The Stegt Flæsk Pilgrimage

Slices of pork belly fried until shatteringly crisp, with a creamy parsley sauce and boiled potatoes. Denmark voted it the national dish, and proper places refill you until you surrender.

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Why this dish?

Stegt flæsk med persillesovs is gloriously straightforward: thick slices of pork belly fried (or oven-roasted) until the edges are crackling-crisp, served over boiled potatoes and smothered in persillesovs - a velvety béchamel-style parsley sauce. In 2014, Danes voted it their national dish, beating the famous open sandwiches. It is plain, perfect, and very, very Danish.

Copenhagen is a New Nordic fine-dining capital, but this is the homely counterweight - the dish Danes actually grew up on. At traditional restaurants it's often 'spis alt du kan' (all you can eat): they keep bringing crisp pork until you tap out. Pair it with a Danish pilsner or a snaps, and you've eaten the real Denmark for the price of a budget flight.

Our Picks

Restaurant Kronborg

Address: Brolæggerstræde 12, Copenhagen
What to order: Stegt flæsk med persillesovs - and if it's the refill kind, pace yourself. A Carlsberg or a chilled aquavit alongside.
Book ahead: Worth booking for lunch.
Pro tip: The crispier the flæsk, the better; don't be shy about asking for the well-done end slices.

Det Lille Apotek

Store Kannikestræde 15, Copenhagen

Said to be Copenhagen's oldest restaurant (1720), cosy and candle-lit in the Latin Quarter - the historical version of the frokost lunch.

What to order: Stegt flæsk if on, or a plate of smørrebrød (open sandwiches) to taste the other Danish classic.

Good to know

Denmark uses the krone, not the euro, and Copenhagen isn't cheap - budget accordingly. 'Frokost' restaurants are the traditional lunch spots and the right place for this. The city is famously flat and bike-friendly; the metro from the airport reaches the centre in ~15 minutes.

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