We created this comprehensive guide showcasing the best Copenhagen coffee shops after drinking flat whites and pour overs all over the Danish capital. But we didn’t stop there! We included a half dozen Copenhagen cafes that serve specialty coffee in addition to freshly baked laminated pastries.
Copenhagen is a mecca for coffee-obsessed travelers.
The city inspires coffee creativity today as it inspired Hans Christian Andersen in the past. While Copenhagen’s most prolific resident penned 156 tales during the 19th century, modern day Danes rank fourth in coffee consumption with each Dane consuming more than a cup per day.
The number of cafes in Copenhagen is impressive to say the least, with most locals eager to share their picks for the best Copenhagen cafe every time we asked that question. While we don’t live in Denmark, we have our favorite Copenhagen cafes too.
We also have our favorite Copenhagen coffee shops. Fourteen of them to be exact.
Adding fuel to the percolator, Denmark is also a country that embraces the concept of hygge. There’s no better place for a traveler to experience Danish hygge than at a warm and welcoming Copenhagen coffee shop. The couches are softer, the spaces are warmer and the people, including the baristas, are friendlier compared to most European cities.
What is Hygge?
According to Webster Dictionary, hygge is “a cozy quality that makes a person feel content and comfortable” but hygge is more than a handful of words. It’s a way of life that makes Denmark one of the happiest countries in the world if not the happiest country in the world.
At many of the best Copenhagen cafes and coffee shops, it’s possible to enjoy your coffee on a well worn sofa, under candlelight and next to wood worn walls that make you feel more like you’re in a living room than at a coffee shop. The opportunity to chill out with friendly people while drinking a flat white or cappuccino is an opportunity that we rarely skip in Denmark’s capital.
Don’t just drink coffee in Copenhagen! Be sure to sample both traditional Danish food and a range of Copenhagen food favorites at the city’s best restaurants during your visit.
14 Excellent Copenhagen Coffee Shops
We weren’t Danish coffee novices when we arrived in Copenhagen. Not only do we live around the corner from a Copenhagen Coffee Lab in Lisbon, but we’ve also imbibed single-origin coffee roasted by Copenhagen’s Coffee Collective and Aarhus’ La Cabra in cities like Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin and Dublin.
Even still, we were so impressed with the Copenhagen coffee scene that we visited multiple cafes each day in our quest to experience the city’s best coffee shops and cafes. Not only did this endeavor energize us during a week-long blitz of the city’s best restaurants, but it also put a bit of a dent in our wallets.
We’d be remiss not to mention that Copenhagen is one of the most expensive cities we’ve ever visited.
However, we don’t mind paying for excellent specialty coffee especially when that coffee is served fika style with tasty pastries. That being said, fairytale towns like Copenhagen are worth a visit even if you’re on a tight budget. You’ll just need to plan accordingly. In other words, budget in an extra 30-40% for all purchases to fully enjoy your trip with less financial stress.
With Copenhagen coffees often priced at the equivalent of $6 or $7 each, it’s important to drink specialty coffee at the best spots even if you’ve properly budgeted for your trip. These are our favorite Copenhagen coffee shops and the ones you shouldn’t miss during any Copenhagen coffee crawl:
Coffee Collective – Jægersborggade
Coffee obsessed individuals can visit a number of Coffee Collective locations in Copenhagen The internationally respected roaster operates a handful of coffee shops with a few fun quirks and differences.
The Jægersborggade location is an obvious choice for coffee pilgrims who want to visit the neighborhood where Coffee Collective roasted its first beans in 2007. Following the wagon trail (i.e. google maps), we made the short walk from the Nørrebro metro station to drink coffee here.
A serious coffee shop for serious coffee drinkers, Coffee Collective’s Jægersborggade location offers a range of coffee drinks in a cosy yet spacious space. The cafe even takes the time to share stories behind the beans it sources around the world.
We ordered an Aeropress coffee crafted with Kenyan beans during our visit though we had the option to upgrade to better beans, specifically Ethiopian geisha beans for an extra 22 kr ($3.35 USD). We were happy with the cheaper coffee choice.
