Copenhagen Street Food

If you’ve always hankered after a Scandi food experience but never thought you could possibly rustle up enough rands, the street food and markets of Copenhagen may be just what you’ve been looking for all along

- Hein Van Tonder

MENTION COPENHAGEN TO ANYONE serious about food and the first thing they’re likely to think of is “Noma”, closely followed by “exorbitant”. But there really is so much more to the Danish capital than René Redzepi’s famous two-Michelin-star restaurant, which has just reopened at its new location after a year-long closure. And since prepaid seatings for the first three months at “Noma 2.0” were sold out within 24 hours (at approximately R4 500 a head!), it would be wise to explore the scores of other eateries celebrating the reinvention and reinterpretation of Nordic food – and beyond. Restaurants such as Geranium, Relae, AOC, Kadeau and countless others have been opened by Noma alumni chefs, and all of them contribute to the city maintaining its status as one of the food capitals of the world.

Still, eating at these restaurants also comes at a price, with a meal easily costing R1 500 or more per head. Which is why I was thrilled to have discovered that the city also offers a vibrant, ever-changing street food and market scene featuring delicious, authentic fare at prices that won’t require post-holiday debt counselling.

ONE OF THE REAL HIGHLIGHTS of my visit was Copenhagen Street Food, which opened in 2013 in a large warehouse on Papirøen Island (Paper Island) close to the iconic Nyhavn district and Christianshavn. As the city’s first market dedicated to streetfood, traders at 40 independent food trucks, containers, bars and stalls offered a tempting variety of local and international street fare, all of which met the “genuine, honest and aesthetic” motto of the market.