1. 78 February 2015
T R AV E L d e n m ar k
CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP
LEFT Veal liver pâté with
mushrooms, veal bacon
and cucumber salad is one
of the most traditional
smørrebrød iterations;
Schonnemann has been
serving the dish for 140
years; smørrebrød is
popular as a takeaway;
pastries are one way to eat
more cheaply in the city.
2. getaway.co.za 79
There are sandwiches – and Sandwiches.
Of them all, the smørrebrød is iconic.
Emma Odendaal and photographer
Teagan Cunniffe travelled to Denmark
to explore this rejuvenated foodie theme
3. 80 February 201580 February 2015
veal liver pâté or Danish meatballs.
At Schonnemann, the smørrebrød,
true to tradition, consist of a dark,
malty rye bread (rugbrød). ‘It’s still
made with live yeast. The butter is
also very important. It must be
rich, good quality and spread
thickly, except when it’s herring,
then you must use lard,’ insists
Soren, continuing impassionedly,
‘Never mind that it’s 12pm on
a Tuesday, everyone has snaps with
their meal. But don’t confuse snaps
with German schnaps.’ Danish
snaps is distilled from potatoes and
flavoured with herbs and is believed
to ease the digestion of rich foods.
According to tradition, ice-cold
snaps served with herring helps the
fish swim to the stomach.
My next three days in the city
were planned around smørrebrød
lunches and exploring the city’s
underlying tension between old
and new, tradition and modernity.
My search brought me to Tivoli
Gardens, the world’s second-
oldest amusement park. Lakes are
surrounded by gardens so perfectly
manicured, I found myself grasping
the flowers to check whether they
were plastic. An outdoor theatre
hosts ballets and live music daily
and some 40 restaurants garner
busloads of Japanese tourists and
Danish lovebirds on an evening
stroll down cobbled paths lit by
fairy lights.
Grøften was the first ‘restaurant’
to open in Tivoli in 1874. Then
known as the Theatre Café, guests
brought their own food and rented
plates and cutlery. Now a 625-seater
restaurant, the original room is still
in use and smørrebrød are served
on slightly weathered gingham
table clothes and raised cut glass
ABOVE A guest enjoys
the wine hour
at Andersen Hotel.
OPPOSITE PAGE,
CLOCKWISE FROM
TOP LEFT It’s difficult
to get a seat at Aamann,
so order a takeaway
instead; SP34 is one
of the city’s newest
boutique hotels;
colourful bicycles
decorate Copenhagen's
historic streets; the
breakfast spread at
Andersen is top-notch;
typically, three to four
Danish sandwiches are
served as a meal, each
plated separately.
openhagen is the happiest place in the world.
I pondered this as I walked down Strøget Street,
the city’s 1.1-kilometre aorta, one of the longest
pedestrian shopping streets in the world. My
fingers were stained from strawberries I’d bought
from a vendor. Surveying Renaissance cathedrals juxtaposed
with shop fronts straight out of Wallpaper, I too was happy,
in a way a child might be happy after eating an ice cream
with all the trimmings.
I was pretty certain the Danes’ happiness – as rated in the
2013 UN World Happiness Report – had little to do with the
unremarkable statue of The Little Mermaid, having suffered two
beheadings, the loss of an arm and been subjected to numerous
other saucy humiliations. Nor is it because Copenhagen’s a cheap
city to live in – on the contrary, it’s famously expensive. I wondered
whether the happiness had something to do with the Danes’
penchant for design – they invented Lego, and the pedal bin,
after all. Or perhaps it has something to do with the fact that
everything’s pretty. Even in the ‘seedy’ suburbs you’ll see flower
boxes in the windows and cute garden furniture on patios.
Everyone you encounter is beautiful and obscenely well dressed.
They’re healthy – more than 50 percent of Danes cycle to work –
and talented; in the traditional Scandinavian design sense, but also
in more practical things, like effortlessly weaving a bicycle through
orange construction cones, past open manholes while texting on
an iPhone. And looking like Keira Knightley while doing it.
There’s a distinct ‘coolness’ to the city. Everything and everyone,
down to the bratty toddler in designer shoes, is hip, chic, en vogue.
It’s not quite clear what came first: the coolness or the foodies
who have descended on Copenhagen to take part in a revival
of traditional Nordic cuisine that has refashioned the city into
a cutting-edge capital. Design is old news, and food has popped.
