking it standing up.
To really experience it, our advice is simple: pick one café per neighborhood, sit down without checking the clock and order a typical Danish treat, like a kardemommebolle (cardamom bun), a kanelsnegl (cinnamon swirl) or a wienerbrød (what everyone outside Denmark calls a "danish").
Indre By (the center): cafés to start the day
Atelier September
It's one of the classics in our guide and probably the most photographed café in the city. It's set in a former art gallery, with white walls, light wood and a marble counter. What to order: its famous avocado toast on rye bread (with lemon, chives, chili and olive oil) and the yogurt with granola, whose toppings change with the season. Best for: a slow breakfast. Service isn't fast, so don't go in a hurry.
Apotek 57
It's at Fredericiagade 57, in the Nyboder area, inside the shop of Danish design brand FRAMA, in a former 1878 pharmacy that still has its original wooden shelves and cabinets. They serve La Cabra coffee, pastries made just for them and seasonal home-style dishes. What to order: one of their pastries with a coffee, or a light brunch. Best for: mid-morning. There's often a line, especially on weekends, so try to go early.
Democratic Coffee
It's inside the public library on Krystalgade, very close to Nørreport. It has a lively mix of students, people working and longtime locals. What to order: the almond croissant, baked right there, with a light-roast single-origin coffee. Best for: a quick stop between sights in the center.
Sankt Peders Bageri
It's at Sankt Peders Stræde 29, in the Latin Quarter, and it's considered the oldest bakery in Copenhagen. It's small and very much a neighborhood spot, nothing like minimalist design. What to order: if you go on a Wednesday, the onsdagssnegl ("Wednesday snail"), a huge, sticky cinnamon swirl they sell thousands of that day. Best for: taking away and eating as you walk.
La Cabra, Paludan Bogcafé and Kafeteria (SMK)
Three more stops in the center from our guide. La Cabra is one of Denmark's most respected coffee roasters. On Møntergade it has a tiny bar inside a fashion store, with little seating but fantastic coffee. Paludan Bogcafé (Fiolstræde 10) is a huge bookstore-café, perfect for a rainy day. And Kafeteria is the café at the National Gallery of Denmark (SMK), next to Østre Anlæg park, ideal to pair with a museum visit.
Christianshavn: cafés by the canals
Parterre
It's a small café in a half-basement facing the Christianshavn canal (Overgaden Oven Vandet 90). It's run by a father and son, has gorgeous light and carefully done rustic decor. What to order: coffee from Koppi, a Swedish roaster, with a croissant, or a soft-boiled egg breakfast with freshly baked bread. At lunch they have small plates, like avocado on rye. Best for: an early breakfast before exploring Christianshavn and Christiania.
Refshaleøen: the bakery in the old shipyard
Lille Bakery
Another of our classics. It's at Refshalevej 213, in a hall of the old Refshaleøen shipyard, and works with local farmers and millers. It has a relaxed industrial feel, with long tables. What to order: the filled doughnut (jam or custard), sourdough bread and a filter coffee from Prolog. Best for: weekend brunch. While you're on the island, stop by the Reffen street food market afterward, which is also in the guide.
Nørrebro: the specialty coffee neighborhood
Grød
Grød means "porridge," and that's exactly what they serve. It's at Jægersborggade 50, one of the prettiest streets in Nørrebro. What to order: the oatmeal porridge with apple, dulce de leche and toasted almonds, their best-known dish. The menu changes every month with seasonal ingredients. Best for: a breakfast that keeps you going all morning, ideal in winter.
The Coffee Collective
They're direct-trade roasters with several cafés around the city. The one on Jægersborggade is a small corner spot a few steps from Grød, with light-roast Nordic coffee. If you're in Vesterbro, they have another one at Fadet. What to order: a filter or an espresso and, if they have it, a bun with cheese (bolle med ost). Best for: the post-breakfast coffee, to keep strolling down Jægersborggade.
Darcy's Kaffe and Collective Bakery
Darcy's Kaffe (Rantzausgade 2) is a corner café that feels like a living room, rotating coffees from several roasters. Collective Bakery (Nørrebrogade 176) is a bakery with creative pastries, like cardamom braids, served with Coffee Collective coffee.
Vesterbro and Kødbyen: brunch and cult bakeries
Prolog Coffee Bar
It's at Høkerboderne 16, right in Kødbyen (the old meatpacking district, now full of bars and restaurants). It's in a former bookstore and roasts its own coffee. What to order: a well-made filter coffee. Best for: your first stop before exploring Vesterbro.
Hart Bageri
It's one of the best-known bakeries in the city. It has a shop in Kødbyen (Høkerboderne 17, next to Prolog) and another at Gammel Kongevej 109, over in Frederiksberg. What to order: sourdough bread and Danish pastries, especially the cardamom bun. Best for: a quick breakfast or picking up bread for a picnic.
Mad & Kaffe and Café Granola
Two Vesterbro brunch classics from our guide. At Mad & Kaffe you build your own brunch by choosing several small plates, and it's perfect if you're in a group. Café Granola, on Værnedamsvej, has a retro feel, with sidewalk tables when the weather's nice. Go early on weekends, because both fill up.
Østerbro: cardamom buns to go
Juno the Bakery
It's at Århusgade 48, on the ground floor of an apartment building in Østerbro. It's small and only has outdoor seating, so in the colder months it's almost always takeaway. What to order: its cardamom bun, one of the most famous in Copenhagen, and its Danish butter cookies. Best for: mid-morning. Pair it with a walk to the Little Mermaid or through Fælledparken.
Price and opening-hours tips for coffee in Copenhagen
- Prices: Copenhagen is expensive. A cappuccino runs around 50 Danish kroner (about €7), and a quality bakery pastry costs about the same. A full brunch can easily top €20 per person.
- Hours: many bakeries open very early and close by mid-afternoon, and brunch cafés usually only run until lunchtime. If you want a specific pastry, go in the morning, because the most famous ones sell out.
- Weekends: brunch spots fill up. Go first thing or on a weekday.
- Paying: almost everything is paid by card or phone. Many places don't even take cash.
- Saving money: the Too Good To Go app, which we also recommend in the guide, is ideal for getting pastries and bread from bakeries at a discount at the end of the day.
- Route: group the cafés by neighborhood. Nørrebro and Vesterbro are easy to explore on foot or by bike, and you can fit two or three stops into one walk.
More things to do in Copenhagen
If you're planning your trip, take a look at our article on the 10 must-see things in Copenhagen, with an itinerary and day trips. Continuing on through Scandinavia? Here's our guide to fika in Stockholm too.
In our Copenhagen travel guide PDF you'll find the full list of cafés and brunch spots (over 30), plus restaurants by type of food, hotels by price, markets, thrift stores and 3- and 14-day itineraries. And with the Copenhagen map for Google Maps you'll have all those places saved on your phone in a single click.
