Vegan in Copenhagen *Updated 2019*
Copenhagen is quickly catching up with it’s Scandinavian neighbours with more and more plant-based foods becoming available all the time. There are so many great options now that I have split this into sections:
Breakfast & Brunch
Lunch
Dinner
Snacks
But, some cross over between different categories, so I’ve indicated that throughout. And others, such as Souls, are great at all times of the day.
Leave me a comment below if there are any places you think I should check out next time.
Breakfast & Brunch
Kaf
The brunch plate at Kaf is absolutely second to none. Cafe Kaf is a cosy little cafe in a quiet street in Nørrebro, appearing much like the cosiest of Copenhagen's cafes. On entering, you will immediately be drawn to the fridge display of exquisite cakes; Oreo, New York, raspberry, rhubarb, passionfruit cheesecakes, plus a cheesecake known as a turtle cheesecake that is drizzled in caramel and chocolate and topped with walnuts. Then there are the tarts; pistachio, citron, strawberry. But in fact, their speciality is their pastries, of which croissants are filled with strawberries and cream puffs line the top shelf.
But it was the brunch plate that brought me here, and then brought me back again the following week. Brunch in Denmark involves the genius creation of a lot of different things on one plate, and Kaf’s Premium Brunch comes with; yoghurt with granola, fresh kiwi, strawberry and passion fruit, avocado, croissant with blueberry jam and nutella, a sourdough roll and cheese.
I would hate to overhype a bread roll with cheese, so just go and check it out for yourself.
Flavour Bastards
The brunch menu at Flavour Bastards is the only place I have found that feels like it would fit in perfectly in London. The tofu toast is packed full of flavour (go for the added avocado) and the carrot lox and cream cheese toast has that similar taste to it’s salmon-y sister.
But, it’s the kind of place where you also need a dessert for that brunch and their choices of waffles are just what you will be looking for. If you’re really in an all-out waffle mood, the Build your own Waffle Board is perfect for you, served with small bowls to live out your waffly dreams. Otherwise, the Queen Waffle served with oat yoghurt, peanut butter, syrup, notella, blackcurrant compote and fresh berries is definitely the one to go for (cute dog not included).
The Organic Boho
The Organic Boho is a vegan cafe in Christianhavn serving organic food and drinks. The concept was developed by two sisters while in Ibiza which can be seen in the boho Ibiza design inside that took me straight back to the white isle.
The Organic Boho wanted to create a holistic feel and have therefore designed their ‘Mantra Menu' with items such as the 'I am radiant’ açai bowl, the ‘I am loved’ wrap or the ‘I am joyful’ smoothie. I must have been feeling radiant when I visited and this was one of the most beautiful açai bowls I’ve had.
Plus they try to use local, seasonal produce and run their business in a way that is both socially and environmentally sustainable.
Grød
A cafe dedicated to one of my absolute favourite foods, porridge. Now with 4 bars in Copenhagen and 1 in Aarhus, the atmosphere inside is nothing but hygge.
The menu is organic and seasonal and allows you to experiment with different types of porridge and every topping you can imagine. It isn’t exclusively vegan but there are more than enough options not to notice.
And as an extra bonus, they have oat milk for coffees! I think I found my perfect breakfast bar.
Baryl
In the heart of Østerbro, Baryl is an organic breakfast and lunch spot that serves food covering all levels of the rainbow. The Vegan Blogger brunch plate comes with an avocado toast, chia porridge topped with fresh fruits and coconut cream and kale salad. The vegan simple sandwich definitely doesn’t taste as simple as it sounds. And the vegan fruity rice pudding tops is great if you’re looking for something a little more sweet.
Simple Raw is located right in the heart of the city, in the beautiful pedestrian square Gråbrødretorv. Despite the name, they serve both raw and cooked vegan food on a simple menu that changes seasonally, using local and organic produce.
The interior is the epitome of hygge. Low hanging lighting and big candles on every table. Plus layers of green winding leaves seeming to creep in through the sky light. The menu ranges from salad bowls and open-faced sandwiches to burgers and risotto. But the Tapas Dessert Board is something else.
42Raw
- Also great for Breakfast, Brunch & Treats
42Raw now have three locations across the city, in Pilestræde, Frederiksberg and Hellerup. It was Copenhagen's first raw food bar back in 2009, but has since developed a new concept serving more contemporary interpretations of plant-based eating.
