Den Gamle Kro

Description:

• For all we know, Hans Christian Andersen used to drop into this place -- after all, it's been serving food and drink to the locals since 1683, and at one time or another nearly every resident of Odense has eaten or drunk here. Set a 5-minute walk from the center, it is unusual architecturally in that it was constructed within the courtyard of several antique buildings, but has been modernized with its timeworn stone capped by a sliding glass roof.

  A cellar-level bar is lined with antique masonry and the street-level restaurant rests under centuries-old beams. The food has remained consistently good over the years, and we've often dropped in for lunch for some of the best smørrebrød (open-faced sandwich) selections in town, especially when shrimp and dill is stacked on top of a freshly baked bread.

  If you return for dinner, you'll find some of the best fixed-price meals in town. There's nothing you're served here that you haven't tasted before, including beef tenderloin flavored with herbs or herb-sprinkled trout sautéed in butter, but the ingredients are market fresh and skillfully prepared by the kitchen staff, who also serve yummy, freshly made desserts.

• © Frommer's 2013

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Recommended 2010