Pro Tip
Take a short walk to Collective Bakery to sample the Danish coffee empire’s full range of pastries.
Coffee Collective has multiple locations in Copenhagen. The Jægersborggade cafe is located at Jægersborggade 57, 2200 København, Denmark.
Prolog Coffee Bar
Open in Copenhagen’s meatpacking district since 2016, Prolog Coffee Bar is almost a decade younger than Coffee Collective. But this Copenhagen coffee shop rivals its elder when it comes to producing excellent coffee.
Prolog’s baristas love to talk about the great product they serve and we don’t disagree. The shop offers a range of beans in a somewhat stark converted industrial space with a few hi-top tables plus additional outdoor seating.
Our visit to Prolog was practically inevitable. We kept drinking Prolog beans at cafes like Mirabelle and Seks and we just had to drink them at the source. Not wanting to miss any sips, it was our last cafe stop in Copenhagen. Maybe next time it will be our first.
We were all about the coffee during our visit so we skipped the shop’s limited menu featuring croissants, morning buns and yogurt. Mindi’s cappuccino featuring red honey processed Costa Rican beans had flavors that were slightly funky yet elegant. As for Daryl, he enjoyed his pour over, brewed with Kenyan beans so much that he wanted to buy a mug or two as a remembrance. Alas, the mugs were out of stock.
Pro Tip
Combine your coffee break with lunch at Kødbyens Fiskebar. The fish-focused restaurants is one of the best in Copenhagen.
Prolog Coffee Bar is located at Høkerboderne 16, 1712 København, Denmark.
April Coffee Store & Showroom
April coffee Founder Patrik Rolf first roasted coffee in 2016 and opened his modern yet pleasing Østerbro cafe in 2020.
The ‘showroom’ at the edge of Nørrebro feels more like an architect’s office than a coffee shop. It epitomizes Scandinavian design with its spartan yet attractive wooden furnishings and a low-top barista station that invites coffee conversation.
During our visit, we ordered a filtered coffee brewed with washed Ethiopian beans and a flat white crafted with natural processed Ethiopian beans. The former tasted like peaches while the latter channeled watermelon, jasmine and caramel in each sip.
More of an experience than a grab-and-run coffee shop, April Coffee is priced on the higher end even for Copenhagen. Our two drinks totaled $15.25 once we converted the Danish krone to dollars. However, we’re willing to pay a bit more for the kind of quality and immersive service that April delivers.
Pro Tip
Don’t visit April Coffee Store and Showroom when you’re in a rush. We almost lost our lunch reservation due to the cafe’s relaxed pace in regards to our coffee preparation and payment.
April Coffee Store & Showroom is located at Ryesgade 86A, 2100 København, Denmark.
Darcy’s Cafe
Homey Darcy’s Kaffe offers a rotating roster of coffee beans sourced within Denmark (i.e. April, Coffee Collective and La Cabra) and beyond. It’s also a great place to chill with friends or a good book while sipping coffee and munching on a savory toast or sweet treat.
Although we arrived too close to closing to properly chill out, we enjoyed both hygge and fika during our visit. Not only did Darcy’s barista make us feel welcome but we had just enough time to enjoy a coffee and dessert.
Since the beans change weekly at this Copenhagen cafe, we considered ourselves lucky to sip filtered coffee made with beans from Amsterdam’s Dak Coffee Roasters. We considered ourselves additionally lucky to munch on an arzac biscuit – an oaty cookie with origins in Australia.
Pro Tip
Take time to chat with the friendly staff at Darcy Kaffe. The barista gave us some great cafe tips and insider information about the Copenhagen food scene.
Darcy’s Kaffe is located at Rantzausgade 2, 2200 København, Denmark.
Enghave Kaffe
Enghave Kaffee occupies a cozy, candlelit Versterbro space. Design elements include a wood burning stove and a vintage starred motorcycle chopper that holds court on the cafe’s back wall.
Equally important, Enghave Kaffe serves excellent coffee.
