During my Fáilte Ireland food champion benchmarking trip in November, we visited & ate our way around Copenhagen and also got to discover some awesome spots in Aarhus, Denmark's second city.
To be honest I had never heard of Aarhus before (my Danish geography is pretty bad) but this city happens to be one of the European Capitals of Culture as well as being a European Region of Gastronomy in 2017, so it really made sense to stop there and see what it was all about.
Aarhus Central Food Market
Aarhus Central Food Market had only been open for a few weeks when we visited. It's located in a historic building and former music venue that had been empty for the last 15 years. Located only a few minutes away from the train station it's a small yet lively food hall with a variety of food stalls selling craft beer, waffles, sushi, coffee, vegetables and more. They have communal tables where people can sit and enjoy their food. We had three open sandwiches from Kähler Smørrebrød which were perfect for a light lunch.
Mikkeller Bar
I'm a big fan of Danish craft brewery Mikkeller. I don't think I've ever had a bad beer from them so I was looking forward to visiting Mikkeller's bar in Aarhus. The bar has 20 rotating taps serving Mikkeler beer as well as a selection of beers from all over the world. It's a must-do if you're into craft beer and don't hesitate to ask questions, the staff were super helpful when I went to buy beer to bring back for Mr. FFID.
Restaurant Sårt
This restaurant and deli have their own farm and make their own charcuterie, as well as serving organic, seasonal and local food. You can enjoy beautiful cured meat, cheese or homemade pasta while sipping on organic wines. You can also buy food to take away if you don't fancy sitting in the restaurant, but it's so lovely that that would be a pity.
Aarhus Street Food
Like in Copenhagen, Aarhus has a proper covered and permanent street food market located in a former bus station. We actually arrived when it opened its doors at 11.30 while it was very quiet. However, from what I saw they had everything you could dream of: grilled cheese, French fare, duck burgers, tacos, shawarma... I was to full to eat anything but this is the kind of place where I'd happily spend a few hours sampling everything on offer.
Great Coffee
If you love your coffee make sure to visit Great Coffee, Søren Stiller Madsen's speciality coffee shop and roastery. It's a stunning place and the man is seriously passionate about all things coffee, having won many national and international awards. He works closely with coffee farms to get the best produce and I don't think I've ever seen anyone as serious about their coffee as he was.
Restaurant Hærvæk
Our last food stop in Aarhus was Bib gourmand Restaurant Hærvæk. They change their menu every day according to what's in season and what ingredients the chefs feel like using. The restaurant is beautifully designed and it's a great place to experience new Nordic cuisine.
Looking for food tips for Copenhagen? Read my article on 'Where to Eat in Copenhagen?'.
