Eating out in Copenhagen is always a pleasure and the Danes take their food very seriously, often spending a long time over meals and enjoying food of a high standard. There are more than 2000 restaurants, cafes, bars and snack bars in the city, which will cater for all tastes, pockets and ethnicities, including several Michelin rated restaurants. In addition to the a la carte menu (spisekort), many restaurants will also offer a special dish of the day (dagens ret) or a daily menu (daglig kort), which is normally cheaper. Also available is the ‘dan-menu’, which is a two course Danish lunch or dinner for a fixed price.

A popular lunchtime snack is the "smørrebrød" (open sandwiches). Two or three of these will make a filling meal costing between DKK 15 and DKK 45 each (approx £1.50 - £4). In the middle of the road restaurants, a main course will normally cost between DKK 100 and DKK 180 (approx £9 - £16). Wine with your meal will generally cost the same as it does in the UK. Café culture is also very popular in Copenhagen with cafés providing excellent places to chat over a drink and a snack at all times of the day.

Diabetics and vegetarians are usually well catered for with many restaurants having special menus for diabetics, and nearly all offering a selection of vegetarian dishes.

Popular areas for eating out, in all types of restaurants, include Strøget and the Latin Quarter, the amusement park Tivoli and the area around Nyhavn.