The city now boasts 17 Michelin stars*, among them the world’s
number one restaurant, Noma, set in a dockside warehouse that
once held whale carcasses. But I wasn’t in Copenhagen to eat
there. I had come to discover why open sandwiches, a fashion-
able lunch tradition in the 19th century, are now being served in
brazenly sleek hangouts to skinny jeans-wearing 20-somethings.
That’s how I found myself in the Old Town at Schonnemann,
a restaurant that’s been serving lunch since 1877. The basement
eatery looks much like it did in the late 1800s; emerald green
walls, starched tablecloths, oak pillars and beams. Still packed
to capacity, weary peasant travellers and charcoal burners from
North Zealand have been replaced by businessmen in pinstriped
suits, tourists in jeans, trendy locals and Michelin-star chefs, all
eating smørrebrød, the Danish open-face sandwich.
Each lunch restaurant in Copenhagen has its own take on
smørrebrød, some sticking to tradition, others turning them into
deconstructed works of art. Schonnemann has stayed true to the
classics, serving 110 variations. ‘We add “new classics” to the menu
every once in a while,’ says co-owner Soren Puggard, ‘but tradition
is the most important.’ Guests each order three to four dishes off
the menu, starting with pickled herring, then salmon or gravad
lax, followed by egg or potato seasoned with dill and a sprinkling
of crisp smoky bacon and ending with meat, traditionally a rich
5. dishes – the kind your granny gets out for special occasions.
Nothing changes at Grøften, said my waiter. Not because of the
owner’s complacence but because the locals complain if they
change so much as the dated salt and pepper shakers.
It’s a city of people who are in transition between old and new,
reviving grandma’s kitchen and being true to Danish tradition
but at the same time searching for a contemporary identity. What,
then, do the locals think of new-fangled smørrebrød, I wondered,
as I turned quayside to The Standard, the latest project by Nordic
food prophet and one of the brains behind Noma, Claus Meyer.
It’s a spectacular gastronomic venue that consists of three restau-
rants and a jazz club, but I had time only for Almanak, where
smørrebrød is being ratcheted up a notch.
Here I chatted to chef Denny Vangsted about his childhood
memories of smørrebrød. ‘Most Danes had smørrebrød in
the lunch boxes at school. So for me it’s about going back to
grandma’s kitchen, childhood memories of school lunch boxes.
Tradition is important, but it’s also important to make tradition
appeal to youngsters. I like to think I’m making smørrebrød sexy
by giving it a twist. But this is not fusion food. To attract the
locals I serve something familiar, but something they wouldn’t
cook at home. I’m updating the traditional, giving it a twist and
using modern cooking skills, but it must never be unfamiliar.’
Having had my fill of herring and rugbrød, I asked Denny
where the changed city is most visible. He quickly recommended
Kødbyen, a meatpacking district in Vesterbro that has, since 2005,
seen the butchers move out and sleek nightclubs and eateries
move in. Stretching west from Copenhagen’s centre, there are no
cobbled alleys or charming steeples here. Vesterbro was some-
thing of a red-light suburb, with topless bars and heroine junkies.
However, the buildings are protected under a strict preservation
order, and the city, which owns the land, is continuing to drive
the massive regeneration project.
Relieved not to find a single restaurant serving smørrebrød,
I settled on a spot called Kuhl and took up a seat at the metal bar
Schonnemann has sold smørre-
brød since 1877 and offers the
most authentic experience in the
city. More than 110 iterations,
over 100 aquavits and snaps
attract Michelin-star chefs.
(Note: Ida Davidson restaurant
is credited with being the first
restaurant in Copenhagen
to serve smørrebrød, but Copen-
hagen-based foodies suggest
Schonnemann.) danishlunch.dk
Aamann’s owner and chef
Adam Aamann is credited
with pioneering an innovative
wave of smørrebrød with new
combinations, flavours and
textures. The deli offers
pocket-friendly takeaways.
aamanns.dk/us
Grøften may be large, but it’s
by no means impersonal. It’s
a favourite among locals and is
casual and kid-friendly. When
booking, choose a table in the
original room or in the glass-
house. Bear in mind it’s inside
Tivoli Gardens and the 99DK
(about R192) entry fee applies
even to diners. groeften.dk
Almanak at The Standard,
a chic and modern spot, is
raising the bar for experimental
smørrebrød. Its quayside setting
is great for people-watching in
summer. thestandardcph.dk
CLOCKWISE FROM
TOP LEFT Presentation
is everything, and can
include fresh peas
and purple pea
blossoms on top of rye,
as served by Almanak;
the restaurant’s interior
is clean and chic;
Almanak chef Denny
Vangsted tries to be
respectful to the craft
of smørrebrød while
bringing his own
interpretations to it;
at times, Copenhagen
seems to be filled
with models touting
designer gear.
