Where to Have a Relaxed Weekend Lunch in Copenhagen in 2026: 12 Places

Herring on rye is a small lunch until the second plate arrives. Then there might be something warm from the kitchen, another round of bread and a conversation that is nowhere near finished. The trick to a lunch like that is to give it the afternoon.

Start with Sunday. It is a fine day for Danish lunch, but not every small kitchen opens. Leave Saturday for the Neapolitan lunch that comes around once a week, or make either day your own with a bowl of ramen, a museum café or a table in the park.

SEE GASOLINE GRILL KØBMAGERGADE

Which Day Should You Plan a Relaxed Weekend Lunch Around?

Plan around Sunday, when the choice narrows. Paesàno serves lunch only on Saturday. The museum cafés in this guide close on Monday instead, and Selma closes on Tuesday, which matters if your weekend runs into the week.

Where Can You Book a Long Danish Lunch on a Sunday?

Rye bread, herring, something warm from the kitchen, then another small plate: a Danish lunch has its own pace. Sunday is a good day to surrender to it, whether you want a contemporary kitchen, a workers' beer hall or a table looking into the park.

1. Selma

Selma brings a modern cook's curiosity to smørrebrød on Rømersgade. Its sandwiches sit on homemade rye and sourdough. The current menu puts rose-hip herring with pearl onion, crème fraîche and Mac Khen pepper, or celeriac with cep, plum, Västerbotten cheese and almond, on the table. House-made and selected snaps and a changing beer selection follow alongside. Beer has belonged here from the start: chef Magnus Pettersson moved Selma here from Westmarket in April 2018, in partnership with Mikkeller, with 12 taps. It's a lunch for comparing one small dish with the next and finding a beer to follow it. Book ahead; lunch runs 11:30 to 16:00 on both weekend days, and Tuesday is the closed day.

2. Café & Øl-Halle 1892

A few doors along, Café & Øl-Halle 1892 takes lunch down into the listed cellar under the Workers Museum, restored to its 1892 appearance. Herring marinated in beer and red cabbage, freshly baked bread and home-pickled beetroot give the meal its flavour. Small plates let you return to the table for another bite instead of committing to one large sandwich.

From 1 November to 10 January, that becomes the Christmas lunch table, DKK399 at weekends, with the selection changing daily and warm Danish classics joining the smørrebrød. Book the 11:00 to 13:30 or 14:00 to 17:00 sitting; the lunch buffet closes at 16:00. A Stjernepilsner brings the cellar's working-class beer tradition into the glass.

3. Restaurant Orangeriet

For a lighter setting, Restaurant Orangeriet's old conservatory puts glass between your table and Kongens Have. The park supplies the view even when the terrace weather has gone. Its Sunday menu, served 12:00 to 16:00, keeps the Danish lunch recognisable: curry-marinated herring with apple, onion and capers, fried plaice with remoulade, or roast beef with horseradish and fried onions. Pieces cost DKK130, and the kitchen suggests two or three each. Book online, finish with the hazelnut-praline layer cake or Sunday-only hot chocolate, then take the garden walk at your own pace.

Where Can You Walk In and Still Take Your Time?

A long lunch doesn't always need a long lead time. The next places leave room for a late start, a different appetite or an afternoon that takes shape as you go. Gasoline Grill and Slurp are walk-in only; the other three also offer bookings when a table matters more than spontaneity.

4. Gasoline Grill Købmagergade

At Gasoline Grill Købmagergade, a late breakfast can turn into lunch without changing address. We opened this narrow room at number 23 in April 2025, in the former Falafel House. Artist Danh Vo and our collaborators Briq extended its slim proportions with mirrors and Cinderella references. You can see the old city's habit of making much of a small space in the room around your table.

The Købmagergade menu gives you two very different lunches from 11:00. Our Cheeseburger, DKK110, brings freshly ground beef, cheddar, red onion, pickles and Gasoline Grill Sauce. The DKK100 Green Burger uses whole seasonal vegetables, currently portobello, cooked to order with cheddar, tomato, lettuce, onion, pickles, house sauce and herb oil. One centres the beef; the other lets the mushroom carry the bite.

Sunday has an earlier detour: The Lumberjack, from 9:00 to 11:00, folds bacon, egg and cheese into buttermilk pancakes with chilli mayo and spicy maple, from DKK110. For something smaller, our cardamom roll uses the potato-bun dough with freshly ground cardamom, DKK35, alongside Prolog filter coffee at DKK25. There are indoor and outdoor seats, no reservations and app pre-orders. Burgers finish when we sell out, so keep the stop comfortably inside the afternoon.

5. Slurp Nansensgade

For a lunch centred on one hot bowl, try Slurp Nansensgade, a 22-seat ramen room at number 90. Its counter-sized format makes the meal feel different from the smørrebrød tables along Rømersgade: one bowl each, with noodles and broth doing the work. This was Slurp's original spot, and the compact Nansensgade room still makes sense for a solo lunch or a small group.

