Teater Bodega ★ 3.8
The long-established bodega kitchen serves proper Danish classics at prices that have not kept pace with inflation. The frikadeller with pickled red cabbage is the best DKK 130 meal in the city centre.
Try: Frikadeller med rødkål
History
Frikadeller have been the Danish home-cooking centrepiece since at least the 18th century. The pork-and-veal combination is specific to Denmark; the oval hand-shape is the test of technique. Every Danish grandmother has a recipe that is the definitive one.
Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy, Eggs
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 400g ground pork
- 200g ground veal
- 1 medium onion, finely grated
- 2 eggs
- 100ml sparkling water or milk
- 3 tbsp plain flour
- 1 tsp salt
- White pepper and ground allspice
- 50g butter for frying
Method
- Mix the pork and veal together; add the grated onion, eggs, flour, salt, pepper and allspice.
- Add the sparkling water gradually and mix until the mixture is slightly sticky and holds its shape.
- Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat.
- Shape the meatballs using a large spoon dipped in the hot butter, forming an oval roughly the size of a small egg.
- Fry for 5-6 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through; do not press down.
- Serve with pickled red cabbage, boiled potatoes and a simple pan gravy.
Tip from the editors. Sparkling water makes the mixture lighter; still water or milk is more traditional. The frikadeller should puff slightly in the pan; if they do not, the mixture needs more aeration.
This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.
Where to eat frikadeller
Frikadeller in Aarhus
Den Lille Kro ★ 3.8
A cosy timber-beamed inn in the Latin Quarter serving honest Danish cooking. The roast pork with crackling and the braised beef cheek have been on the menu for decades without adjustment.
Why locals love it: Hidden down Graven behind the Cathedral, easy to walk past. No booking system and no website; it fills by locals who know it is there.
Tip: Tuesday to Thursday it is quieter. The roast pork with crackling is the order.
Restaurant Kohalen ★ 3.9
Restaurant Kohalen at the end of Jaegergaardsgade serves classic Danish lunch in premises that date to 1907, with roast pork, steak sandwiches and open sandwiches made from a straightforward kitchen.
Order: Stegt flæsk with potatoes and parsley sauce; a Nordic lunch institution in an atmospheric room.
Tip: Monday to Saturday 11:00 to 18:00, walk-ins only. The building itself dates to the old slaughterhouse district and the atmosphere reflects it.
More cities are in research. Want frikadeller covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.