smoked fish and delicious brown bread

Thanks, I am quite familiar with search engines. What I love about these pages are personal sharing from personal experiences. Thanks all for reading.

Smorrbrod is not some fancy thing you're only going to find in top notch restaurants. They are everywhere and a quick and easy lunch.

I had some good Smorrbrod at the Tivoli Food Hall next to Tivoli Gardens (You don't have to enter Tivoli Gardens to eat there. There is an entrance on the street.) This was before the pandemic.

https://www.tivoli.dk/da/mad-og-drikke/spisesteder/hallernes-smoerrebroed-tivoli-food-hall

Torvehallerne - the food hall/farmers market near Rosenborg Castle and the Botanical Gardens - is also a good place to try. I had excellent smorrebrod there from one of the stalls. I forget which one, but there was a huge counter with all sorts. https://torvehallernekbh.dk/

EDITED: Here we go - I think it might be the same company as the Tivoli one mentioned above: https://www.hallernes.dk/en/

Our trip back in September included a much-anticipated smorrebrod lunch at Cafe Sorgenfri. We ordered a platter with a massive number of items to put on slice after slice of rye bread. There was a metal stand on the table, and the platter was placed up on it, which made room for us to eat.

Entering the door, you go down a few steps into the restaurant - slightly below street level, in what feels like an old-world ambiance. It was popular - I’m glad I made a reservation. The foursome at the table next to us were French, but it seemed that everyone else there were Danes.

It’s recommended in the Rick Steves guidebook, and here’s the Website: https://cafesorgenfri.dk/home/

I'm not sure I've been to Denmark enough times to have a favourite place, but there are many places all over Copenhagen that serve good smørrebrød. Hallernes is not a bad places, and located close to the central station it's a good place to buy some lunch to bring on the train.

And if smoked fish and brown bread is your thing, it sounds like Sol over Gudhjem is what you're looking for.

Amazing shares, much appreciation. Since my post after feeing dejected from the first post suggested I used Google instead of this well respected travel page for advice, this was shared with me. Happy eating..and if you do not have an experience to share or helpful advice, please don't patronize kind people by referring them to Google. That's an insult to our time and intelligence. Will report back Jan. 3 ish with a full food trip report.

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20231026-eight-of-the-best-smorrebrod-restaurants-in-copenhagen

Good luck, I hope you enjoy your trip! Another classic smørrebrød I can recommend is Dyrlægens natmad. Roast beef, roast pork, eggs and prawns and chicken salad are also common options.

I have never been to any Scandinavian country but I am quite sure I would love this smoked fish and brown bread combination. I love that dense German rye bread (don't know how to spell it) and smoked or pickled fish. YUM! Wish we could get some good store bought stuff like that in the US. I have been successful in finding that dense rye bread though.

Seems like the BBC article is mostly listing more expensive, upscale, and more “modern” New Scandinavian spots. Where we (and Rick Steves) went, Cafe Sorgenfri, is an older, more traditional place. The platter also means that we assembled our smorrebrod, rather than the kitchen doing that, if it makes a difference.

Obtaining really great smoked fish is easy in New York City . At the top of the list are places like Zabar's , Murray's Sturgeon Shop , and Barney Greengrass , all of them , within a few blocks of each other, are on The Upper West Side . Russ and Daughters is downtown on Houston Street . These places , while most people may call them Jewish Delicatessens , are more accurately called Appetizing Shops .

I have never been to any Scandinavian country but I am quite sure I
would love this smoked fish and brown bread combination. I love that
dense German rye bread (don't know how to spell it) and smoked or
pickled fish.

Danish rye bread is pretty similar to the German versions.

Steve, great post for those interested in smoked fish in NYC. Russ and Daughter is an institution but the price and lines...it's like Katz's; a tourist destination. Back to my question, we'd love one local old world smoked fish lunch in Copenhagen.

@caribchakita - I have no answers for you and it seems to have surprisingly taxed the forum. You've got some answers from Cyn and Badger. Badger says she doesn't have a favourite, but as a Swede her answer suggests she knows a few. Maybe it may be worth sending Badger a PM for a few more good ideas. I suspect favourite is a personal thing where no consensus is possible!

Sorry for the confusion , I was actually responding to Muriel's comment about the availability of smoked fish here in the states .

No confusion, I love this forum for sharing..so fun!!!

Badger says she doesn't have a favourite, but as a Swede her answer
suggests she knows a few.

Are you sure I should be referred to as she/her?

Maybe it may be worth sending Badger a PM for a few more good ideas.

As mentioned, I really don't have any favourites. But don't overthink this, it's not fugu that needs to be prepared in the correct way. It's hard to fail with smørrebrød. The area around Nyhavn is a pretty safe bet if you're looking for smørrebrød, but the restaurants there can be a bit touristy and overpriced.

Steven.....those places were the institutions of my youth.

I also remember the smoked fish section of the late Fairway markets. They always had someone who knew how to poperly slice each piece.

Of course, the NY way of eating smoked fish is not brown bread but fresh, NY style, properly made, bagels. With a shmear.

I wonder if a pumpernickel bagel would suffice?

Frank , The way the fish is sliced was always a major issue. I've been going to Zabar's for nearly forty five years . There used to be a fellow named Jerry Sze who cut it with the expertise of a surgeon. The slices were so thin , they were translucent . Fortunately there are a number of young guys now who also do a great job , so when I see them cutting , I fondly remember Jerry . https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/09/nyregion/a-high-holy-call-for-lox-and-old-hands-to-slice-it-at-zabars.html?unlocked_article_code=1.HU0.9sgW.8mhZizf_CtiQ&hpgrp=ar-abar&smid=url-share Also , just like a great bagel , one of my other favorite breads for the Nova are real Bialys , the best were from Kossar's ,down on Grand Street . Years ago , Mimi Sheraton wrote a timeless book about these rolls from Eastern Europe - https://www.amazon.com/Bialy-Eaters-Mimi-Sheraton-ebook/dp/B001RCTTAC/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= My wife ( of Ashkenazim descent from The Pale ) loves pumpernickel bagels