In Search of the Best Bakeries in Copenhagen

Danish pastries, known as wienerbrød in Danish (if you feel like practising your language skills), are an art form, skillfully mastered by exceptional bakers. Some of the types are actually so difficult to get right at home (it involves a lot of patience, folding, and layers of dough and butter) that many succumb to the pressure, and just head to their favourite bakery to pick up kanelsnegle, kringle, and basser instead. Along with rye bread for lunch, of course.

Copenhagen’s bakery scene is no longer dominated by chains but run by independent innovators with a flair for crafting pristine baked goods within the Danish tradition and with influences from abroad. A true hub for those wanting a food tour of Copenhagen, you can find everything in the city’s bakeries: artisanal sourdough loaves to Japanese-inspired pastry art, pistachio-filled croissants, and of course, infinite (and equally delicious) takes on the classic cinnamon bun. Many of the baking pioneers have a background in the New Nordic Cuisine, and experience from places like Noma, the second-best restaurant in the world as of 2019. This is Plum Guide's list of the stars on the Copenhagen bakery scene, where we guarantee that the sweet scent of cinnamon and freshly hearty baked loaves of bread will reel you in from afar regardless of which neighbourhood you are staying in.

Unique in more ways than one, Andersen & Maillard is located in a former bank space in pulsating Nørrebro. Behind every bakery at the forefront of Copenhagen’s head-turning and revolutionising food movement we find accomplished talents. Milton Abel of Andersen & Maillard is no different – in fact, the American-born entrepreneurs is one of the best pastry chefs in the world. With experience from Noma, French Laundry and Per Se on his CV, he opened this bakery/roastery in 2018 together with Hans Kristian Andersen, an award-winning barista. There’s really no better place to grab a pastry and a cup of excellently roasted coffee, while reading the newspaper or striking up great conversations. Stay nearby in one of our remarkable Nørrebro homes like The Bigger Picture and treat yourself to this routine each morning.

A recent addition to Copenhagen’s bakery scene, Hart Bageri has quickly become a local neighbourhood favourite. Created by Richard Hart, who upped and moved to the Danish capital from San Francisco in 2017, Hart Bageri not only serves world-class baked goods, but also tells a beautiful tale of a man striving to learn everything about Danish pastries and rye bread, and succeeding. Try their version of the Danish classic tebirkes, a buttery, crispy miracle with caramelised sugar and poppy seeds galore, you won’t regret it.

Tucked away in idyllic Østerbro, Juno the Bakery is your go-to if you want picture-perfect, flawlessly baked pastries. Run and conceived by Emil Glaser, a Swedish-born chef and Noma alumnus, it’s currently one of the most praised bakeries in Copenhagen serving things like pistachio and rose petal flavoured pastries and legendary s__emlor buns (when in season). It’s worth bearing in mind that you will often have to queue to get your hands on one of their famous melt-in-your-mouth cardamom buns (kardemomme snurre) – but we like to see that as a stamp of approval.

Nowhere in all of Copenhagen serves a doughier, gooier cinnamon bun than the one you can buy at Sankt Peders Bageri. Traditional in style, hypnotic in taste, it’s a must for all travellers wishing to try an indulgent version of the sweet treat. Copenhageners flock here on Wednesdays for an onsdagssnegl (a Wednesday cinnamon bun), popular since the early 1990s as the Danish Football national team used to play matches on Wednesday – why the Danes think that football and baked goods go together is still a mystery. It’s also Denmark’s oldest bakery, dating back to 1652. We can only hope the cinnamon buns were as mouthwateringly good back then, too.

In the mood for something fancy? Look no further. Conditori La Glace opened on the 8th of October 1870 – and it’s still located in the same premises on Skoubogade, a side street off Strøget. Lavishly impressive, with mahogany, glass, and brass features in abundance, you will feel like you are in a different time when you dig into their famous Sports Cake, a stable on their elaborate menu since 1891.

The lovechild of ex-Noma chef, Christian Puglisi (who’s also the creator of the Michelin-starred Restaurant Relæ, a gem on the Copenhagen food scene), Mirabelle is truly special. Inspired by Italian craftsmanship (Puglisi is from Messina, Italy, but has lived in Denmark since the early 1990s), everything is produced using the finest organic Danish flour. We’re fascinated by their Danish-Italian hybrids – the Roman pizza-style smørrebrød is mesmerising. But the ultimate thing to try at Mirabelle, is their handcrafted croissants, which is the perfect amalgamation of crispness and heavenly butter.

Born and bre(a)d in Copenhagen, Lille Bakery brings together people of all ages and backgrounds. Set against the backdrop of Refshaløen (a former industrial site turned creative mecca), it’s a little bit out of the way if you’re looking to try a cinnamon bun amidst sightseeing in Indre By. We would, however, make the trek to Lille any day when in search of the best bakeries in Copenhagen, just to sink our teeth into their artisanal sourdough loaves, and homemade Danish pastries and berliners. Bring some treats back to your Plum home like Gold Standard for breakfast in bed the following day.

Claus Meyer, a celebrity chef and entrepreneur, is the brains behind Meyer’s Bageri. Known for their sourdough and bread made from organic wheat flour from Øland, a Swedish island off the coast of Småland, Meyer’s Bageri has become a staple in the Copenhagen cityscape and constantly cited amongst the best bakeries in Copenhagen. His latest venture involves a food hall in New York City’s Grand Central station (with a bakery, of course), where commuters can dig into his famous kanelsnurrer as they rush to catch the train. It is, of course, also possible to get your hands on a kanelsnurre in Copenhagen.

Need somewhere to stay post-bakery adventure? Take a look at our carefully curated collection of homes in Copenhagen.