We enjoyed sipping a flat white crafted with Fuglen beans sourced from Norway while relaxing to Italian music that wafted through the air. All was right in our little corner of the world from our first sips until our last.
Pro Tip
Don’t plan to work at Enghave Kaffe. This Copenhagen coffee shop has a strict policy against laptops and tablets.
Enghave Kaffe is located at Enghave Plads 3, 1670 København, Denmark.
Coffee Collective – Telefonkiosken
Coffee Collective’s Telefonkiosken location, with the exception of its outdoor seating, must surely be the city’s smallest coffee shop. It’s difficult if not impossible to imagine otherwise.
The compact cafe is literally located in a 19th century telephone booth designed by architect Fritz Koch. While operators previously facilitated phone calls in the hexagon structure using using now-antiquated telephone equipment, baristas now craft state-of-the-art coffee using modern espresso technology and machines in the same space.
To be honest, our visit was spontaneous. We literally wandered by the booth located near the Nørreport metro stop while touring the city. Like moths to the flame, we couldn’t resist ordering a quick flat white to drink on the fly.
Don’t underestimate the coffee crafted at this former phone booth – it’s some of the best in the city. You can even request a proper ceramic coffee mug if that’s your thing. It’s our thing so that’s what we did when we ordered ours.
Pro Tip
Coffee Collective’s Telefonkiosken location has outdoor seating if you prefer to sit when you sip.
The Coffee Collective kiosk is located at Nørre Voldgade 70F, 1358 København, Denmark.
CUB Coffee Bar
CUB’s basement space hides in plain sight near the Parliament. Open since 2017, CUB Coffee Bar lives up to its name. No, it’s not a baby bear, lion or wolf.
CUB stands for Copenhagen Underground Brewers. And, ironically or intentionally, it’s located in a basement space just a few steps below street level.
We were pleased to learn that CUB roasts its beans in conjunction with Copenhagen Coffee Lab. Although the various Copenhagen Coffee Lab locations in Lisbon originally stoked our desire to drink coffee in Denmark’s capital city, there were no Copenhagen Coffee Labs in the center of Copenhagen at the time of our visit.
And, now that CUB’s new ownership has ramped up the Copenhagen cafe’ pastry program, there’s no reason to snub CUB.
Pro Tip
Combine your coffee break at CUB Coffee Bar with a visit to Copenhagen’s photogenic Nyhavn waterfront.
CUB Coffee Bar is located at Boldhusgade 6, 1062 København, Denmark.
La Banchina
La Banchina isn’t a typical Copenhagen cafe.
Sure, La Banchina serves coffee along with pastries and other light bites each morning. However, this unique Refshaleøen eatery/cafe/spa encourages its customers to eat, dip and repeat.
And by dip, we mean jump into the water regardless of the weather or temperature. We kid you not.
During our chilly morning visit, we observed people of all shapes, sizes and clothing options (ie. nude) dipping themselves into the water. All looked entirely refreshed despite the frigid temperature.
Meanwhile, we were perfectly content to lounge in the 14-seat cafe and sip cappuccinos crafted with beans from Copenhagen’s Nordic Roasting Company. Though we didn’t take a dip, we had our kind of adventure by eating salted young plums that looked like olives but tasted like… salted young plums.
Pro Tip
Plan ahead and book a session at La Banchina’s on-site sauna. It’s a unique, private space that you need to see to believe.
La Banchina is located at Refshalevej 141, 1432 København, Denmark.
Democratic Coffee Bar
Democratic Coffee opened in 2011, more than a century after Denmark embraced a democratic form of government. But, as the expression goes, better late than never when it come to good coffee.
Literally located in a public library near Rundetaarn, Copenhagen’s Round Tower, Democratic Coffee keeps to theme by offering a catalogue of coffee drinks that includes typical cappuccinos and flat whites as well as espresso tonics and golden lattes. But this Copenhagen cafe’s story doesn’t stop with coffee…
Democratic Coffee Bar’s almond croissants are worth every calorie. We shared one of these buttery beauties with two coffee drinks – a cappuccino and filtered coffee, both crafted with Denmark’s Le Cabra beans sourced from Brazil and Kenya respectively.
