From flaky Danish pastries and classic smørrebrød to harbourside food markets and easy day trips, Copenhagen is one of Europe’s best cities for travellers who love to eat, explore and move at their own pace.
Copenhagen food guide for travellers with a rental car
Copenhagen is compact, stylish and full of memorable food experiences. You can enjoy many central attractions on foot, by metro or by bike, but renting a car at Copenhagen Airport gives you extra flexibility if you are travelling with luggage, visiting family, staying outside the city centre or planning to explore beyond Copenhagen.
With a car rental booked through Terminal3.dk, you can compare car hire options at Copenhagen Kastrup Airport before you arrive, choose the vehicle that suits your trip and start your journey directly from the CPH Car Rental Centre. This makes it easy to combine Copenhagen’s best bakeries, restaurants, markets and coastal towns in one flexible itinerary.
Start with wienerbrød: the famous Danish pastry
No Copenhagen food trip is complete without trying wienerbrød, the Danish name for what many visitors simply call a Danish pastry. Expect buttery, flaky layers, sweet fillings and beautiful shapes that make bakery windows almost impossible to walk past.
Popular pastry choices include cinnamon snails, custard-filled spandauer, raspberry slices, almond pastries and poppy-seed rolls. Many Copenhagen bakeries also offer modern interpretations with seasonal fruit, cardamom, chocolate, nuts or Nordic ingredients.
Where to look for great Danish pastries in Copenhagen
Copenhagen has both traditional bakeries and newer artisan bakeries worth adding to your route. Well-known names to look for include Sankt Peders Bageri, Hart Bageri, Juno the Bakery, Andersen & Maillard and Lagkagehuset. Availability changes by season and time of day, so morning is usually the best time to find the widest selection.
If you are driving into the city, consider parking once and walking between bakeries, cafés and attractions. Central Copenhagen has limited street parking in some areas, so always check local parking signs, payment zones and any hotel parking options before leaving your vehicle.
Try smørrebrød for a classic Danish lunch
After pastries, the next essential Copenhagen food experience is smørrebrød. This traditional open-faced sandwich is usually served on rye bread and topped with ingredients such as pickled herring, smoked salmon, roast beef, eggs, potatoes, prawns, herbs and crisp vegetables.
For a classic lunch, search for restaurants such as Aamanns, Restaurant Schønnemann, Selma or other traditional Danish lunch restaurants near the city centre. Smørrebrød is often enjoyed slowly with a drink, so it is a good choice for a relaxed break between sightseeing stops.
Food stops to add to your Copenhagen itinerary
Copenhagen is more than pastries and smørrebrød. Depending on your schedule, add one or more of these food-friendly areas to your trip:
Torvehallerne
Torvehallerne is a popular food market near Nørreport, with stalls selling coffee, pastries, seafood, chocolates, cheeses, fresh produce and quick meals. It is ideal if your group wants different things to eat in one easy stop.
Nørrebro
Nørrebro is one of Copenhagen’s most vibrant neighbourhoods, known for independent cafés, bakeries, casual restaurants and multicultural dining. It is a great area for visitors who want something more local and less formal than the main tourist streets.
Refshaleøen and the harbour areas
For a more relaxed waterside experience, explore Copenhagen’s harbour areas and seasonal food venues. These areas are especially popular in spring and summer, and a rental car can make it easier to combine them with other stops outside the old city centre.
Dragør
If you have a car from Copenhagen Airport, the historic fishing town of Dragør is an easy coastal detour. It offers cobbled streets, yellow houses, harbour views and a slower atmosphere just a short drive from CPH Airport.
What to see between meals
Copenhagen’s biggest attractions fit perfectly around a food-focused trip. Add Nyhavn for colourful harbour views, Tivoli Gardens for classic Copenhagen atmosphere, the Little Mermaid for a quick photo stop, Amalienborg for royal history and the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek for art and architecture.
If you are staying several days, a rental car also opens up excellent day trips from Copenhagen, including Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Kronborg Castle in Helsingør and the coastal towns north of the city. These trips are especially convenient for families, groups or travellers who prefer not to plan around train timetables.
Suggested one-day Copenhagen food route from CPH Airport
Morning: Pick up your rental car at Copenhagen Airport, drive toward the city and start with coffee and wienerbrød at a bakery.
Late morning: Walk around Nyhavn, Amalienborg or the city centre before heading to Torvehallerne or Nørrebro.
Lunch: Book a table for smørrebrød or choose a casual food market stop if you prefer a flexible schedule.
Afternoon: Visit Tivoli Gardens, Glyptotek, Christianshavn or the harbour areas, depending on your interests.
Evening: Drive to Dragør, Refshaleøen or your hotel area for dinner, then plan your next day trip outside Copenhagen.
Why book Copenhagen Airport car rental with Terminal3.dk?
Booking your car rental at Copenhagen Airport before arrival helps you compare prices, vehicle types and suppliers in one place. Through Terminal3.dk CPH Car Rental Centre, you can search options from well-known rental brands and choose the car that fits your trip, whether you need a small city car, an automatic, an SUV, a family vehicle or a larger car for extra luggage.
A rental car is especially useful if you plan to visit destinations outside central Copenhagen, stay outside the city, travel with children, carry ski bags or luggage, or continue your trip across Denmark and southern Sweden.
Practical tips for driving and parking in Copenhagen
Before driving into central Copenhagen, check your hotel’s parking options and review local street signs carefully. Many areas use paid parking zones, and some streets are narrow or busy with cyclists. Drive patiently, give cyclists plenty of space and use public transport or walking once you have parked in the city centre.
For day trips, a rental car can be much more convenient. You can leave early, stop for coffee or pastries along the way and visit smaller towns that are harder to combine in a single public-transport itinerary.
Book your CPH Airport car rental and explore Copenhagen your way
Copenhagen is a fantastic destination for food lovers, culture seekers and travellers who want a mix of city life, harbour views and easy coastal escapes. Whether you are searching for the best Danish pastry in Copenhagen, a traditional smørrebrød lunch or a flexible route beyond the city, a rental car from Terminal3.dk gives you the freedom to create your own itinerary.
Search, compare and book your car rental at Copenhagen Airport today, then get ready to discover the best of Copenhagen one delicious stop at a time.
