Short vegan guide to Copenhagen, Denmark
Mentioning Danish food immediately brings the New Nordic cuisine to mind. Spearheaded by Noma, it uses local ingredients, is concerned with the purity and freshness of produce and minimalistic plating. Yet, it’s not a cuisine known for its veggie friendliness.
And it's not surprising, as one of Denmark's most famed foods, Smørrebrød, translates as “bread and butter”. Nonetheless, this is not to say that Copenhagen is not veggie friendly.
With several vegan restaurants and bakeries, a city that is focused on healthy living is starting to catch up with times.
Grød
Jægersborggade 50 • Vegan Options • £
Named after the Danish word for porridge, Grød serves just that. With a couple of gluten free and vegan options, this small shop on Jaegersborggade provides Danes with their oat fix.
Most porridges come with 3 toppings, but you can add more or even make your own. Their apple compote is moreish especially when paired with crunchy toasted almonds.
Make sure you wake up early to grab a seat at their small but hygge indoor area or, if the weather is nice, outside.
Ramen Tu Biiru
Griffenfeldsgade 28 • Vegan Options • ££
An endeavour from the guys behind Mikkeller and Chef Takuro Otani, Ramen To Biiru brings Japan to Copenhagen.
Housed in a ubiquitous neo-classic white building, the restaurant revealed its true colours when we stepped inside. Designed as traditional Japanese ramen house, you order from a ticket machine, place the order at the counter, and grab a seat.
The only vegan option, called “No-Meat Ramen”, contains a mix of mushrooms, bamboo shoots and wakamé seaweed in a miso based broth. Together with a specially brewed Yuzu beer from Mikkeller, it was one of the best meals we had in the city.
Stefanos
Stefansgade 33 • Vegan Option • £
There’s nothing we enjoy more than brushing shoulders with locals. At Stefanos, in the cool neighbourhood of Nørrebro, we did just that. Serving homemade Italian dishes, their pizzas are extremely popular with the local crowd.
Despite having only one vegetarian option (make it vegan by ordering without cheese) it is a filling and colourful one. With plenty of veggies and a moreish tomato sauce, it’s not hard to understand why the hype.
Order inside and sit in the outdoor area (if you can!) while waiting for the food. Since it’s such a busy place, do like the locals and grab a beer from Mikkeller and Friends across the street.
RizRaz
Kompagnistræde 20 / Kannikestræd 19 • Vegan Options • £
Purveyors of a delicious vegetarian buffet, RizRaz has two restaurants in central Copenhagen.
The place shouldn’t be dismissed based on their location, as it serves reasonably priced healthy options and is conveniently located to explore the central part of the city. The buffet dishes include roasted vegetables, salads, falafel and several types of hummus.
Just look for the word ‘Vegansk’ on the labels.
Kalaset
Vendersgade 1 • Vegan Options • ££
“Homemade Nutella and Jam are on the counter, help yourselves”, she said with a smile as she laid our orders on the table. I was sold.
Kalaset is Swedish owned café serving homemade food amidst a plethora of vintage memorabilia. Touted as the place for brunch in the city, the vegan options are plenty and clearly marked on the menu.
The vegan Tante Bønne option will deliver a bountiful plate of colourful fruits, chilli sin carne and other veggie goodness that bring happiness and satiated through the rest of the day.
The but Kalaset is not only worth a visit for the food. The whole place is reminiscent of a Scandi grandmother’s apartment. Vintage radios on the walls, mismatched tables and crockery, and other knick-knacks fill every bit of counter space. It created that well known hygge atmosphere that made us linger well beyond the end of the meal.
La Tienda at Papirøen
Trangravsvej 1 • Vegan • £
Navigating the busy corridors of Papirøen’s indoor food market proves difficult when you’re hungry. The whiffs of pizza and other delicatessens dance around you, competing for your attention.
But with so little vegan options inside, we had a set goal: finding La Tienda. As one of the two vegan food trucks of Parpirøen, La Tienda serves burgers with a Colombian twist.
Both their quinoa and pulled burgers are moist, wells spiced and with the perfect amount of sauce. The burgers are best enjoyed sitting outside in one of the deck chairs with views to the Theatre house. And don’t forget to try their plantain chips!
The Danish word for Vegan is Vegansk. However, Denmark has one of the highest English proficiencies in the world and it's very easy to communicate special requests.
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