Where to Get The Best Poké Bowl in Copenhagen

Originating from the state of Hawaii in the USA, a traditional poké bowl combines raw reef fish, sushi rice, and soy sauce with a few choice spices. Since the rise in healthy eating trends, this simple dish has been endlessly refashioned – sometimes controversially – with alternative ingredients.

In Copenhagen, poké bowls occupy the space between low-cost street food and pricey haute cuisine, spawning a wave of new takeaway dining ventures. We’ve devoured some of the city’s best bowls so you can find your perfect poké experience.

Here are the places to get the best poké bowls in Copenhagen:

Mypoké

Since opening in 2017, Mypoké has become one of the city’s chicest concepts. Its restaurants ooze opulence with their black metal and marbled stone fixtures, style choices that CEO Michael Ryding suggests are key to the dining experience.

“Our philosophy is that nothing tastes better than healthy ingredients served in beautiful surroundings,” he says. “Every meal you eat should make you stronger, happier, and boost your energy.”

This focus on aesthetics extends to their poké bowls, which are exquisitely presented. The Ahi bowl – with tuna, edamame beans, and red cabbage – offers a light, clean Danish twist on modern poké. But their menu, comprising eight signature bowls, also offers flavors from further afield.

“Our Deep Dive bowl is inspired by the famous Thai papaya salad,” explains Executive chef Shirley Kvistgaard Braager. “With a combination of prawns, fresh papaya, carrots and goma, it’s a good example of how we’re influenced from all around the world.”

This approach remains rooted in reasonable prices and brisk service: “Our mission is to change the perception of fast food as something unhealthy which slows you down,” Michael says. “We want our restaurants to work for those seeking a modern dining experience or a quick takeaway meal that’s also healthy and nutritious.”

Opening Hours for all restaurants:
Every day 11:00 am – 9:00 pm

Standard poké bowl price: 85 DKK
Bowl menu price range: 75-115 DKK

California Kitchen

Cameron Bergh launched California kitchen in 2016, and now has three Copenhagen premises. He grew up on an organic farm in central United States and later pursued a career investing in sustainable agriculture.

His wholesome ecological principles inform the restaurant’s concept: “The goal of California kitchen is to enable and support healthy lifestyles, but we leave how that’s determined to the individual,” Cameron explains. “We’re also warm, welcoming and very all-encompassing – that’s part of the Californian experience.”

Their signature poké bowl is a local twist on those found along Venice Beach, California. Salmon, edamame beans, avocado, seaweed and kimchi sit above a bed of nutty black rice – a hearty, comforting dish infused with aromatic seasoning.

“We’re just trying to stay close to the flavors of poké as we know it,” says Cameron. “The challenge is that tuna is highly unsustainable. Salmon is more local, so I think that’s an easier transition. Plus Danes are much more familiar with Salmon – the taste, the texture – so I think it is a great substitution for the standard use of tuna in Hawaiian poké.”

California Kitchen offers vegan, vegetarian and meat alternatives for each of their eight warm and cold dishes, which this season includes a rich winter curry along with their much loved Mexicali bowl.

Standard poké bowl price: 105 DKK
Bowl menu price range: 85-105 DKK

Olioli

Frederik Darger Johansen and Nicolai Suwinai Nielsen founded Olioli in 2017, hailing it as Denmark’s first dedicated poké bar. They provide spirited, upbeat dining experiences at their Copenhagen locations.

“Olioli means ‘joy’ in Hawaiian, so that’s the cornerstone of our concept,” Frederik explains. “For us, food is joyful when you eat together.”

Olioli’s six standard bowls offer spice and bite from radishes, broccoli and kimchi, along with sweetness from citrus fruits and zesty dressings. But Nicolai and Frederik’s true originality lies in their meat and fish selection, which includes shrimp, beef bulgogi, and pulled duck.

“I’m half South Korean, and Nicolai is half Thai,” Frederik details. “so we use a lot of Asian flavors, especially in the dressings, seaweed salad, pickled ginger, and kimchi.”

“We both grew up in Denmark though, so we also use a lot of vegetables that are not in the traditional poké bowl,” Nicolai adds.

Whilst not unique to Olioli, customers can also experiment with these ingredients via the popular “build your own bowl” service.

“At each step, you can choose something different,” Frederik says. “we have eight sauces, eight vegetables, six toppings, and six premiums [meat, fish or tofu]. If you really get into detail, you could make ten billion different bowls!”

Opening Hours for all restaurants:
Mon – Sun 11:00 am – 9:00 pm

Standard poké bowl price: 95 DKK
Bowl menu price range: 89 – 129 DKK

Maui

Youssef Ramy opened Maui Poké in 2017 after a trip to Japan. “I went there for three months and found this amazing restaurant in Kyoto that had a poké bowl – or a Japanese interpretation of it – on their menu,” he says. “And when I came back, I really wanted another one!”

Now with three restaurants, the Maui take on the poké bowl stems from this initial experience. “In the test kitchen I thought: what would I like in my poké?” he says. “We tried with flavors normally associated with Hawaii, such as mango and watermelon, but that sweetness never worked for me. Hawaiian food has a strong connection to Japan, through trade and immigration, so we focused on ingredients from there.”

Maui’s ten signature bowls offer tuna, salmon, tofu, or tsukune chicken meatballs set amid seaweed salad, pickled ginger, shredded cabbage and other vegetables. The dishes exude refinement in presentation and flavor profile, with each ingredient enhanced by a carefully selected dressing.

Despite this subtle sophistication, Ramy insists his menu is accessible: “We’re not trying to create a restaurant feeling; we’re trying to create a nice, affordable meal that fills you up for 80 kroner,” he explains. “People are welcome from anywhere, but we rely on our locals. I really want to make everybody in our neighborhoods feel welcome.”

Opening Hours for all restaurants:
Mon – Fri 11:00 am – 9:00 pm
Sat & Sun 12:00 – 9:00 pm

Standard poké bowl price: 80 DKK
Bowl menu price range: 80 – 110 DKK

Gló

Arriving from Iceland in 2017, Gló is another restaurant embracing the healthy takeaway-dining concept in Copenhagen. Sólveig Eiríksdóttir, twice named best raw chef in the world, launched the brand 11 years ago. Her regard for customers’ well-being still informs its mission today.

“Most people are really busy, so they often don’t have time to eat or cook healthily,” explains local representative Birgitta Sigurðardóttir. “We want to be an easy, quick option for those who are moving fast but still want to take care of their body and soul.”

Though not offering traditional poké, Gló uses Icelandic ingredients to give its own twist on the “bowl” concept. “Iceland is known for its nature, and it’s really easy for us to get good clean food because we’re so close to the countryside,” explains Birgitta. “At Gló, we work mostly with ingredients that have roots in our nation.”

Their signature Mediterranean bowl combines crunchy spiralized greens, edamame beans and falafel with hummus and tzatziki – a light but satisfying dish that fits well as a lunchtime option.

Their regularly changing seasonal bowl provides flavors for each stage in the year. Gló also carries a range of wraps, soups, breakfast bowls and cakes suiting vegan and vegetarian diets.