Kødbyen

In Copenhagen's rapidly gentrifying Meatpacking district, Prolog Coffee occupies what was the old neighborhood bookstore. It's one of those coffee shops that has indie magazines and books stacked on the counters, encouraging you to stay awhile and read. The best-kept secret here is their interpretation of the classic Italian afternoon pick-me-up, affogato: Prolog pours their coffee over soft serve ice-cream using a syringe and tops it with grated chocolate.

Fiskebaren is fish bar contrarily located in an old butcher's shop with a few butcher worthy relics hanging around, like a cutting block by the entrance and toilets in what was the cold room where the carcasses were hung.

The concept of a butcher-and-bar restaurant is fitting given Fleisch's meatpacking district location. If you want to try a traditional Danish smørrebrød, Fleisch does especially good versions with plenty of traditional pickled and smoked fish alongside the meat choices for lunch. The dinner menu is admittedly meat-heavy (it is a butchery after all), but dishes are lightened up with fresh and preserved fruit like gooseberries and redcurrants. The cocktail list is thoughtful and inventive with infusions like bacon-flavored bourbon and duck-fat infused whiskey.

Occupying what was an old paté factory (hence the name) in Copenhagen's meatpacking district, Paté Paté serves up Spanish and French inflected cuisine all day long.

The name of this restaurant is a pretty solid indicator of what to expect. Kul, Danish for coal, cooks the majority of their Nordic-Asian style cuisine on a Josper charcoal grill. The restaurant itself is seriously atmospheric—built in what used to be a wholesale butcher space at Copenhagen's old meat market, many of the original features are still there (like the eroded white tile walls) paired with stylish, charcoal-inspired black hooded light fixtures, and an all-black bar. The Nordic-Asian fusion really works, with the lighter Asian flavors brightening up the traditionally heavier Nordic fare—trout is served in a dashi broth with preserved berries, and raw lobster is paired with fennel puree and accompanied by a hot pour-over jus.