There’s something Copenhagen does exceptionally well: mornings. This is a city where breakfast isn’t rushed. It’s crafted, designed. Served with care in cafés where the lighting is soft, the bread is still warm, and the butter arrives as if sculpted by hand.
In a country where hygge isn’t a buzzword but a rhythm, breakfast becomes the most atmospheric meal of the day. Locals linger. Travellers slow down. Whether it’s a classic Danish morgenmad, a generous hotel buffet, or a minimalist brunch plate curated like a work of art, the capital knows how to set the tone for the hours ahead.
Here are 21 places that turn breakfast in Copenhagen into an experience worth waking up early for.
Key Takeaways
- Copenhagen’s breakfast scene blends design, tradition, and comfort.
- Expect warm bread, fresh coffee, soft lighting, and thoughtful ingredients.
- The best spots aren’t always flashy – they’re intentional, local, and quietly refined.
- Hotel breakfasts here are often open to non-guests and beautifully curated.
- For a true local experience, don’t rush – take your time, stay for a second coffee.
Atelier September
Tucked into an elegant street near Nyhavn, Atelier September offers breakfast in a space that feels like a lifestyle magazine come to life. The former antique shop is now a sun-drenched café where the plating is minimalist and the atmosphere, almost whisper-quiet.
Their signature avocado on rye isn’t just photogenic – it’s delicately balanced, with bright citrus notes and flaky salt. The granola with fresh fruit is subtle and crisp, not overly sweet. It’s a place that rewards stillness. Come for the food, stay for the light. Don’t expect small talk – expect calm.
Credit: VisitCopenhagen
The Union Kitchen
The Union Kitchen in the heart of the city is where energy meets morning indulgence. You’ll spot the tables outside before you hear the music inside. This is the spot for a slightly louder, more sociable breakfast without sacrificing food quality.
Their take on scrambled eggs is soft, herby, and generous, often served with sourdough that could rival any bakery. The coffee is bold, the crowd is stylish, and the vibe balances casual cool with morning warmth. You could arrive groggy and leave grinning. It’s effortlessly Copenhagen.
Credit: The Union Kitchen
Villa Copenhagen
Villa Copenhagen offers what’s easily one of the most elegant hotel breakfasts in the city. You don’t need to be a guest to indulge – just come hungry and curious. Set in the courtyard of a former post office turned luxury hotel, the buffet is curated with Scandinavian staples and seasonal produce.
Think fresh-baked rye bread, whipped butter, smoked salmon, cheeses, fruit compotes, and perfect eggs. Everything is served with beauty and intention. The ambience is calm and grand. A rare blend of atmosphere and taste that makes breakfast feel like a slow ceremony.
Credit: Tripadvisor
Sidecar
Sidecar in Nørrebro is one of those places that balances cool with comfort. Their weekday breakfast plates are plated with clarity: eggs, bread, cheese, and something fermented. But it’s their weekend brunch – served as a tasting table – that draws locals.
There’s variety, rhythm, and just enough surprise in every round. The room feels lived in and loved, with wide windows and thoughtful details. Come with someone you enjoy talking to. It’s a meal that encourages lingering.
Credit: Tripadvisor
Apotek 57
Inside the stylish home goods store Frama, Apotek 57 offers breakfast that’s as intentional as their furniture. The setting is pared back but warm. Their sourdough is extraordinary – chewy, warm, deeply flavourful – paired with cultured butter and jam that leans tart.
There’s usually a baked egg dish or simple yoghurt, all served with quiet precision. This is not a place for a quick grab-and-go. It’s an environment that calms the senses while sharpening the appetite. Even their espresso has a softness to it.
Credit: APOTEK 57
Hart Bageri
The queues outside Hart Bageri speak for themselves. Opened by a former Tartine baker, this is where pastry becomes poetry. The cardamom buns are sticky and spicy in the right way, while the seasonal Danish twists reimagine tradition with playful elegance.
Their coffee is strong and carefully brewed, and the space itself – modern, unfussy – lets the food do all the work. It’s not a sit-and-linger type of café, but it’s worth the trip. This is Copenhagen’s new school of breakfast done right.
Credit: Visit Copenhagen
Mad & Kaffe
Mad & Kaffe is a local darling with multiple locations across the city. It’s also one of the most Instagrammed breakfasts in town – but don’t let that fool you. Their build-your-own breakfast concept lets you choose between seasonal, colourful dishes: smoked cheese, beet hummus, soft-boiled eggs, grilled chorizo, and flaky croissants.
Each plate arrives like a palette, bright and considered. It’s a meal you construct yourself, which somehow makes it feel more personal. Despite the buzz, the food is real, and the service is warm.