If we had to vote on our favorite Copenhagen cafes, Democratic Coffee would be a top ten contender. To be certain, we’ll have to return and eat another almond croissant to be sure.
Pro Tip
Bring your laptop. Democratic Coffee Bar’s customers can access free wi-fi without a password.
Democratic Coffee Bar is located at Krystalgade 15, 1172 København, Denmark.
Andersen & Maillard
Milton Abel and Kristian Andersen brought years of experience at acclaimed operations like Noma, Amass (permanently closed) and Coffee Collective when they joined forces and opened Andersen & Maillard in 2018. In just a few years, their cafe has become a top Copenhagen destination for specialty coffee drinkers who crave a quality pastry…or two.
Expansive and airy, the original Nørrebro cafe has an in-house bakery and roastery. Crowds fill the space, spilling onto an outdoor space with a half dozen picnic tables.
Ordering the cafe’s espresso glazed croissant during our first visit was a no-brainer as was pairing it with espresso-based flat whites crafted with freshly roasted Guatemalan beans. However, we went rogue during a return visit by opting for a pour over and a Canelé de Bordeaux instead.
You may be wondering why this cafe is called Andersen & Maillard instead of Andersen & Abel or Abel & Andersen. We wondered the same until we connected the dots. Maillard refers to the Maillard Reaction – the caramelization (aka burning) of sugars that brings deep flavors to food and coffee.
Pro Tip
If you visit Andersen & Maillard during the summer, don’t miss the cafe’s signature Croissant mashup topped with housemade espresso soft serve ice cream.
Andersen & Maillard has multiple locations. We twice drank coffee at the Nørrebro cafe located at Nørrebrogade 62, 2200 København N, Denmark.
Sonny
Sonny stands out by serving tasty smørrebrød with textbook cups of specialty coffee. The combination is on point considering the city’s infatuation with both artisan joe and open-faced sandwiches served on wholesome dark rye.
Beyond coffee and smørrebrød, owners David and Lisa Andersen have peppered Sonny’s menu with special items like artisan rye breads, green frittatas and monster beetroot salads. They also serve a special juice with apple, ginger, turmeric and sprulina.
Sonny was our first stop in Copenhagen and it didn’t disappoint.
A duo of Smørrebrød topped with potatoes and chicken salad whet our appetites for more Smørrebrøds at traditional restaurants like Aamans 1921 and Schønnemann while the flat white more than satisfied our coffee craving. They were brewed with Le Cabra beans from El Salvador and had excellent latte art to boot.
Pro Tip
You can opt for oat milk in Sonny’s coffee drinks for a small surcharge.
Sonny is located at Rådhusstræde 5, 1466 København, Denmark.
Seks Bakery & Eatery
Seks Bakery & Eatery is the cafe that we’d frequent most if we lived in Copenhagen. We’d eat breakfast there. We’d eat lunch there. And we’d especially satisfy our cheesecake urges there.
Regardless of time of day and our moods, we’d always drink coffee crafted with locally sourced Prolog beans there too. Although the cafe’s menu offers a diverse range of specialties, the team at Seks treats their coffee as seriously as we do.
Owners Jan and Monika Pawlak put their culinary passion into all aspects of their cafe’s menu including the cafe’s coffee program. Jan crafts flat whites and batch brew coffees as well as any dedicated coffee shop in the city.
Beyond its eclectic dishes and crafted beverages, Seks offers a cool vibe, comfortable furniture and good tunes to all who enter its doors. Did we mention the cheesecake? Don’t forget to order the cheesecake!
Fun Fact
While seks is the Danish word for six which happens to be the cafe’s street number, it’s an intentional homonym for sex at this self-proclaimed ‘organic and orgasmic’ Copenhagen cafe. Without doubt, the cafe’s name is purposefully provocative and warrants a chuckle or two.