82 February 2015
counter. Menus hung from meat
hooks on a black chalkboard wall;
on the other wall were bleached
white butcher’s tiles. Waiters in
denim shirts, black skinnies and
tats presented their signature dish,
a giant T-bone, Caesar salad – with
pork crackling instead of croutons –
plus a mac ‘n cheese to share. The
meal for two cost R1 000. The
following night, still in Kødbyen,
I settled on a diner called Chicky
Grill. I helped myself to a bottle of
sweet Portuguese wine from the
fridge, collected frikadeller, mash
and cabbage from the counter and
found a table in the outside seating
area, an old parking lot. It cost R500.
Kødbyen is the new Copenhagen.
Frikadeller and dipthongs are hip
again. Rock concerts have found
homes in 19th-century buildings,
and hipsters ride bikes covered in
faux fur. Like everything else,
smørrebrød has had new life
breathed into it and somehow the
old and new don’t just exist side by
side – they thrive. And maybe this
is the secret to the city’s happiness.
*Copenhagen has 15 Michelin-star restaurants
but 17 Michelin stars
6. getaway.co.za 83
Before you go
Download the Visit Denmark’s Smørrebrød app (free
from iTunes) for a comprehensive listing of restaurants
specialising in the open sandwich, and loads of extra
information on eating etiquette, snaps and more.
Get there
There are no direct flights to Copenhagen from South
Africa. Fly via Paris, London, Amsterdam or Munich and
catch a connection on KLM or SAS. Expect to pay around
R14 000 return, including a connecting flight. (Note that
South African passport holders require a Schengen visa.)
Get around
Copenhagen is a compact city and most major sights
are within walking distance from the city centre. For
anything further afield, rent a bicycle from your hotel
for around 100DK (about R195) per day or use the
super-efficient bus or train transport system.
Do this
Climb the 17th-century Round Tower that once united
the astronomical observatory, a students’ church and
university library. The path to the viewing platform spirals
seven-and-a-half times around the core of the tower.
Go shopping on Strøgen Street, one of the longest
pedestrian shopping streets in the world.
See The Little Mermaid sculpture, inspired by Hans
Christian Andersen’s tale, at Langelinie Pier. One of
Copenhagen’s most famous tourist attractions, she was
a gift from Danish brewer Carl Jacobsen to the city.
Spend time in Nyhavn, the old commercial port that
is now some of the most expensive real estate in
Copenhagen. Restaurants flank the water, but they’re
pricey so make like a local, buy a beer and hang your legs
over the quayside.
Visit the museums and palaces in and around the city.
Make time for the National Gallery of Denmark, Kronborg
castle (just north of Copenhagen) and the National
Museum of Denmark. visitcopenhagen.com
Stay here
SP34 wins for combination of price, location and design.
In the old bohemian Latin Quarter, it’s within walking
distance of Tivoli Gardens, the central metro station and
most major sites. It opened in 2014, so everything is still
in perfect nick. Rooms are minimalist and the design is
cool and fresh. Double rooms start at around 1 195DK
(about R2 327). They’re small, so upgrade if you can to
a larger room, and ask for a quiet room away from the
street bustle or bring ear plugs. Breakfast is an expensive
extra. Wander 50 metres down the pedestrian street to
the pastry shop instead. brochner-hotels.dk
Andersen Hotel feels a little like a nightclub, with its
purple walls and black leather couches, but the look is
fitting in this up-and-coming neighbourhood, Vesterbro.
The rooms are thankfully more muted, but equally funky.
Don’t miss a free glass of wine in the lounge between
5pm and 6pm. Rooms from 1 210DK (about R2 355),
including an excellent breakfast. andersen-hotel.dk
*Prices and conversions correct at time of going to print
PLAN YOUR TRIP
T R AV E L d e n m ar k
