Scandinavia Foodie Guide

The Nordic Food Culture

One of my favorite things about travel is the food, but not for the reasons that most think. While nearly everyone who travels enjoys tasting new foods and exploring the cultural traditions, one thing that never fails to stun me is the relative healthfulness of the cuisine in almost every country around the world. In contrast to the American diet and food system, nearly every other culture eats more whole foods, less processed and less junky ingredients.

I won’t get on too much of a soapbox about overproduced, highly subsidized crops and their effect on our American food system. Nor will I go too far down the rabbit hole of the fast food and snacking phenomenon in our culture. Needless to say, we have “food issues” in the States, and many of us with chronic health conditions are paying a huge price. It’s estimated that more than 10% of Americans, including children, have a food sensitivity - and that’s only those diagnosed. When you have a chronic health issue rooted in immune and inflammatory response, diet can play a huge role in your daily existence - especially if you are fighting an underlying viral infection.

I began eating gluten free eleven years ago, egg free some years before that and dairy free some years later. All in, I’ve been tailoring my diet for more than 15 years, and while navigating the food landscape here at home is much easier than it was a decade ago, it’s still a bit of a daily obstacle course. I’ve grown used to it, but it’s not without effort.

When I stepped off the plane in Denmark this summer, traveling internationally for the first time in three years, I had forgotten the utter freedom of eating in another country. From our very first stop at a food hall, I felt my shoulders drop an inch in relief. Did you know that European countries track seventeen common allergens on menus and labels? 17!! From Copenhagen to Bergen and Oslo, from the cities to the countryside, food stands to Michelin star restaurants, we ate our way through Scandinavia with hardly a second thought to the ingredients we were consuming.

Ah, those beautiful Nordic ingredients! Part of the reason I found eating in Scandinavia to be so effortless is the cuisine is built on such healthful building blocks: seafood, vegetables and foraged plants, berries and local fruits, nuts and spices. The Nordic countries also love their dairy products, but are making a concerted effort to move toward plant-based milks in support of sustainability efforts (although good luck finding anything other than Oatmilk!). Bread and baked goods have significant place in the diet, but are quite easily swapped or omitted without any impact to the experience. What’s not included is also significant - most foods do not include additional starches, gums, flavoring agents, coloring, seed oils or other irritants. You can order smoked salmon with asparagus and know that’s all you’ll get and there won’t be any hidden gluten in your dish.

So the table is set, so to speak, to walk into nearly any restaurant, find a dish that works for you, and order it without judgement or frustration, and far more confidence that what ends up on your plate will make you feel good, in addition to tasting great. What’s more, the obesity rate in Scandinavia is 85% less than the US, so clearly they are on to something! After a week of eating in Scandinavia, I don’t know if I’ve ever felt healthier.

Nordic Eating Highlights

But enough about the healthiness of the Nordic diet…let’s talk about the goods! When I’m traveling to explore any place, I am usually looking for the trifecta in my eating choices: 1) the experience or ambiance, 2) delicious food prepared with care, and 3) something inspiring.

Here were our favorite places that hit the perfect trifecta:

Marv & Ben (COPENHAGEN)

The Experience: A multi-year Michelin star restaurant, featuring a wonderful tasting menu

The Food: Absolutely exquisite dishes prepared with hyper-local ingredients. The tasting menu offered a perfect journey from the sea (Oysters and Hamachi) to the land (Chicken with local mushrooms) and finished with sweets (Strawberries Three Ways). Each dish was prepared to perfection in flavor, texture and appearance. I was especially impressed by their mixology juice pairings for the non-alcoholic tasting menu option!

The Inspiration: A quaint space, on a cute cobblestone street, full of happy guests. The room was one of the most joyful I have experienced at a restaurant.

I’ll never forget this meal for how it tasted and how it felt to share with my mom. It goes in my top 3 of all time for sure!