Credit: Tripadvisor
Democratic Coffee
Democratic Coffee is where serious coffee meets unexpectedly brilliant croissants. The location, tucked beside the city’s central library, creates a bookish, relaxed energy. Their almond croissant is the stuff of legend. It’s flaky, caramelised, and often sold out before noon.
The menu is tight and minimalist, but what’s offered is thoughtful and beautifully executed. There’s a simplicity to the space that invites quiet mornings and slow sips. It’s a perfect spot for solo travellers with a journal or curious eyes. The coffee? Some of the best in the city.
Credit: VisitCopenhagen
The Sixteen Twelve
The Sixteen Twelve in Nørrebro is a rare place that feels fresh and established at the same time. Its menu leans Australian with a Copenhagen soul: shakshuka, peanut butter banana toast, ricotta hotcakes. The vibe is youthful without being chaotic. Sunlight spills across natural wood tables, and the music feels curated, not random.
The ingredients are local, but the presentation is global. It’s a spot where travellers and locals blend, often indistinguishably. One bite of their chilli eggs and you’ll understand why it’s always buzzing.
Credit: Tripadvisor
Les Trois Cochons
Set in a converted butcher shop in Frederiksberg, Les Trois Cochons brings Paris to Copenhagen in the most delightful way. It’s part of the Cofoco group, so the design is as refined as the flavours. Breakfast here feels intimate and indulgent: buttery omelettes, thick yoghurt with honey and nuts, and pain au chocolat that actually melts.
The service is warm, the coffee rich, and the ambience includes soft green walls and classic bistro touches that simply encourage long conversations. It’s ideal for late mornings and gentle beginnings. A place to lean into comfort.
Credit: Les Trois Cochons | Cofoco
Wulff & Konstali
Wulff & Konstali give you choice and sunlight. With several locations across the city, their signature build-your-own breakfast lets you tailor your meal to your mood: maybe soft-boiled eggs, a mini cinnamon roll, avocado mash, and elderflower yoghurt. It’s beautifully plated, always seasonal, and never rushed.
The space is filled with light and a quiet hum of regulars who clearly know the drill. This is the kind of café where weekday breakfasts turn into meetings, or weekend ones drift into lunch. Reliable and always delicious.
Credit: Wulff & Konstali
Paludan Bogcafé
Paludan is a rare hybrid: part café, part academic bookshop. It’s just around the corner from the university, making it a beloved haunt of students, writers, and wandering readers. The breakfast menu is generous, classic, and filling. Imagine scrambled eggs with bacon, freshly baked bread, and creamy yoghurt bowls.
The décor leans eclectic: antique lamps, stacked books, mismatched chairs. It feels like the kind of place you’d stumble upon in a novel. It’s not flashy, but it’s warm and lived-in, which makes it special.
Credit: Paludan Bogcafe og Antikvariat
Rist Kaffebar
RIST is what happens when coffee becomes a calling. Tucked in Vesterbro, this micro-roastery and café has only a few seats, but every one is intentional. Their coffee is exceptional, roasted in-house and served with quiet pride.
The breakfast menu is short but satisfying: toasted rye with soft cheese, granola with skyr, and sometimes a surprise pastry that steals the show. It’s the kind of place you return to more for feel than food, though both deliver. Don’t come here in a rush. Come here to reset.
Credit: Tripadvisor
The Midwestern Diner
Craving a Copenhagen take on a proper American breakfast? The Midwestern Diner serves up stacked pancakes, crispy hashbrowns, and eggs exactly how you like them. It’s a slightly nostalgic, always comforting experience in the middle of an otherwise minimalist city.
Portions are generous, coffee is bottomless, and the vibe is low-key joyful. Whether you’re homesick or just curious, the food here lands like a hug. It’s diner food, but with Danish quality control. Sometimes, that’s exactly what you need.
Credit: Tripadvisor
Kompa’ 9
Kompa’ 9 is a low-lit oasis in the heart of the city, ideal for slow, thoughtful mornings. The café feels part living room, part local secret. Their breakfast options are comforting and familiar: soft-boiled eggs, fresh rolls, cheese, and charcuterie.
Coffee is served in deep ceramic mugs, and there’s often a quiet playlist playing in the background. The lighting, warm and amber, makes even grey Copenhagen mornings feel golden. It’s not about trends here. It’s about ritual.
Credit: Tripadvisor
Grød
Grød means “porridge,” and they’ve turned it into an art form. What began as a food truck is now a beloved breakfast institution with locations across Copenhagen. Their menu elevates oats beyond recognition: think coconut porridge with caramelised bananas, chia bowls with elderflower, or barley risotto with mushrooms.
