COPENHAGEN FOOD HALLS

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.

70 ENSEMBLE VACATIONS WINTER 2020 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.

“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.”

Reffen | You’ll find Reffen in gritty Refshaleøen, a former industrial district in Copenhagen’s harbor that’s also home to Noma and Alchemist, the city’s hottest new high-end restaurant. At Reffen last October, not only do I meet Skov, but other dreamers behind Reffen’s stalls, all built out of storage containers. Thrilla in Manila co-owner Alfie Escabarte tells me he saw an opportunity because Copenhagen has lots of Asian restaurants, but no Filipino ones. His specialty: spicy Philippine meat skewers. Julian Nesta proudly uses his Jamaican grandmother’s recipes for Jamaican-inspired cuisine at Jujus Jamaican Jerk. It takes up to two days to season the meat, he explains, using ingredients such as all-around spice, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Boltens Food Court | Copenhagen’s newest market, Boltens Food Court, opened last April near Kongens Nytorv, the central old square. The indoor market’s 17 vendors are also entrepreneurs introducing new dining concepts to the city. I’m drawn to the Fat Greek, where the Greek chef uses his Greek grandfather’s recipes to marinate gyro meat cooked over a charcoal grill. My chicken gyro is juicy and delicious. I’m also tempted at Ciao, which uses only homemade pasta for classic Italian dishes, but I’m just too full.

Bridge Street Kitchen | Two-year-old Bridge Street Kitchen, an outdoor market a short walk from Kongens Nytorv just across the Inner Harbour Bridge, features 11 vendors, all outposts of local restaurants or new ventures from well-known local chefs. As I scope out its stalls, I consider ordering the spicy Sichuanstyle noodles at Will at the Bridge, owned by Will King-Smith, the former sous chef at Geranium, one of the city’s Michelinstarred restaurants. Ultimately, however, I opt for a tried-and-true hamburger from Gasoline Grill, a small local chain that Bloomberg named one of the world’s best burger joints in 2017. One bite of my burger — made from organic, freshly ground beef and served on a brioche bun — and I know why.