Restaurant Barr (Copenhagen)

The Experience: Barr sits on hallowed ground - in the original Noma location (almost unanimously heralded as the best restaurant in the world for more than a decade running), right on the Nordalantens Brygge (North Atlantic Harbor) overlooking the canal and the popular Inderhavnsbroen foot bridge.

The Food: So-called “North Sea” cuisine built on the same foundations as the famed Noma menu. Traditional Nordic dishes and ingredients, fully reimagined with foraged, preserved and semi-molecular techniques. (If none of this means anything to you, simply know the food is exceptional and unique.) The salt-baked whole Turbot was fantastic, but the seasonal salads celebrating the local produce really blew my skirt up!

The Inspiration: The space is informal and cozy, as if your chic Danish cousin were to have you over for dinner. Every detail was gorgeous and oozed “hygge” (cozy, comforting) vibes in a natural palette. From the beautiful ceramics to the hanging dried flowers, every single detail was considered and rooted in the natural beauty of the great North.

Seks Bakery & Eatery (Copenhagen)

The Experience: An international take on hygge with the warmth of your own kitchen nook…if your kitchen were uber-stylish and in a beautiful centuries-old building.

The Food: An eclectic all-day menu perfect for breakfast, lunch or a light dinner - all inspired by the owners’ trips together around the world. While bread is at the core of the experience, the coffee and juices and variety of plated dishes could easily make this a daily stop.

The Inspiration: The space is at once comfortable and homey, with multiple bookshelves full of globally inspired cookbooks invites you to stay, read and imagine your next meal.

PALÆO (Copenhagen, in Tivoli Food Hall)

The Experience: A quick grab and go food stand within the walls of the Tivoli Food Hall (no entrance ticket needed for the food hall.)

The Food: The most incredible paleo quick-serve menu I’ve ever seen! Gluten-free, Lactose-free, NO added sugar or processed carbohydrates. From egg-based wraps loaded with delicious veggies and meats to salads with the most interesting toppings, I loved how healthful and colorful these choices were. Note: If you are soy or legume sensitive, you may want to opt out of the edamame in many of the salads and wraps.

The Inspiration: Healthful and colorful food in mere minutes - an unexpected gem in a European theme park!

Ben Reddik (Oslo)

The Experience: Fresh, sustainable and organic ingredients come together deliciously in this Mediterranean cafe. During the summer months, the sidewalk cafe is particularly sweet.

The Food: A wide array of classic Mediterranean shared plates, perfect for pre-dinner drinks or a lighter dinner.

The Inspiration: Don’t miss the Kefta! These flavors were a fantastic contrast to the classic Scandi food we had been enjoying all week. We loved tasting some of the immigrant influence around the beautiful city of Oslo.

Paradiso Gelato (Copenhagen & Oslo)

The Experience: With a few locations around the city, the stand right on the Aker Brygge (marina) is not to be missed on a summer afternoon!

The Food: An incredible array of flavors ranging from passionfruit to chocolate (I recommend both!)

The Inspiration: In the summer Scandi season of strawberries, I was missing my almost daily chocolate fix. The dairy-free chocolate sorbet gelato was the smoothest gelato I’ve had outside of Italy!

Hotel Breakfast Buffets!

The Experience: Because the morning cafe culture starts so much later in Scandinavia (especially in Norway), almost any hotel you stay at will offer a breakfast buffet. Note: If you stay at a private vacation rental, you will want to stock your fridge for breakfast and morning coffee or tea - you won’t find anything local open before about 10am.

The Food: At the three different hotels we stayed in, each had an incredible brunch spread, worthy of the rave. From a variety of fresh made breads and toppings for DIY open-faced toasts, to local yogurts, soft-boiled eggs, fruits and fresh juices, and smoked fish. Each buffet also had a salad and had many gluten-free options. Even with my very limited diet, I was able to enjoy some smoked salmon, fruits, avocado and salad to start my day.

The Inspiration: Imagine you just stopped by your best friend’s house in Copenhagen for brunch and they laid out a welcoming spread for breakfast. Every hotel, even the more basic hotels, had very impressive breakfast buffets to leave you feeling welcomed and at home!