The 6 Best Bakeries in Copenhagen
If there’s one thing the Danish do best in the culinary world, it’s making a fantastic pastry.
I’m not a huge pastry eater, since I find a lot of the ones in my hometown pretty dry, hard, and too flaky (even the pastries in some of my favorite coffee shops). But when I went to Copenhagen for the 2nd time with Cecilio, I was on the hunt to taste the best, melt-in-your-mouth pastries alongside a creamy latte.
Let’s just say that I was not disappointed with the bakeries we visited. We ate our way through Copenhagen, finding delicious eateries that I didn’t visit during my first time in 2022, and the bakeries were no exception. Copenhagen has world-renowned bakeries that have been feautred in Bon AppĂŠtit, Food & Wine, Vogue, Buzzfeed, and other publications.
The pastries I tried were soft, sweet (but not sickeningly sweet), and buttery in all the right places. I would say that they rival Paris’ bakeries!
I wrote this guide showcasing the best bakeries in Copenhagen to get your sweet tooth fix. And to see what the fuss the Danish pastries are all about.
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Rundown of the best bakeries in Copenhagen
1. Skt. Peders Bageri
đ Sankt Peders StrĂŚde 29, 1453 Indre By, Denmark
If you have limited time and could only pick one bakery to go to, let it be Skt. Peders Bageri. Founded in 1652, this is Copenhagen’s oldest bakery.
First things first, it’s in a good location; it’s only a 7-minute walk from RĂĽduspladsen (Copenhagen’s city hall), where most hotels are located. It’s also a 9-minute walk from Torvehallerne, the most popular food hall in Copenhagen; I recommend going there for lunch after you get your pastry and ordering a flĂŚskestegssandwich (roast pork sandwich) from Slagter Lund.
Anyway, Cecilio and I ordered a cardamom bun and a saffron bun, and as usual, we bit off a piece of each other’s. The cardamom bun was the softest pastry I’ve ever tried. There was a light spread of filling inside, making it sweeter without overpowering the bread. The cardamom pods gave it an earthy flavor.
Cecilio said that the saffron bun reminded him of a Christmas pastry, and found it less delicate than a croissant. We both agree that it tastes like a cinnamon bun without the stickiness. Like the cardamom bun, it was also very soft and pillowy.
I wish we also got a cinnamon roll because that is is the best selling item; it fact, they are famous for selling the onsdagssnegle (“Wednesday snail” cinnamon roll) on Wednesdays in quantities up to 4,000.
Skt. Peders Bageri also serves coffee, so I ordered a vanilla latte with oat milk alongside the pastries. There is limited seating, and it fills up extremely fast in the morning. If you want a vacant seat, you need to go as soon as they open. Otherwise, you would need to stand outside and eat or look for a bench.
2. Juno the Bakery
đ Ă rhusgade 48, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
I have mixed feelings about Juno the Bakery. It’s the most popular bakery in Copenhagen, and it’s been viral on TikTok, so I couldn’t not go there.
Unlike the other bakeries, it’s out of the way for most visitors who tend to stay in the city center; it was a 15-minute train ride from our hotel, and a 10-minute walk from the Poul Henningsens Plads Station. And unlike the other bakeries, there is only one location, which is in Ăsterbro, a more residential neighborhood. That probably explains why they always have a long line (sometimes during the summer, the wait times can be as long as two hours).
Luckily, when we arrived, there was no line and we didn’t have to wait, but after we sat down and ate, there was a long line that formed. We were thankful that we beat it!
Sometimes, they run out of pastries due to the demand. When that happens, you can go to Prolog Coffee across the street, as they get their pastries from Juno.
@hannah.on.horizon I know that Juno the Bakery gets a lot of hype as one of Copenhagen's best bakeries, and while I will say that they have a bomb vanilla cream bun, I don't think I would make the trek there whenever I come back next time. I liked Skt. Peder's Bageri a lot more and that one is in the city center! Tip: while we were lucky that there were no lines and we got to order immediately, there was a long line waiting out the door after we ordered. If you don't want to wait, you can get coffee from Prolog Coffee down the street, where they get their pastries from Juno. #danishpastries #copenhagen #denmarktravel #europetravel #foodtok ⏠original sound – Hannah | Travel & Art âď¸đ¨
We ordered the vanilla cream bun, the cardamom and saffron buns. Our favorite was the vanilla cream bun, which had a rich, sweet filling that makes up 65% of the bun. The cardamom and saffron buns were good too, but after having the same buns at Skt. Peders Bageri the day before, I felt like Juno’s fell short. They weren’t as soft and felt “meh”. They were fresh, but I wasn’t as wowed.
In addition to buns, Juno also serves rye bread, sourdough, and Danish butter cookies.
I will give credit where credit is due, as Juno was founded by Emil Glaser, who was also a former chef at NOMA (which is consistently nominated one of the best restaurants in the world). While I did like it, I like Skt.. Beders Bageri more by leaps and bounds.
One good thing about Juno is that you can order your pastries online in advance to pick up the next day. However, you have to order them by 7 pm.
3. BUKA Bakery
đ Nytorv 3, 1450 Copenhagen, Denmark
While there are multiple BUKA locations, we went to location on our first day in Copenhagen since it was next to the Nytorv Christmas Market, and we were killing time before we checked into our hotel.
There is a lot of good seating inside, and it does get crowded. If you can’t find seating, there’s also a small patio where you and eat and drink outside.