The textures are perfect, the toppings surprising, and the flavours deep. It’s comfort food that feels clean. If you’re new to porridge culture, this is your gateway drug.
Credit: GRØD
Sonny
Sonny is the café you recommend when someone asks where locals go. Its small space in the city centre that draws a steady stream of regulars who come for the coffee, the crisp-edged eggs, and the slow Copenhagen rhythm.
The breakfast menu is focused and refined: soft-boiled eggs with sourdough, chia pudding with tart berries, buttery pastries that flake with each bite. There’s attention in every detail, from the ceramics to the salad dressings. It’s not flashy, it’s consistent. And that’s its power.
Credit: Tripadvisor
Anderson & Maillard
Andersen & Maillard is what happens when you combine a baker and a barista who both care deeply about their craft. Located in Nørrebro, this café has become a destination for anyone who appreciates flaky pastries and expertly brewed coffee.
Their croissants border on architectural, and the kouign-amann will make you rethink your breakfast priorities. Seating is sparse but stylish. It’s not for the faint of appetite. It’s for those who love breakfast as a high art.
Credit: Tripadvisor
Bevar’s
Bevar’s isn’t a café you just find. It’s one you’re introduced to. Tucked along a canal in Inner Nørrebro, it’s a hybrid bar/café that feels like the living room of a well-travelled friend.
Breakfast is generous and laid-back: toasted rye with cheese and eggs, big mugs of strong coffee, and occasional pastries that sell out early. The vibe is casual but intentional. Don’t expect fanfare. Just expect flavour.
Credit: Bevars
Kaffesalonen
Kaffesalonen gives you breakfast with a waterfront view. Located along the Peblinge Lake, it’s a place where you can sip a flat white while watching swans drift by. The breakfast platter is classic: bread, butter, eggs, jam, and cheese, all with a soft Nordic touch.
It’s not reinventing anything, just doing it well. There’s outdoor seating in summer, blankets in winter, and a steady stream of Danish locals who treat it like a second home.
Credit: Tripadvisor
D’Angleterre
The breakfast at Hotel d’Angleterre is for mornings when you want to feel like royalty. Inside one of Copenhagen’s most historic and luxurious hotels, the dining room glows with soft light and white linen.
The breakfast selection is refined, thoughtful, and abundant with traditional Danish food and beyond, including Danish pastries, smoked fish, artisanal cheeses, fresh juices, and champagne if the mood calls for it. The service is warm but never overbearing. Every detail feels considered. This is breakfast not just as a meal, but as a memory.
Credit: HOTEL D’ANGLETERRE
Conclusion
Breakfast in Copenhagen is more than a meal. It’s a quiet ritual, a design statement, a moment to pause before the city accelerates. Whether you’re sipping cardamom-laced coffee in a candlelit corner or building your own brunch with locally sourced delicacies, there’s a certain grace to how the Danes begin their day.
The beauty lies in the variety: from iconic hotel buffets to tiny neighbourhood cafés tucked behind ivy-covered doors. Each place on this list offers more than just good food. They offer mood. Character. A slice of the city’s rhythm served warm on a plate.
And if you’re ready to explore Copenhagen beyond the breakfast table, in quiet courtyards, through design history, and around secret neighbourhoods, we’d love to guide you. Discover our private Copenhagen tours and let us show you the city the way locals love it, one thoughtful stop at a time.
FAQ
What do people in Copenhagen eat for breakfast?
People in Copenhagen typically eat rye bread with cheese or cold cuts, yogurt with berries, oatmeal, or soft-boiled eggs. Danish pastries and fresh bread are common on weekends, while weekdays favor lighter, simpler breakfasts paired with coffee.
What’s a typical price for breakfast in Copenhagen?
A typical breakfast in Copenhagen costs DKK 80–150 at cafés and bakeries. Hotel breakfasts often range from DKK 150–250. Prices reflect Denmark’s high living costs, but quality ingredients, fresh bread, and good coffee are standard.
What must you eat in Copenhagen?
Must-eat foods in Copenhagen include smørrebrød (open-faced sandwiches), Danish pastries, fresh seafood, hot dogs from street stands, and modern Nordic tasting menus. The city is also famous for world-class fine dining and innovative seasonal cuisine.
What is a typical Scandinavian breakfast?
A typical Scandinavian breakfast includes rye or whole-grain bread, cheese, cold cuts, eggs, yogurt, berries, and porridge. It focuses on simple, nutritious ingredients with minimal sugar. Coffee is essential, and meals emphasize balance, freshness, and whole foods.
