Dining out

From casual cafés to stunning Michelin-star restaurants, Copenhagen's culinary scene offers something for everyone. Take the opportunity to sample Danish cuisine - plain or fancy - during your stay.

World-famous Tivoli Gardens amusement park (Vesterbrogade 3) has a variety of attractive indoor and outdoor restaurants, cafés and bars.

Do not leave Copenhagen without tasting these Danish specialties:

· Traditional Danish open-faced sandwiches, called smørrebrød, traditionally served for lunch. They may be topped with anything from cold beef to chopped egg to tiny, sweet shrimp from the North Sea.

· Self-service, buffet-style koldt bord (smorgasbord) with a variety of fish, meats, hot dishes, cheeses and desserts.  Another lunchtime favorite.

· Danish hotdogs from the pølsevogne (sausage wagon). You will find them all around the city. They are popular for late-night snacks.

· Frikadeller, the tiny, tasty meatballs that are Danish comfort food.

· Herring in all manners and forms: pickled, smoked, marinated, cured, soaked in tomato sauce, curried. You name it. No true Danish meal is complete without a herring course.

· Æbleskiver, the sweet, delicious puffs of dough served with fresh jam. You cannot eat just one!

· Beer. It is Denmark's favorite beverage, especially locally brewed Carlsberg and Tuborg.

· Christmas specialties. If you are cruising to Copenhagen in December, be sure to sample a full, multi-course Danish Christmas menu at a local restaurant. Toast the season with gløgg, traditional warm mulled wine with raisins and almonds, which is usually accompanied by mellow home-baked ginger cookies.

Typical meal hours and average prices

Breakfast 07:00 - 10:00, EUR 10-20
Brunch (mainly weekends) 09:00 - 12:00 noon, approximately EUR 20
Lunch 12:00 noon - 14:00, EUR 20-25
Dinner 18:00 - 22:00, EUR 25 and up
Late night snacks (just a few places) 23:00 - 03:00, EUR 15-20

Most restaurants serve beer, wine and liquor. Beverage prices generally start at EUR 5 for a glass of draught beer and EUR 30 for a bottle of wine.

Please note that service charges are automatically added to hotel and restaurant bills. Tipping for outstanding service is a matter of choice, but is not expected.

Most restaurants and bars in Copenhagen are non-smoking. Small cafés and bars are allowed to have secluded indoor smoking sections.