Hi! I’m Kelly and I study Materials Science and Engineering at Drexel. I’m currently studying abroad in Copenhagen at Denmark Technical University (DTU).
Copenhagen is known for its bakeries, and I was excited to try as many as I could. Here is a list of 5 of my favorite bakeries that I tried, in no particular order.
- Buka Bakery: Buka has locations across the city. They are most known for their crème-filled croissants. I was able to try many different pastries from Buka, and they are all delicious! Specifically, pistachio was a favorite flavor of mine throughout my travels in Europe, and the pistachio crème-filled croissant was my favorite item at Buka. I also tried the vanilla spandauer, their plain croissant, and their sourdough bun. The Buka locations are always very crowded, so tables are only available if you are lucky enough to arrive when someone else is leaving. Because there are so many locations across the city, it is easy to pick up one of their fantastic baked goods!
- Juno: There is only one location in the city, in Østerbro. It is nestled in a more residential part of the city, which means that the walk to Juno is beautiful. Many of the homes have ivy growing up them, and Juno sits on the corner of three converging streets. When I went, there was a long line of people stretching out the door. There is only outdoor seating in the front courtyard, so I was waiting for a warm day to visit. Luckily, right after I grabbed my food, people had gotten up, so I was able to sit right in front of the bakery. Juno is famous for their cardamom buns, and for good reason! Juno’s cardamom bun was my favorite of any bakery that I tried. The cardamom was evenly distributed and ground more finely than at other locations, which meant that I didn’t bite into any larger seeds. I also got the Prinsesstårta. It was a beautifully layered Swedish dessert, with a light sponge layered with raspberry jam, Polynesian vanilla custard, and whipped vanilla cream, all topped with a layer of marzipan. This pastry was not only beautiful, but also was an explosion of flavor and full of intriguing textures, a the crunchy cookie served as a perfect balance to the smooth custard.
- Hart: I was able to try many different Hart locations, as they are scattered throughout the city, similarly to Buka. This bakery was hit or miss for me. I tried the cardamom croissant, which was a bit overdone for my liking. The croissant was hard, and the cardamom flavor didn’t come through very strongly. I also tried the Fastelnavnsboller, a traditional Danish dessert served in February, which was delicious. The custard tasted great and the bottom dough underneath it had a nice texture. By far my favorite item from Hart was the Cauliflower Quiche. This item had such intricate flavors, with the cauliflower balancing well with the cheese and seasonings.
- Emmerys: The Emmerys bakeries are less specialized than other famous bakeries in Copenhagen, but their pastries are still wonderful. To me, Emmerys is the Saxby’s of Copenhagen. As it is a local chain, these shops are often larger and have seating for customers to work from home there. My parents’ hotel was right near an Emmerys location, so they enjoyed stopping in for a breakfast snack or midday treat while exploring. I was able to taste the almond croissant, sourdough bun, cinnamon twist, and a Tebirkes (a poppyseed dessert, often filled with a cream or cheese) , and they were all great. Emmerys isn’t a cute boutique bakery like other bakeries in the city, but is a fantastic place to get work done and enjoy a well-executed classic Danish pastry.
- Skt. Peders Bageri: This was probably my favorite bakery to visit. It is in a wonderful part of the city and is located very close to the central public transit station, Norreport Station. It is famous for their cinnamon bun, and for good reason! Their version is similar to a normal cinnamon roll, but less sweet. The amazingly soft brioche bottom dough perfectly compliments the sweet icing on top. This seemingly simple, but delicious baked goods was one of my favorites that I tried in Denmark. The next baked goods that I tried at Skt. Peders bakery was a pistachio spandauer, and a pistachio/nutella croissant. The spandauer contained the best pistachio flavored cream that I tried and was another one of my favorite items from Copenhagen. The pistachio and nutella item, however, was too sweet for me. The nutella was too heavy for the croissant dough, so it made the texture a bit chewy. All in all though, Skt. Peders bakery was amazing! Just make sure to either go on a sunny day so you can stand outside, or try to be lucky in finding a seat. They only have seating for about 8 people at once, so you have to be one of the lucky few to grab one. Also, they run out of pastries so quickly that they bake batches throughout the day. If you go when there aren’t any dessert pastries available, they also serve sandwiches on thick, homemade focaccia.
When I go back to Copenhagen, I plan to visit Anderson and Maillard and Lille. Anderson and Maillard has a few locations in the city, and is known for their pistachio filled cube croissant. Their baked goods look amazing, and like all other bakeries, have a large selection of loaves of bread. Lille is a bit harder to get to than other bakeries, which I why I wasn’t able to visit. It is located on Refshaleøen, which is about a 40 minute bus ride south-east from the city center, or a 10 minute bike ride. They are known for their locally sourced ingredients and fantastic breads. I believe that they have sweet pastries, but I was more excited for their savory ones. They often make creative and intricately decorated focaccia and serve breakfast and lunch based on ingredients from local farms. I loved every bakery experience that I had, and am excited to try as many new Danish bakeries as I can! There is no shortage of good cafes and bakeries in Copenhagen.
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