Their vision is to promote plant-based diets by proving that vegetables don’t have to be boring, serving comfort food that you don’t need to feel guilty about eating. Burgers, quinoa bowls, brunch plates, sandwiches and breakfast bowls. Plus a whole lot of cakes lining the counter; triple chocolate, peanut butter cups, berry crumble, snickers, muffins, cookies…the list goes on.
Plant Power Food, just over the lakes in Copenhagen’s trendy Nørrebro district, is on a mission to create healthy vegan dishes that are visually on point. The menu is full of unrefined, vegan, whole foods that is cooked without any oil, instead getting essential fats from whole foods such as avocado, tahini and lots of seeds. Each dish is packed full of colours that make it look fantastic, but also contain those flavonoids that provide more antioxidants.
Dishes are definitely beautiful and perfect for instagram. We had the plant power lunch platte’s with different choices of open-faced sandwiches which was probably the healthiest meal I ate while I was in Copenhagen.
As well as all of the beautiful food, Plant Power Food are on a mission to take good care of their environment. They clearly set out on their website the steps that they take, from their compost bin for organic waste, to waiting for the dishwasher to be full, using reusable bags and boxes, and natural cleaning products.
Morgenstedet
In Christiania, Copenhagen’s freetown, Morgenstedet has been serving organic, vegetarian food for more than twenty years. Tucked at the end of Christiania, the cafe is in a small white washed house with interiors of quirky furniture, an open countryside kitchen and an antique stove. When the sun is shining, the outdoor front yard is a great spot for a relaxed lunch.
They work on an idea of collectivism and voluntary workforce, which results in a mixture of cuisines from Far Eastern to Mediterranean, depending on which chef is on shift. Most of what they were serving when I visited was vegan.
Taking a stroll through Christiania, there are a few different places to check out including Grønsagen which is a buffet by weight and a community shop with lots of zero waste and vegan products on sale.
Reffen by Copenhagen Street Food
Also great for Dinner
This time it’s Reffen by Copenhagen Street Food bringing the transition from lunch to dinner because this is really a great space to just hang out with friends any time of the day, the food is the added bonus.
Copenhagen seems to get cooler and cooler every time I visit, and no where can show just how cool it is right now as Reffen. It was a sad time when Papierøn closed down a few years ago, but the concept is back, just bigger and maybe even better than before. Reffen is where Copenhagen Street Food and entrepreneurs come together in a 6,000 m2 playground to creatively show off their passions. If you take one of the many scooter rentals from the city centre, it takes about 15 minutes to arrive, or a boat departs every 30 minutes from Nyhavn, close to Skuespilhuset.
Over 18 nationalities are represented with so much variety in what’s on offer. Organic Balance stands out for it’s creative play on the age-old vegan directed “where do you get your protein from?” question.
Nordic Hotdog have a vegan take on the classic Danish hotdog. Zapata Mexican Grill have vegan tacos and burritos. Blue Taco, Baobab, Dosa Corner serving south Indian food, Everest Nepalese Food, Jujus Jamaican Jerk, MarocMaroc, Nomames, Ramsløg with salads and wraps, Street Polenta. With so many options, this is a great place to come with a big group of friends, or on those days when you just want a bit of everything.
3. Dinner
Noma
You can’t really talk about dinner in Copenhagen without mentioning Noma. Their vegetable season runs every year from the end of June to September. I’ve written a whole post on this so click here to read more.
MadenItaly
- Also great for lunch
In a side street close to Nyhavn, MadenItaly is the first vegan Italian restaurant in Copenhagen. The menu is composed of traditionally Italian dishes, that they put their own twist on.
Their story began as past of Copenhagen Street Food, where they focused on pizza with lots of different toppings, before opening a restaurant in 2018. This enabled them to expand their menu to include homemade pasta, cakes, seitan, and cashew cheese and a tiramisu.
There were about 12 different pizzas to choose from when I visited, plus the menu of pastas, risottos, gnocchi, salads, soups and a lasagne. I’ve tried a lot of different vegan pizza’s and I found the base of the pizza’s at MadenItaly to be a little too crunchy for my taste, but I can highly recommend the Pasta della Casa which is MadenItaly’s take on a classic carbonara.
Mielcke & Hurtigkarl
Mielcke & Hurtigkarl definitely has one of the most beautiful locations in the city, inside The Royal Danish Horticultural Gardens in Frederiksberg Have. With Copenhagen Jazz Festival playing on the lawn outside, we couldn’t have picked a better time to visit than on this long, warm Copenhagen summers day.
