Regarding culinary experiences, Copenhagen Airport has been considerably upgraded in recent years. Whether it is steaks or sushi, caviar or cinnamon rolls, the approximately 72,000 daily travelers at Kastrup are looking for, the culinary airport of Copenhagen has the world’s best offering of restaurants and coffee shops.
Eating in airports is more often than not a humiliating, expensive and unfulfilling experience. Not so at Copenhagen airport. In 2016 the airport was honored with the “Airport Food & Beverage Offer of the Year” award as the airport with the world’s best range of coffee shops and restaurants (the Oscars of the food and beverage industry).
Serving 29 million travelers annually
Passengers at Copenhagen Airport currently have a choice of more than 34 restaurants and coffee shops offering everything from quality snacks to fine dining. The airport’s strategy is to establish a good mix of internationally well-known restaurants and very good Danish names.
Related: World Class Scandinavian Airports
For an airport that serves more than 29 million people annually, the remarkable thing about Copenhagen Airport is how peaceful it feels. You never feel like herded cattle, the atmosphere in Copenhagen is deliciously serene.
With lots of different restaurants to choose from, we have selected a number of restaurants to give you an overview of where to eat in Copenhagen Airport.
7-Eleven Deli
There are two 7-Eleven Deli at the airport. You might think that 7-11 is the worst American fast-food on earth. Maybe it once was, but the market has changed and so has the Deli chain. If you prefer, the food is wrapped up so you can take it with you onboard the plane. If you choose to eat it out in the C-pier – where the big international aircraft leave, you can also enjoy a supreme view – where all the 380’s are taxing by.
Related: World-class Airport Gastronomy in Denmark
Gorm’s
Copenhagen Airport has succeeded in getting ‘local heroes’ into the restaurant scene – long lasting Danish concepts. This is also true of Gorm’s, although the restaurant chain hasn’t revamped the pizza, it has at least raised it to a level where eating pizza is fun. Gorm’s is located between piers B and C and is one of the airport’s largest restaurants. Good raw materials are treated the way they deserve, just to demonstrate Italian cuisine at its best.
Joe & the Juice
Joe & the Juice has in fact three locations at the airport. And in all three places, the music is loud and lively, while the tattooed bartenders squeeze one healthy glass of juice after another – if they’re not busy roasting one of their delicious sandwiches. Their tuna sandwich has taken the world by storm. Smart, young travelers are attending Joe & the Juice at all times of the day. Should you need an energy boast, a visit is recommended.
MASH
The Danish beef success MASH has already conquered many places in the world – not least in Germany and England. Now the restaurant chain also has a department at the Copenhagen Airport. It is situated between the A and B piers, on the first floor. Like elsewhere, MASH at the airport offers red sofas, stalls and lots of proteins on the menu with the characteristic side orders. Therefore you don’t have to bother your belly with what the airlines are serving up in the air. Copenhagen Airport has made it a rule not to make calls over the speakers other than strictly necessary ones, so a visit to MASH is as pleasant as a normal visit to their other restaurants.
Paté Paté Winebar & Tapas
Kenn Husted is the wine king of Copenhagen. One of his most recent openings at the airport is the Paté Paté Winebar & Tapas. The emphasis on fresh ingredients, expedient service, and supporting “local hero” restaurants has been a strategic shift for Copenhagen Airport, one that is meant to increase the overall experience of every traveler. “Copenhagen’s gastronomy has strongly contributed to putting Denmark on the world map, and naturally, the New Nordic food culture must be reflected at the airport,” says Lise Ryevad, director of airport sales. “Sixty percent of passengers attach importance to food when traveling, and we want to give travelers a taste of Copenhagen on the go. It is important to us that you eat well—very well—at the airport,” she adds.
Le Sommelier
Le Sommelier was one of the first at Kastrup to really show what good airport food consists of. They have also the best location at the entire airport, at pier B – where almost all SAS flights come and go. Guests are also coming to the large open restaurant, which has a basic rule stating that all food on the menu is served within a quarter of an hour – and in fact, usually faster, down to 12 minutes. Almost no matter how busy they are, you can always have a glass of good wine or a classic French bistro dish – or why not just a few oysters with caviar on top and a glass of champagne?
Aamanns
Aamanns is a gift to Danish gastronomy and offers delicious warm open-faced sandwiches made with free-range beef and herring, as well as a signature beef tartare with capers and tarragon. The airport restaurant – located between the B and C piers – is divided into two – there is the bar facing the buzzing airport, and ‘inside behind’ it’s very close to the most authentic restaurant experience you’re able to find throughout the airport. Here you are relatively isolated, it’s cozy located near to a few panorama windows facing the planes, so you can sit and enjoy your sandwiches while watching different flights taxing back and forth from the runways. The food is so excellent that Aamanns is a must.
Related: New Restaurants in Copenhagen
Kastrup- The Culinary Airport of Copenhagen
Many airports, especially the larger ones, will boast about how many food and beverage choices they have, but Copenhagen actually delivers exceptional-quality options as well. There are, of course, the crowd-pleasing fan favorites, a handful of foolproof Irish pubs, and, yes, even a Starbucks. But the real treat of flying through Copenhagen is experiencing what the airport refers to as its “local heroes”—the vendors showcasing Scandinavian cuisine, with many run by chefs with successful pre-existing restaurants in the city center.
Kastrup- The Culinary Airport of Copenhagen, written by Tor Kjolberg
Feature image (on top): Le Sommelier