Danish Open Sandwiches- Smørrebrød

One of the best Danish delicacies is the smørrebrød, which is also a very popular choice of lunch for most Danes. 

The Smørrebrød are open-faced sandwiches, served on a very dense piece of rye bread, with various kinds of delicious toppings, such as herring, shrimp, cheese, meat, and other cold cuts. Here is a list of some of the best smørrebrød places in Copenhagen, which you definitely should not miss out on.

Schønnemann is one of the oldest and most genuine places in Copenhagen for an open-faced sandwich, dating back to 1877 and well known for its pickled herring, beer and schnapps. Once upon a time it used to be a popular lunch gathering for charcoal burners. Today, Schønnemann is best known for its smørrebrød with pickled herring, smoked eel, fillet pork with fried onions, and beef tartar. 

From the traditional smørrebrød, I’m now taking you to a more modern and experimental smørrebrød place called "Mad & Kaffe" (food and coffee). This café could to a certain extent be perceived as a "Danish tapas smørrebrød" place. The food is delicious and affordable, and you can choose from three to seven different kinds of food items. Hence, it does resemble a tapas kind of concept. This place is also ideal for vegetarians and vegans- traditionally smørrebrød is eaten with meat, fish, cheese or eggs, which makes it quite difficult to experience and try if you are a non-meat eater. Mad & Kaffe has become so popular that it currently has three different locations in Copenhagen, and has also won numerous awards a few years in a row now. 

Aamanns is another great place where you can try smørrebrød, as the chefs follow the old  traditional recipes, but also like to add a modern twist to some of the sandwiches. The Smørrebrød is mainly served cold, however Aamanns likes to experiment with their dishes by adding fried mushrooms on top of meat (such as beef), or make a scrambled eggs based sandwich with roasted pumpkin as a topping. 

If you’d like to have a very special smørrebrød experience and treat yourself to something beyond the ordinary, then head over to Royal Smushi Café. As the name suggests, the traditional smørrebrød is made and served in bite size sushi-like sandwiches. This place is really an experience itself, as it makes your food order very picturesque and the smørrebrød is finished off with a touch of Japanese culinary influence. 

Whether you choose a modern or more of a traditional smørrebrød, there is no real rule as to how you are supposed to have smørrebrød; it all depends on you and your taste preferences. Enjoy!