I ordered the cinnamon orange swirl bun, which was not too sweet compared to the cinnamon rolls in the US (I love you Cinnabon, but I’m looking right at you). It had a nice glaze of icing, which had mild notes of orange but wasn’t really citrus-y. It’s very sticky so you need to wash your hands or have hand sanitizer with you, because it’ll get all over your fingers!
Meanwhile, Cecilio orered a Nutella croissant which was crispy and flaky on the outside and rich on the inside.
Both of our pastries were indulgent and satisfied our sweet tooth before we went to our hotel and plopped in our bed after intense jet lag.
4. Hart Bageri
đ Høkerboderne 17, 1712 Copenhagen, Denmark
Hart Bageri is known as one of the best bakeries in Copenhagen, or perhaps even one of the best bakeries in the world. It was founded by Richard Hart, the award-winning baker who started his career with Gordon Ramsay. He was also the head chef of Tartine Bakery in San Francisco.
While Hart Bageri has 10 locations all over the city, we went to the location in Vesterbro’s Meatpacking District. They are best known for their sourdough and rye breads, and they also have various pastries and cakes.
I ordered the spandauer, a pastry with soft but flaky folded edges and crumbles easily. There middle part has a vanilla cream filling that is smooth and contrasts the edges texture-wise. It was delicious, but very messy with the flakes falling off and the powder and oil getting all over my hands. Totally worth it though, and I ate it all!
Cecilio ordered the pain au chocolate, which I got a bite of, and was super buttery and rich with a hint of salt that balanced the sweetness.
Hart Bageri also serves coffee. I had a latte alongside my spandauer while Cecilio had an espresso.
Like Juno the Bakery, you can also order from Hart Bageri in advance online at any of the locations to pick up the next day. The cut off times for ordering pastries is 2 pm, and midnight for bread.
5. Andersen & Maillard
đ Ny Ăstergade 15, 1101 Copenhagen, Denmark
Like Juno the Bakery, Andersen & Maillard was also founded by a former NOMA pastry chef in 2018. Their first and flagship location is in Nørrebro which also has its own coffee roastery. They roast their coffees in-house with an Aeropress or a Synesso espresso machine.
Andersen & Maillard is said to bake some of the best croissants in Copenhagen, and I believe it because I ordered the espresso croissant. It was buttery and flaky with the espresso powder topped, giving it a hint of bitterness (in a good way). I liked dipping it in my latte; espresso on espresso, anyone?
They are also best known for the bolle med øst, which means bun with cheese (BMO for short). It’s a simple sandwich with cheese and butter, but is a classic Danish staple. Cecilio ordered the BMO and he loved it; I didn’t try it because he said the bread was too hard, and I have weak and sensitive teeth from lupus and side effects from over a decade of taking medication. Usually the buns in a BMO are supposed to be soft, and you can use any type of bread.
While the Nørrebro location is huge and has a lot of seating, we didn’t have time to hit up that area. We went to the location near Nyhavn, which is much smaller and has no seating. We ended up eating at a bench near Nyhavn and Kongens Nytorv.
If you don’t have time to stop by any of the locations, I highly recommend having brunch at Mad & Kaffe (this isn’t an option, trust me) and ordering the basket bread, which are rye and sourdough slices from Andersen & Maillard.
6. Conditori La Glace
đ Skoubogade 3, 1158 Copenhagen, Denmark
Okay, so Conditori La Glace is not a bakery where you grab and go, like the other ones featured here. They still have the cardamom and saffron buns, croissants, and Danish pastries, but they are more known for their fancy cakes and tarts.
And it’s a place where you sit down and enjoy, especially because, unlike the other bakeries, there is ample seating. You can sit at a table near the counter or go deeper in the building where there is more seating.
Like Skt. Peders Bageri, La Glace is one of Copenhagen’s oldest bakeries, as it was founded in 1870. You can see the age and how some parts are worn, but beautifully maintained. It also makes for the perfect date spot!
We ordered the Mazarin and the Linse to share. The Mazarin was named after George Mazarin, a French General during Napoleon’s time. The pastry itself is made of crust, marzipan, and icing, and it tasted like a high-end cookie dough. There are three icing flavorsâorange, chocolate, and rum. I chose the rum icing.
Now the Linse is a tart made with shortbread crust and vanilla cream as a filling. The crust was a little dry, but the filling made up for that.
Don’t forget to order a pot of hot chocolate! It also comes with a small bowl of heavy whipped cream that you can scoop on your drink.
Come hungry and eat your way through the best bakeries in Copenhagen
Having visited Copenhagen twice, I got a taste of (no pun intended) of the city’s food scene, bakeries included. I had no qualms about eating my way through the finest bakeries, especially since we walked as much as we could to offset all the sugar.
These bakeries have also been founded by chefs from Michelin star restaurants and James Beard Book awards. I recommend Skt. Peders Bageri and Conditori La Glace the most, since they are the oldest and most established bakeries, and they have long-standing, high-quality goods.
You can also go on a guided pastry tour from a local, who will walk with you as you sample all the buns and breads while they share pieces of Copenhagen’s rich history and fun facts.
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Hannah is a travel writer, graphic designer, and the founder/editor of Hannah on Horizon. She is based in Sacramento, California, living with her husband and two adorable dogs. She shares tips on how to experience luxury travel on any budget, and how to maximize time at each trip or destination, no matter what your budget or amount of vacation time at work. She enjoys making you feel like you have visited each destination with her through her storytelling and informative writing style.