The Veggie ramen, DKK175, builds its broth around mushroom and celeriac. It gives a grey November lunchtime something deep and savoury without a meat broth. Alongside it, the Nansensgade-only Danish onigiri puts egg salad, Japanese mayonnaise and chilli oil with two cracked-wheat onigiri, DKK90. That small Danish-Japanese crossing gives you a reason to choose this room specifically. There are no reservations; lunch runs 11:30 to 15:00 on Saturday and Sunday, so arrive with time to order and eat before service ends.

6. The Union Kitchen Østerbro

Head towards the Lakes when your table still wants breakfast. The Union Kitchen Østerbro, at Øster Farimagsgade 16A, works as a neighbourhood all-day restaurant near Østerport rather than a lunch-only dining room. Its breakfast plate gathers scrambled eggs, smoked salmon, potato rösti, yoghurt with granola and a cinnamon roll onto one order. The burrito takes another route, with eggs, potatoes, fried peppers and pickled onion. Breakfast and brunch run 8:00 to 16:00 every day. Book or walk in; Sunday closes at 16:00, so this is a generous late breakfast rather than a table for the evening.

7. Wulff & Konstali at Audo

Further north, Wulff & Konstali opened in Audo House in 2025, bringing its build-your-own brunch to Århusgade 130 in Nordhavn. The appeal is a table where one person can assemble breakfast while another has a lighter lunch. The counter offers warm and cold dishes; Audo's café menu spans salads, sandwiches, quiches and fresh bakes. You're eating inside a house devoted to design, with a courtyard for a suitable day, rather than making a special trip solely for brunch. Audo lists daily opening 7:30 to 18:00; book through its site, and confirm the day's food service if arriving late.

8. Bevar's

Back in Nørrebro, Bevar's follows the rhythm of Ravnsborggade: café during the day, bar afterwards. Its homemade bread belongs on the breakfast board, but at noon the kitchen turns to smørrebrød. Try fish cake with tartare sauce and fried capers, or chicken salad with pickled beech mushrooms and bacon. The fish, acid and crunch make these proper lunch choices rather than a reason to order another coffee. Weekend lunch runs 12:00 to 16:00, at DKK95 for one piece or 165 for two. Book online. The room stays open until 22:00 on Sunday, though the lunch kitchen ends at four.

Where Does Lunch Come With Something to Do After?

Sometimes the meal gives the afternoon a direction. A museum café can put a bowl of soup beside a building's history; a brasserie can make the garden view an occasion of its own. These three leave you with somewhere to look after the plates have gone.

9. FORMAT, Designmuseum Danmark

At FORMAT, Danish furniture and a protected garden surround a lunch inside Designmuseum Danmark. The museum has occupied the former Royal Frederik's Hospital since 1926, so the quiet courtyard belongs to a much longer story of light, air and care. The current all-day menu includes Tvedemose mushrooms on toast with Vesterhavs cheese and caramelised onions, DKK165, or langoustine bisque with vegetables and tarragon oil, DKK145. Walk in Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 18:00, and Thursday until 20:00 without a museum ticket; groups of ten or more book by phone. Buy exhibition admission separately if the chairs on show tempt you further inside.

10. Café Daisy, Nationalmuseet

Café Daisy makes the National Museum's interest in Danish life edible. Its Eat Like a Dane dishes follow the seasons, while traditional smørrebrød stays on the menu throughout the year. Or follow the museum's explorers towards the Middle East with crispy falafel, harissa and Arabic bread salad. That link between exhibitions and food gives the café its character. Finish with its Hansen's ice cream inspired by red berry pudding, cream and liquorice. It opens Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 17:00, and you can eat without an exhibition ticket. The history can wait until you've had lunch.

11. Nimb Brasserie

For a lunch that deserves a little ceremony, Nimb Brasserie looks over Tivoli from its white palace. The present building opened in 1909, designed by Tivoli director and architect Knud Arne Petersen. The brasserie's French cooking gives that view a meal to match: its lunch menu includes a Comté omelette with vegetables and black truffle, or halibut en croûte with Champagne beurre blanc. Weekend lunch runs 13:00 to 16:30; book a table.

For an earlier occasion, brunch runs 10:00 to 12:00. It costs DKK595 on Saturdays and Sundays through 15 November; Christmas brunch, 21 November to 20 December, costs DKK895, with children under eight at DKK295. Choose that meal for the occasion itself and give it the morning, rather than squeezing it between other plans.

Which Lunch Is Worth Saving for Saturday?

Keep Saturday free for the lunch sitting on Jægersborggade. Paesàno gives lunch a single service each week, and what comes out of the kitchen follows the cooking of Naples.

