Torvehallerne: A Food Lovers Haven in Copenhagen

I’m terrible at finding restaurants when solo travelling, that’s just a fact. I love good food, but I have a habit of planning what I’ll be doing, and unmissable activities, that I forget to plan time to eat. So I often end up going to whatever is nearby and convenient at the time. I knew I would end up repeating this behaviour in Copenhagen, so I did come up with some contingencies. The first being to find a food market that had a lot of options to explore. Handily, one of the routes on the self-guided walking tour I was planning on doing with Around.Tours finished at Torvehallerne, and that ended up being the deciding factor for me. 

I timed my tour perfectly so I finished at Torvehallerne just as it got to lunch time. So after a few hours of exploring the city on foot I felt like I deserved a big treat, and at Torvehallerne, I was spoilt for choice. The market is actually split across two buildings, each filled with small stalls and restaurants for you to take your pick from. I decided to do an observation lap, just to make sure I had the lay of the land before committing my stomach to a decision. 

As I walked around, my tour guide Lavinia spoke to me through the prerecorded message and educated me on the market. A popular lunch in Denmark is the Smørrebrød, a sort of open faced sandwich. Lavinia told me it’s pretty easy to spot tourists enjoying one, as they use their hands to eat, when Danish locals use a knife and fork. I’m glad I learned this before I chose my food because there’s a 100% chance I would have gotten it wrong. I’ve been eating sandwiches my whole life, I love a good sandwich, I would never have considered using cutlery. If you do fancy trying Smørrebrød

I settled for a sandwich (the closed-face type that I can eat with my hands without fear of judgement) from Patisserie Marie France. As basic as it may sound, a simple ham and cheese is a dish that tastes so good if you get real quality ingredients. Farm-fresh ham, artisanal cheeses, and freshly baked bread elevates the humble sandwich to another level. In a city known for its love of art, it was a masterpiece itself. 

But the best course was yet to come, dessert. If you ever want me to visit your restaurant, and I’m open to invites, the best way to entice me is by sending a photo of your desserts first. The chocolatey the better when it comes to desserts, and their dessert counter was what dragged me in. Filled with vibrant colours, I was wracked with indecision on what to buy. I ultimately had to consult an expert, and ask the server for her recommendation. She chose the Ferrero Nougat for me, and not for a second have I doubted her decision. The cake was delectable, the perfect texture, my spoon just glided through it. And the taste was on another level, I could have eaten a dozen and still wanted more.

There are a lot of other stalls and vendors to explore, so there will be something for whatever takes your fancy. Perfect for when you’re in the “I’m hungry but don’t know what I want” sort of mood. It was a bit tricky to find a seat once I had my food, but if the weather is good there are a lot of benches outside for you to sit and enjoy your meal in the sun.