Life as a coeliac isn’t always easy, especially when travelling, far from your own safe zone.
Once the flights and hotel are booked, the search for reliable, well-prepared places to eat always begins, building an itinerary around restaurants that can offer a proper gluten-free option.
With Copenhagen, though, it was different. The city is not only the heart of New Nordic Cuisine, a popular destination for the so-called “brain drain”, or a model of safety and sustainability; it is also one of Europe’s most socially inclusive cities, among the first to openly champion both LGBTQ+ rights and food inclusivity. So putting together a foodie itinerary wasn’t difficult, if anything, the real challenge was choosing between the sheer number of great places to eat.
Popl
From Nyhavn – Copenhagen’s iconic and intensely touristy harbour – you only need to cross a bridge to find yourself in the district of Christianshavn.
Without venturing too far, you’ll come across POPL, the burger bar created by Noma. It opened here in December 2020 after first appearing as a pop-up in the garden of the Danish three-Michelin-starred restaurant. The name POPL comes from the Latin populus, meaning “community of people”, while also referencing poplar wood – a nod to the restaurant’s strong connection with nature.
The restaurant sits at number 108 Strandgade, inside the former home of 108 Restaurant, the more casual and budget-friendly sibling of Noma opened by René Redzepi and Kristian Baumann in 2016, before closing with the arrival of Covid.
The venue is split into two sections: one dedicated to takeaway, with a shorter menu, the only option available at lunchtime, and a dining room open for dinner, where the menu expands to include starters, sides, snacks and burgers in full Noma style. The takeaway offering is straightforward: a combo with burger, chips and a soft drink. The choice falls on a cheeseburger and a vegetarian burger, and while the gluten-free option isn’t specifically highlighted – it’s simply taken for granted – of course it’s available, and without any fuss at all.
The bun stands out thanks to the sesame seeds on top, unlike the traditional version, which resembles a soft milk bun, light and airy in appearance. It’s excellent quality: soft, well-aerated and perfectly balanced with the ingredients inside – beef, onion and Cheddar in the classic cheeseburger, and quinoa tempeh with lettuce and tomato in the vegetarian version.
H.U.G. Bageri
In the district of Østerbro, not far from Rosenborg Castle, a small almost hidden place hosts H.U.G. Bageri, the only 100% gluten-free and organic bakery in the city.
The owner is Mette Marie Sarbo and here, with partner Philippe Lefebvre, she aims to bring back the recipes of her childhood in the family. H.U.G. (short for Helt Uden Gluten, completely gluten-free) moved to the residential district of Østerbro in 2020, after operating in Fredensborg, born after the closure of Mette’s first commercial venture with her brother Mikkel, Tante T (a tearoom in Vesterbro, opened in 2006).
The lab is full of young people kneading and baking non-stop products completely without gluten made only from natural and organic flours – corn, rice, sorghum, quinoa, millet, buckwheat – minimising waste of raw materials and finished products.
The counter is full of sweet products as well as various types of bread, which are then frozen and then sold at half price if they remain unsold at their peak quality period.
Here, a freshly baked kanelsnegle (Cinnamon Roll) and a cappuccino are the perfect way to start the day.
Oranje
Google Maps might start to get confused, because Oranje is located on the canal of Nyhavn Harbor, right on the water: we are on a merchant ship built in the Netherlands in 1898 that, sailing in the North Sea, had the ambition to reach the rest of the world. Since 1989, it has been transformed into the restaurant Oranje anchored in Svendborg, in Southern Denmark and in 2016 it landed in Nyhavn Harbor (where it still is today).
Oranje is the only one among the oldest ships in the Danish fleet where you can eat Smørrebrød, from smør og brød, literally “butter on bread” – slices of rye bread (in this case gluten-free), buttered and topped like an open sandwich with local products such as shrimp and eggs or Danish salmon cheese. The rest of the menu offers a variety of dishes, from seafood like oysters, fish cakes, and fish & chips, to local products like cheeses and deli meats, accompanied by a wide selection of beers and cocktails.
The place is cozy, filled with nautical references (like ropes and fans used as iconography) and inevitably touristy: outdoor tables host travellers from all over the globe, but access to the ship is by reservation only (with the option to choose between the upper deck, street level, and the lower deck where the atmosphere is decidedly different, darker and more characteristic). Note: the cake of the day (in this case a Lemon Tarte), naturally gluten-free, absolutely deserves a taste, whatever it may be.
Palæo
In Denmark, a small chain of 100% gluten-free restaurants has been created based on the “modernisation” of the Paleolithic diet, a style of eating that focuses on the consumption of unprocessed foods inspired by those of the Stone Age. Palæo – which is the name of the franchise – has three locations placed at opposite ends of the city. The concept of the restaurants is based on using pure natural products while almost entirely eliminating refined sugars and rapidly absorbing carbohydrates (such as sweets, sugary drinks, or refined flours), choosing fresh and quality raw materials, with the idea of building a dietary balance that can also be reflected in the lifestyle.
The location at Torvehallerne, the city’s gastronomic market, is extremely busy during peak hours. The freedom to choose anything from the menu in a market full of small kitchens while ensuring safety, is priceless for a person with celiac disease. The menu ranges from wraps to both vegetarian and non-vegetarian burgers, freshly made smoothies, and breakfast bowls like Acai bowl or similar porridge.
Visiting a city and having the assurance of finding a wide range of gluten-free friendly options in almost every establishment (sadly, excluding bakeries) is priceless, and perhaps this is a world in which every coeliac would love to travel.
Copenhagen proves itself to be a great choice: electrifying, ever-evolving, and lovingly inclusive of all types of diets or dietary restrictions.
