Where Copenhagen leads, the food world still follows

Two decades after chefs rewrote the rules at Noma, Copenhagen’s food scene still flies the flag for seasonality and innovation – progressive, sustainable and uniquely Danish

I didn’t realise I was a fussy eater until I left Denmark. During 12 years of living Danishly, with regular trips to the capital, I just … liked most things. Danes specialise in high-quality, organic produce, eaten as close to its natural state as possible. Denmark has very specific, diverse climatic conditions, making seasonal eating a science. Forget root vegetables in autumn and strawberries in summer – we’re talking micro seasons, week to week, with cabbage, kale, apples, potatoes, berries and rye a speciality. None are around for long, but when they are, they’re fabulous – and the seasonal Nordic diet has been proven to be as healthy as the renowned Mediterranean diet and better for the planet. No wonder Copenhageners look so smug.

But the city’s food scene hasn’t always been so good. Many who grew up in the 1970s and 1980s report being reared on canned food and frozen vegetables, with pork and potatoes, smørrebrød (open sandwiches) or junk food making up much of the offerings. (You’re never far from a pølservogn, or “hot dog wagon”, in Copenhagen – doling out bright red wieners baked in their own bready prophylactic.)

The capital’s culinary offerings finally got a facelift when Copenhagen was made European capital of culture in 1996. Then came Noma. Chefs René Redzepi and Claus Meyer turned a former warehouse in Christianshavn into a restaurant in 2003, named after a combination of the Danish words nordisk (Nordic) and mad (food). Noma eschewed the Mediterranean bias in fine dining at the time in favour of homegrown Danish produce. The following year, they brought together fellow chefs to develop a set of principles to help Nordic food move forward. Just as Dogme ’95 took things back to basics in film, the New Nordic Kitchen Symposium vowed to focus on the raw materials of cooking – using local, often foraged, seasonal produce.

After an 18-hour-long workshop, chefs formulated the New Nordic Kitchen manifesto. It’s outline: to express “purity, freshness, simplicity and ethics” by prioritising “ingredients and produce whose characteristics are particularly excellent in our climates”, and helping to “promote Nordic products and producers”. And it worked – encouraging everyone to up their game and influencing chefs globally. Copenhagen began hoarding Michelin stars (30 at last count), but in the kitchen, pressure built. Redzepi acknowledged as far back as 2015 that he had been a bully who “yelled and pushed people”, then in March this year he resigned from Noma amid allegations of physical and verbal abuse.

What made Redzepi’s fall so spectacular was that it collided with Noma’s image as a progressive, sustainably driven, Danish restaurant. There’s no doubt that Noma helped normalise ideas of seasonality, foraging and ingredient-led storytelling in fine dining (sometimes it was more of a Ted Talk than a meal), but innovation can’t come at the cost of accountability. There’s hope that Redzepi will act as a cautionary tale for other chefs contemplating how to run their kitchens – with Noma alumni now heading up dozens of restaurants in the city, from Propaganda (run by Youra Kim, former chef), to Kødbyens Fiskebare (Anders Selmer, former restaurant manager) and the ubiquitous Bæst (Christian Puglisi, former sous chef).

Today, there’s still an emphasis on quality and attention to detail - from ingredients to cutlery, crockery and even candlesticks. Service culture has improved (you might get a smile now) and restaurants book weeks in advance, so it pays to plan ahead. Eating out in Copenhagen isn’t cheap, mind, but every bakery allowed to thrive in the city will have affordable options. And there’s nothing like biting into some dense, buttered rye topped with whatever’s in season as the sun bounces off the water that slices the city (hard recommend: Aamanns). .

Copenhagen is more relaxed than other capitals and more human in scale, dominated by four- to six-storey buildings, and biking Vikings outnumbering cars in the city. With hyper-local menus, climate-conscious cooking and a devotion to detail, it is still, in the words of Danny Kaye, “wonderful”.

• Helen Russell is the author of The Year of Living Danishly, and Laura Clark is Away from Her Desk, published by Wildfire in July

Travelling to Copenhagen – what to do when you’re not eating

Compiled by Laura Hall

Where to stay

Steps from food market Torvehallerne, stylish Kong Arthur Hotel prides itself on offering a local feel with morning saunas and a social running club for guests. Double rooms start at £202 per night, two-night minimum stay. In Nordhavn, the newly opened Hotel Frihaven has 28 rooms and is well located for a morning swim. Double rooms start at £170. For a budget option, Next House, close to the foodie-orientated Meatpacking District in Vesterbro, has compact double rooms from £138.

Things to do

If you don’t fancy going on a packed tourist-boat trip to see the city, take a bike ride or walk around the Harbour Circle Route instead, via some of the best Danish architecture and numerous swimming spots.

Speaking of swimming, the city’s floating pools are free for everyone – and something of a local obsession. Islands Brygge Harbour Bath has the largest and most central pool.

If you needed more incentive, the CopenPay initiative rewards visitors who participate in climate-friendly activities. Arrive by bike or metro, help with some gardening or bring a water bottle: all earn rewards such as drinks, free tours or a coffee.

If you want to bump into a Danish chef in the wild, try foraging in the Amager Strand area. The app VildeMad introduces the edible Danish landscape and has foraging guides to follow.

Shopping highlights

Copenhagen has a vibrant vintage shopping scene. Elmegade in Nørrebro is a great place to start. If you’re in the city on a Sunday, look out for flea markets. It’s a tradition to set up impromptu markets across the city, selling anything from vintage furniture to clothes.

Stop by Alma in Frederiksberg for a spot of supermarket tourism. The independent grocer is on a par with Waitrose and stocks specially produced chocolate from Michelin-starred restaurant Alchemist on its shelves.

Have you even been to Copenhagen if you don’t return with a biscuit tin? For the best iteration of the souvenir, head to Juno the Bakery, where they sell buttery cookies in chic containers. And yes, you can repurpose the tin for a sewing kit afterwards.

Places to see

Amusement park Tivoli Gardens dates back to 1843 and is a classic day out with family-friendly attractions, thrill rides, arcades and parading peacocks in its lush gardens. Restaurants are – surprisingly – outstanding, including a pop-up that hosts some of the country’s most acclaimed chefs.

Copenhagen’s art scene is particularly exciting this year. At Arken, scrapwood artist Thomas Dambo’s first major exhibition Garbage Man displays his enormous and charming trolls, while at Cisternerne, Marina Abramović’s Seven Deaths offers a haunting experience.

The Coastal Route train line is a lovely trip once you’ve had your fill of wandering historic streets and hygge in the city. Take it to the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art or continue to Helsingør, home to the castle where Shakespeare set Hamlet.