The Copenhagen Food Lover's Guide — Where to Shop for Nordic Delicacies

Whether you're planning a trip to Copenhagen or trying to recreate the experience from home, this guide covers the best places to find authentic Nordic food — and how to get it delivered across Europe.

Torvehallerne — The Heart of Copenhagen's Food Scene

No food guide to Copenhagen is complete without Torvehallerne. The twin glass market halls at Israels Plads are the city's most concentrated expression of what Danish food culture does best: quality ingredients, artisan producers, and an obsession with provenance.

Inside, you'll find stalls dedicated to smoked fish, open-faced smørrebrød, fresh herbs, and some of the finest chocolate and confectionery in Scandinavia. Look out for Summerbird's stall — their marzipan and chocolate-dipped liquorice are among the most gifted items leaving Copenhagen in luggage every weekend. The coffee is exceptional too; Torvehallerne helped establish Copenhagen's third-wave coffee identity.

Go on a Saturday morning. Arrive hungry.

The Old City — Sweets, Bread & Living Traditions

Copenhagen's medieval centre is where several of the city's most enduring food institutions are found, often in buildings that have barely changed in a century.

Sømods Bolcher on Nørregade is one of the most visually arresting shops in the city — a traditional hard candy workshop where you can watch the sweets being pulled and cut by hand, exactly as they have been since 1891. The striped bolcher are a genuine Copenhagen souvenir, edible and entirely authentic.

A short walk away, Skt. Peders Bageri is the oldest bakery in Copenhagen, operating since 1652. Their onsdagssnegle — Wednesday cinnamon rolls — have a cult following that forms queues before opening. If you're in the city mid-week, this is non-negotiable.

La Glace on Skoubogade is Denmark's oldest patisserie, founded in 1870. The cakes are elaborate, the interior is unchanged, and the sportskage — a layered confection of macaroon, cream, and caramel — is the thing to order. It is not a quick stop; it is an occasion.

Strøget & Department Store Culture — Magasin du Nord

Magasin du Nord on Kongens Nytorv is Copenhagen's answer to a grand department store, and its food hall is one of the better-curated in the city. Beyond the expected, you'll find Friis-Holm chocolate — single-origin bars from Denmark's most methodical bean-to-bar producer — alongside Copenhagen Sparkling Tea, the non-alcoholic sparkling alternative that has quietly become a fixture on Michelin-starred tables across Europe. Both travel well and make for considered gifts. Shop both at CPHAGEN.

Lakrids by Bülow — Østerbro & Tivoli

Johan Bülow turned liquorice into a luxury category, and his stores are the best places to understand why. The Østerbro flagship is minimal and precise — black, white, and the deep amber of caramelised sugar. The tasting experience here is genuinely worth the detour.

If you're visiting Tivoli Gardens, the Lakrids by Bülow boutique inside the park is a natural stop — beautifully presented and well-suited to gift buying. The signature pearl liquorice coated in dark chocolate has become one of Denmark's most recognisable food exports, and the gift boxes travel well.

→ Shop Lakrids by Bülow at CPHAGEN — delivered across Europe.

Juno the Bakery — Østerbro's Cult Bakery

Juno the Bakery on Århusgade has become one of the most talked-about bakeries in Copenhagen — and for good reason. The cardamom buns are exceptional: soft, fragrant, and precisely the kind of thing that makes you reconsider every other cardamom bun you've ever eaten. Queues form early. The space is small. Go anyway.

Hart Bageri — Richard Hart's Sourdough Standard

Hart Bageri on Gammel Kongevej is Richard Hart's Copenhagen outpost — the former head baker of Tartine in San Francisco, now baking some of the most technically accomplished bread in the city. The sourdough loaves are the draw, but the pastries and laminated doughs are equally serious. A benchmark for anyone interested in where Nordic baking is heading.

The Meatpacking District — Kødbyen

Kødbyen has evolved from working abattoir to one of the city's most interesting food and culture quarters, and it still carries the industrial texture that makes it feel distinct from the rest of Copenhagen.

Fangst — the brand behind some of Scandinavia's most thoughtfully packaged canned Nordic seafood — has a small shop here. If you've encountered their products in a restaurant or specialty retailer and wanted to take some home, this is the place. The range covers smoked and cured fish with a strong emphasis on Nordic waters and sustainable sourcing. Compact, well-edited, and worth the visit.

→ Shop Fangst at CPHAGEN — delivered across Europe.

Jægersborggade — Nørrebro's Artisan Street

Jægersborggade in Nørrebro is one of those streets that resists easy description — part gallery district, part independent retail, entirely itself. It's the kind of place that rewards slow walking.

Karamelleriet has a shop here, producing small-batch caramels and confectionery with the same attention to ingredient quality you'd expect from the neighbourhood. The flavours are seasonal and the packaging is understated. A natural stop for anyone who takes sweets seriously and wants something beyond the mainstream.

→ Shop Karamelleriet at CPHAGEN — delivered across Europe.

Bagsværd — Where the Liquorice Tradition Runs Deeper

Most visitors don't make it to Bagsværd, a quiet suburb northwest of the city centre. That's their loss. This is where Bagsværd Lakrids has been producing some of Denmark's most serious liquorice for decades — pure, intense, and without the sweetness that dominates mass-market versions.

→ Browse pure Bagsværd Lakrids and Bagsværd Lakrids with chocolate at CPHAGEN.

P. Perch's Thehandel — Tea Since 1835

P. Perch's Thehandel on Kronprinsensgade is one of the oldest tea merchants in the world still operating from its original location. The interior is a time capsule — wooden drawers, brass fittings, the smell of dried leaves. The selection spans classic blends to single-origin teas, and the staff know their stock.

For those who take tea seriously, this is a pilgrimage stop. For everyone else, it's one of the most atmospheric shops in the city regardless of what you buy.

→ Explore our tea range at CPHAGEN — including Teministeriet.

Before You Leave — Nordic Gastronomy at the Airport

Nordic Gastronomy in Copenhagen Airport (CPH) is one of the better airport food retail concepts in Europe. Positioned airside, it stocks a well-edited selection of Danish specialty foods — liquorice, chocolate, smoked fish, and pantry staples — with a focus on producers worth knowing. If you've run out of time in the city, this is a reliable last stop. If you've done your research, you'll recognise most of the names on the shelves.

Can't Get Back to Copenhagen?

Most of what you tasted — or wish you'd found — is available at CPHAGEN, delivered across Europe. We source directly from the producers featured in this guide and ship to 30+ countries.

→ Shop Nordic delicacies at cphagen.com