The Monthly Bite: Best New Openings in Copenhagen Vol. 11

 
The final months of the year often feel like a final hurrah in Copenhagen, as residents spend as much time enjoying what the city has to offer before the months of hibernation in January and February. Thankfully, plenty of restaurants, cafes, and bars are opening in Copenhagen to coincide with this, and we’ve got some of the very best right here, including casual Mexican dining, weinerbrød and wine, and authentic Italian food.

These are the best new restaurant, cafe, and bars opening in Copenhagen this November:

Hart Brød & Bar

The second location of Richard Hart’s decadent bakery opened last weekend at Strandgade 108, at the former location of The Corner at 108, and the baked goods are as excellent as you would expect.

“We have seized the opportunity to open a new place and are really looking forward to it. Just like in Frederiksberg, we will offer sourdough bread, rye bread and pastry to the local community” said Hart of the somewhat sudden move.

For innercity residents, it’s surely a welcome one, as artisanal bakeries with cult-like followings have so far clustered in the outer edges of Copenhagen – Østerbro, Nørrebro, Refshaleøen, etc.

For those bereft by the loss The Corner’s wines, however, there’s good news: Hart Brød & Bar is a bakery-cum-café-cum-bar, with coffee, boards of charcuterie and glasses of wine to take you from the morning pastry run to 9 pm on a Sunday inhaling sardines with slabs of bread. Hart collaborated with Noma’s sommelier on a wine list that’s small but perfect, while working on his own tea-infused cocktail list that pays tribute to his British upbringing.

The charcuterie boards come with healthy portions of saucisson, tinned sardines and anchovies, wedges of cheese, and literally a loaf of Hart’s famous sourdough bread (I ate half a loaf in one sitting. I’m not even sorry.) The only negative? No cornichons.

It’s a relaxed and intimate spot, easy to while away a few hours in after picking up your loaf for the week, though it’s sure to shine brightest when summer rolls around again and the city’s residents descend upon waterside locations like wine-drinking walruses.

Hart Brød & Bar

Strandgade 108
1401 København

Opening hours:
Mon – Sun: 8 am – 10 pm

Hija de Sanchez Cantina

Further evidence that Nordhavn really is the up-and-coming area in Copenhagen, Rosia Sanchez recently opened her 4th location on a side street in the rapidly growing district. The Cantina sits squarely in the middle of the existing Sanchez and Taqueries, offering a mix of the tostadas and tacos with ceviches and larger plates, all at an accessible price point.

Everything is made fresh and the menu keeps to Sanchez’s unique New-Nordic take on Mexican dining, using local and seasonal produce alongside responsibly sourced heritage corn from Mexico. The masa (corn dough), which is the soul of every dish served, is stone-ground daily by the team.

It’s a casual spot, with interiors by OEO that layered architectural elements with the carefully designed dining space. The blend of Mexico and Scandinavia is continued through this design, as Mexican-inspired details and vibrant hues of red and earthy tones are balanced with the muted cool hues of graphite and coal that are typical of Nordic design.

Cantina benefits mostly from being able to provide customers with greater indoor seating than at any of the Taqueries. The canteen-style suits families and groups of friends looking to feel the warmth of Mexico this winter. Lord knows we can’t go to it.

Hija de Sanchez Cantina

Hamborg Pl. 5
2150 København

Opening hours:
Wed – Sun: 11 am – 3:30 pm & 5 pm – 10 pm

Alto Palato

Near Hellerup train station, just a 15-min train ride from central Copenhagen, sits a restaurant that feels more like a direct flight to Northern Italy. Alto Palato is steeped in passion, care, tradition and respect. The restaurant prides itself on its homemade pasta and boasts a rice variety that is among the best in Italy to use for risotto.

The menu follows a typical Italian layout, with antipasti, primi, and secondi courses. It changes daily according to seasonality, though the Italian classics will always find their way on to it, reimagined to suit a Scandinavian climate: at the time of visiting, they had a spaghetti dish with Norwegian lobster and tomatoes on the menu. It was, of course, unapologetically delicious.

The dining room is run by the owners themselves, 2 gentlemen that are as charming and attentive as they are Italian. There are few restaurants like this in Scandinavia that remain authentic while using local produce. Grazie millie to Alto Palato – well worth the train ride.

Photos and text contribution for Alto Palato from Daniel Campos Sánchez.

Alto Palato

Duntzfelts Allé 3
2900 Hellerup

Opening hours:
Mon – Sat: 5:30 pm – 10:00 pm

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