Seks Bakery & Eatery is located at Krystalgade 6, 1172 København, Denmark.
Ricco’s Kaffebar
Unlike other Copenhagen coffee shops which we visited with a mission, Ricco’s Kaffebar caught our eye when we walked by the vine-covered cafe. As we learned during our spontaneous visit, the cafe is one of many Rico’s Kaffebars sprinkled around the city.
Rico (the owner) roasts beans sourced from Costa Rica, Ethiopia and Guatemala for the cafes. Colorful names include White Magic, Bitches Brew, Orangutan and Black Death.
We drank a cappuccino crafted with Black Death coffee, a blend of beans sourced from all three countries (Costa Rica, Ethiopia and Guatemala). The well crafted drink hit our coffee sweet spot and made us smile.
Pro Tip
Buy a pack of Bagsværd Lakrids (licorice) to enjoy at the cafe or later. The cafe offered three different flavors (classic, ginger and chocolate-covered) at the time of our visit.
Ricco’s Kaffebar has multiple locations. We drank coffee at the cafe located at Hauser Plads 30, 1127 København, Denmark.
Alice Ice Cream & Coffee
Alice Ice Cream & Coffee combines two of our favorite things – ice cream and coffee. The shop makes its ice cream in house and sources its coffee beans from Sweden’s Koppi.
This combination is divine at any time of the year but especially during the summer. That being said, we ate a chocolate coated milk ice cream pop during our late autumn visit and were happy with our choice.
Pro Tip
Don’t despair if Alice Ice Cream & Coffee isn’t serving ice cream should you visit during the winter months. Instead, eat a laminated pastry with your coffee and buy a pint of ice cream to enjoy later.
Alice Ice Cream & Coffee is located at Markmandsgade 1, 2300 København, Denmark.
Additional Copenhagen Coffee Shops
Fourteen coffee shops should fuel you for at least two weeks. However, consider these additional Copenhagen coffee shops if your flat white obsession is even greater than ours.
6 Copenhagen Cafes With Excellent Coffee
A Copenhagen morning would be incomplete without good coffee and a tasty layered pastry. While you can accomplish this goal at several Copenhagen coffee shops featured in this guide, a tasty option is to do so at one of the city’s top bakery cafes.
We recommend the following Copenhagen cafes with solid coffee programs featuring beans sourced both locally and from further afield:
You can read more about these Copenhagen cafes in our guide to the city’s best bakeries.
Bonus – Copenhagen Coffee Store
Kontra Coffee is a Copenhagen coffee shop that doesn’t actually serve any coffee even though it roasts its beans in Denmark.
Instead, the Østerbro shop sells those beans as well as an assortment of coffee equipment. We’re talking about things like espresso machines, grinders and scales.
Pro Tip
Take a 10-minute walk from Kontra Coffee to April Coffee Store & Showroom if you want coffee in a cup instead of coffee beans in a bag.
Kontra Coffee is located at Dag Hammarskjölds Allé 36, 2100 København, Denmark.
Copenhagen Coffee Shop FAQs
Yes. Copenhagen has a vibrant coffee scene that fuels the Danish people’s obsession for drinking good coffee.
Good coffee isn’t cheap in Copenhagen. Expect to spend the equivalent of at least 6 dollars for a quality cup. If you’re on a budget, 7 Eleven is likely your best bet for coffee on the go.
Yes. Copenhagen has multiple specialty coffee shops in addition to a range of traditional cafes.
Top Copenhagen specialty coffee shops include Coffee Collective, Prolog and April. Try them all plus more to find your favorite.
Yes. Copenhagen’s first Starbucks location opened in 2007. The coffee chain now operates multiple coffee shops in the Danish capital.
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About The Authors
Daryl & Mindi Hirsch
Saveur Magazine’s BEST TRAVEL BLOG award winners Daryl and Mindi Hirsch share their culinary travel experiences and recipes on their website 2foodtrippers. Since launching the site in 2012, they’ve traveled to over 40 countries in their quest to bring readers a unique taste of the world.
Original Publication Date: January 13, 2022