COPENHAGEN FOOD HALLS by DON NICHOLS
Reffen
Tivoloi Food Hall
I’m savoring every bite of my grilled and braised tri tip with a red wine and cream sauce. Chef Thomas Skov just served the mouthwatering dish to me at République, a small food stall he owns at Reffen — Copenhagen Street Food, a popular 2-year-old food market in the Danish capital. Skov has manned kitchens in Denmark and France and dreams of opening his own freestanding restaurant in the city. Last spring, in hopes of making his dream come true, the Dane started whipping up French cuisine at Reffen, an outdoor culinary haven with 40-plus stalls, many owned by other talented chefs with the same dream but lacking the capital to go it alone just yet. Foodies from around the world have been flocking to Copenhagen to sample its culinary scene ever since Chef René Redzepi’s Noma restaurant started regularly landing atop the World’s Best Restaurants list in 2010 with its New Nordic cuisine. Redzepi’s success spawned other lauded local restaurants that foodies eagerly book, as well. These culinary stars are all pricey, with Noma’s meals costing the most, nearly $400 per person before wine pairings. But noshing your way through this culinary powerhouse of a city more economically is now much easier: Over the past 2-1/2 years, Reffen and three other new food markets have burst onto the scene, serving dishes from around the world at more affordable prices in lively, casual settings.
Tivoli Food Hall | Tivoli Food Hall debuted in late 2017 in a handsome new building at Tivoli Gardens, the 176-year-old amusement park in the city center. Most of its 15 stalls are also outposts of local restaurants, such as Glò, which serves up healthy meals. Its BBQ Chicken Bowl more than satisfies me with its mix of greens, vegetable spaghetti, broccoli, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, and chicken with a BBQ dressing. At $15, the bowl proves you can eat well for less in this city of world-class, but pricey restaurants.
70 ENSEMBLE VACATIONS WINTER 2020
“ Foodies from around the world have been flocking to Copenhagen to sample its cuisine. Now new food markets have burst onto the scene, serving dishes from around the world at more affordable prices in lively, casual settings.”