The building is an orangery dating back to 1744 with a fire-lit terrace which is the ultimate spot for hygge in Copenhagen. Warm colours, cosy blankets and corners filled with candles.
The garden theme continues inside, with green plants scattered throughout and walls decorated with leaves and small insects. Simple wild flowers in small jars decorate the tables. Rather than music, recordings from nature are played throughout the evening. The whole ambiance echoes the surroundings of The Royal Danish Garden Society.
The menu takes inspiration from all over the world but manages to stay simple and clean, using local herbs from their own garden. We had to choose between the five or seven course menu, of course, opting for the full seven. But before we got underway with the actual menu, a series of appetisers were served, giving us a taste of what was to come.
Mielcke & Hurtigkarl keep a creative and contemporary approach to cooking and dining with the design of the food on the plates being as impressive as the interior decoration. Dishes used a lot of asparagus, but managed to make each quite different. While the ‘main’ course was based on mushrooms which ticked every box for me.
Atlas Bar
A typical Danish cafe/bar with a special vegetarian & vegan menu in the central Latin quarter of the city. They have limited tables and a very cosy feel so it’s worth making a booking.
They are linked to another restaurant upstairs, Urten, which is purely vegan and offers 3-course dinner menus on the weekends and actually had a much more hygge vibe, so we’ll be back to try that out.
This is the younger sibling to the only Thai restaurant outside of Thailand with a Michelin star. The name sounds deceivingly like a seafood spot but it actually stands for South East Asia, the inspiration behind the food. Set in a beautiful protected warehouse where Nyhavn meets the water, they have a beer made especially for them by Mikkeller with a taste of old Nyhavn and its tradition.
The menu here isn’t vegan. However, we were visiting as part of a larger group so they served a special 6 course vegan tasting menu especially for us in line with what the rest of the group were having, and I’m confident they can do it for others too. Everything had a Thai influence which of course, I loved.
4. Snacks
Nicecream Copenhagen
It doesn’t take long scrolling through vegan options in Copenhagen to stumble across Nicecream. These ice creams are every bit as beautiful as they are delicious. With three locations across the city, plus the occasional pop-up, it’s not difficult to get your hands on a Nicecream.
First you choose if you want a cone, a sundae or a take home. Then come the flavours; Bounty Hunter, Minty, Hazy Nuts, Chocoholic, there’s even a liquorice flavour for the Danes. I went for Sneaky Bizz which is a peanut butter nice cream with toffee caramel swirls, mylk chocolate flakes and roasted peanuts. If you’re going for a sundae, you can choose toppings; cake toppings (including brownie chunks and cookie crumble), a sauce (blueberry lemon, toffee caramel, salty peanut butter or chocolate fudge), and finally a crunch (chocolate flakes, salty nuts, cereal or granola).
It’s as though they made my wildest dreams a reality and scattered it across the city. Plus they are currently testing their winter menu, teaming up with Kaf to create a spandauer tower topped with ice cream and toppings. The only good reason to be excited for winter to arrive if you ask me.
Den Økologiske Pølsemand
Hotdogs are a thing in Denmark and a big thing too. Any Dane will tell you how special a Danish hotdog is and of course far better than any others around the world, before then listing off the toppings they come with. So I was so happy to discover this gem in the heart of Copehagen’s old town, a hotdog stand serving up vegan Danish hotdogs!
Sprinkled as ever with delicious cooked onions, I couldn’t tell the difference. The stand is located next to the Rundetaarn, preparing you perfectly for exploring the Old Town.
Landbageriet
Landbageriet serves all of the Danish pastries you could wish for, in vegan form.
Close to Norreport station, a small bakery with vegan options such as kanelsnegle, tebirkes, cinnamon rolls, muffins, marzipan cookies and cakes. They also have a great range of delicious breads on sale.
Trovehallerne is a self proclaimed super market consisting of two separate glass buildings next to each other, lined with independent vendors selling everything from fresh fruit & veg to huge plants of fresh herbs, piles of nuts, organic beauty products, fresh pressed juices and cafes with beautiful pastries.
There’s a Grød serving up their delicious porridge. And fancy coffee from The Coffee Collective, serving ‘exceptional coffee experiences in a manner that gives better living conditions to coffee farmers across the globe’. The Organic Boho have recently opened up a stall with some great smoothies. And it is also now the home of Soul’s Surf Shack where you can taste slider versions of the Beyond Burger.
Have you got a favourite place in Copenhagen that I haven’t tried yet? Let me know in the comments below and I’ll make sure to check it out during my next visit.