12. Paesàno

Paesàno gives Jægersborggade one lunch service a week, Saturday 12:30 to 14:00. Chef Davide Laudato's Neapolitan cooking occupies the former Relæ premises, with the simplicity of his home city's regional dishes replacing the old tasting-menu address. Pasta e patate and soffritto napoletano, a rich pork ragù, describe its cucina povera direction; the menu changes, so ask what is on rather than expecting the same plates each week. The ninety-minute service window makes booking by phone sensible. This is the Saturday for lunch built around a trattoria.

When Does the Weekend Plan Change?

A few details change the shape of the afternoon.

• Check the extra day. FORMAT and Café Daisy close on Mondays; Selma closes on Tuesdays.
• Book a group table directly. For eight people, confirm a time rather than counting on spaces opening together at a counter.
• Separate breakfast from lunch. The Sunday Lumberjack at Købmagergade ends at 11:00. Nimb brunch ends at 12:00 and lunch starts at 13:00.

Three pieces of smørrebrød at Orangeriet cost 390 kroner a head before drinks. Nimb’s brunch is 595 kroner, or 895 for Christmas brunch. At Gasoline Grill Købmagergade, an Original Burger at 110 kroner, regular fries at 40, a pot of Gasoline Sauce at 10 and elderflower lemonade at 35 come to 195 kroner. Compare the sort of lunch you want before comparing the bills.

Is Gasoline Grill Open for Lunch on Sundays?

Yes. At Gasoline Grill Købmagergade, we start burgers at 11:00 every day, Sunday included, after breakfast from 7:30. You can walk in for a Cheeseburger or the current Green Burger and use the indoor or outdoor seating when space is available. We don't take reservations, and burgers finish when we sell out.

For another part of town, check the individual restaurant on our locations page, especially around holidays or seasonal openings. You can also pre-order through the Gasoline Grill app. A Sunday lunch needs only the right branch and a little room in the afternoon.

Pick the Day, Then the Table

On Sunday, linger over another small plate in the 1892 cellar, warm up with mushroom-and-celeriac broth on Nansensgade, or have a Cheeseburger before walking through the centre. Give Paesàno the Saturday if you want to build the afternoon around its kitchen.

Choose the food, give it the right day and check when the kitchen stops. Then leave enough afternoon for the cake, the garden or the conversation that keeps going after lunch.

FIND A GASOLINE GRILL OPEN THIS WEEKEND

Frequently asked questions

How late can you start a weekend lunch in Copenhagen?

Selma and Bevar’s list lunch until 16:00. Slurp Nansensgade’s lunch ends at 15:00. At Café & Øl-Halle 1892, the late sitting runs 14:00 to 17:00 but the lunch buffet closes at 16:00. Audo’s café opens until 18:00; confirm food availability for a late meal.

Do you need to book a weekend lunch in Copenhagen?

Book ahead when you want a particular seated lunch: Selma, Café & Øl-Halle 1892 and Orangeriet all take bookings, and Paesàno takes bookings. Gasoline Grill and Slurp accept walk-ins only, so leave time for a wait and don't rely on several seats being free together.

Where can you have lunch in Copenhagen on a Monday?

Gasoline Grill, Slurp, Selma, Café & Øl-Halle 1892, The Union Kitchen and Wulff & Konstali all open on Monday. FORMAT and Café Daisy are closed on Mondays; check holiday exceptions with the venue.

Where can a group of eight have a relaxed weekend lunch?

Book directly with a restaurant that accepts groups, such as Café & Øl-Halle 1892 or The Union Kitchen, and confirm the time and party size. Walk-in counters need space available on arrival.

Sources

1. Gasoline Grill Købmagergade, opening hours and seating
2. Gasoline Grill Købmagergade menu
3. Gasoline Grill ordering, location hours
4. Slurp Nansensgade, opening hours
5. Slurp menu
6. Michelin Guide, Selma
7. Café & Øl-Halle 1892, smørrebrødsbord and sittings
8. Workers Museum, food and drink
9. Restaurant Orangeriet, Sunday menu
10. The Union Kitchen Østerbro
11. Wulff & Konstali at Audo House
12. Bevar's menu and opening hours
13. FORMAT, Designmuseum Danmark's café
14. Nationalmuseet, Café Daisy
15. Nationalmuseet, visitor information
16. Nimb Brasserie, brunch
17. Michelin Guide, Paesàno
18. Selma, menu and hours
19. Mikkeller, Selma Rømersgade opening, March 2018
20. Øl-Halle, Christmas lunch and service times
21. Orangeriet, conservatory and opening pattern
22. The Union Kitchen, Østerbro menu
23. Wulff & Konstali, Nordhavn opening and café
24. FORMAT, current menu
25. Designmuseum Danmark, history and architecture
26. Nimb, current lunch menu
27. Nimb, history of the building
28. Paesàno, current hours
29. VisitCopenhagen, Paesàno chef and location history
30. Selma, October 2026 menu linked by the current homepage