Five Copenhagen Cafes for Early Birds (and Dirty Stop-Outs)

Whether you’ve just stepped off the night train at Copenhagen’s Hovedbanegården, enjoy hitting the streets of the Danish capital before everyone else or like to keep the party moving long after the sun has come up, chances are you need a place to retank and recharge; a place that opens early. Here’s our lowdown on Copenhagen’s five best cafes for early birds (and dirty stop-outs).

• The breakfast buffet at the old apothecary on Istegade, Bang & Jensen starts at 8am, and is a homely affair of cereals and milk and bread and spreads. After 10am the breakfast gets bigger; pick up a slip at the bar and cross off your preferences, from muesli or hard boiled eggs to Italian sausages and pain au chocolat, the choice is yours for DKK 90.

• Stylish Cafe Europa takes inspiration from the diverse cafe cultures of Europe, and is one of the few cafes around the Strøget area to open before 9am. Choose from an extensive and healthy breakfast menu from 7.45am. One of central Copenhagen’s most popular meeting spots can get awful crowded later in the day; get there before the crowds and enjoy a table to yourself.

• Retro Granola on the border of Vesterbro and Frederiksberg opens as early as 7am even on weekends, and the nostalgic atmosphere here is the perfect way to start your day. This cute cafe excels at breakfast dishes—try for example the oatmeal with grated apple, cinnamon and coconut flakes.

• Kaffesalonen can be found right on the lakes, just below Dronning Louises Bridge that connects Nørrebrogade with downtown Copenhagen. Open every weekday from 8am, the breakfast menu, with yoghurt, bagels and cheese, is fairly limited, but the summer outdoor seating—on a terrace out into the lake—is a big hit.

• Found halfway up Elmegade in Nørrebro, the cheery Laundromat Cafe opens at 8am Monday thru Friday. The hearty breakfast options include home fried potatoes, spicy sausages, bacon, eggs and cinnamon toast; ideal for soaking up the previous night’s alcohol or kick-starting the day. Borrow a book from the thousands available on the bookcase-cum-counter, while those mid-backpacking trip could even do their laundry here at the same time.

Image courtesy of Jeremy Keith/Flickr.