Copenhagen
The Meatpacking District in Copenhagen: Kødbyen’s restaurants, bars and nights out
Tacos at the counter, oysters in an old cold store and beer brewed on site. Kødbyen in Vesterbro still trades meat by day, but by night it is Copenhagen’s liveliest food quarter. Here are the places we recommend, and the hotels within walking distance.
It is seven o’clock on a Friday evening, and the lorries that delivered meat this morning are long gone. Along the white brick buildings people queue outside the taco bar, smoke from the grill drifts across the square, and from an old cold store comes the smell of oysters and white wine. Kødbyen is still a place where meat is traded by day. By night, it is Copenhagen’s liveliest food quarter.
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Short answer: what is the Meatpacking District?
Kødbyen, the old slaughterhouse district in Vesterbro, lies just behind Copenhagen Central Station. Its white functionalist buildings from the 1930s now house restaurants, bars, breweries and galleries, side by side with wholesalers who still sell meat. Come for dinner and stay for the night.
Stay within walking distance
With a pool under a glass roof: Manon Les Suites Guldsmeden, minutes from Kødbyen. See rooms at Manon Les Suites
In Carlsberg City: Boutique Hotel Ottilia, in the old brewery buildings. See rooms at Boutique Hotel Ottilia
The restaurants
Kødbyens Fiskebar: the pioneer
The fish bar was among the first to move in as the butchers began to leave, and it has been full ever since. The room is raw and industrial, and the menu is built on fresh fish, shellfish and oysters.
Good to know: Flæsketorvet 100. Book for weekends.
Hija de Sanchez: queueing for tacos
People queue at the counter for tacos made with house-made masa, which many eat standing up or on a bench outside. Cheap, quick and among the best food in the district.
Good to know: Slagterboderne 8.
Paté Paté: a wine bar in an old pâté factory
The name comes from the factory that once stood here, and today it is one of Kødbyen’s most popular wine bars, with French- and Spanish-inspired sharing plates and a wine list recognised by Star Wine List.
Good to know: Slagterboderne 1.
Manon Les Suites, minutes from Kødbyen.
WarPigs: beer and Texas-style barbecue
A huge, raw brewpub with its own brewery and more than twenty taps. The meat is smoked for hours and ordered at the counter.
Good to know: Flæsketorvet 25-37.
Fleisch: the butcher that became a restaurant
Fleisch is a butcher’s shop and restaurant in one, fitting its neighbourhood. Classic smørrebrød is served at lunch, and in the evening meat from its own counter.
Good to know: Slagterboderne 7.
Gorilla: bar and restaurant
In old industrial premises, Gorilla is split into a bar with small plates and a more classic restaurant. A good place to start the evening.
Good to know: Flæsketorvet 63.
After dinner
At weekends Kødbyen becomes one of the city’s most popular nightlife areas, with bars and clubs open late. For a quieter evening, go midweek.
Getting there
Kødbyen is a five- to ten-minute walk from Copenhagen Central Station. The nearest S-train station is Dybbølsbro.
Where to stay
Manon Les Suites Guldsmeden: a pool under a glass roof
Suites around a leafy, glass-roofed courtyard with a pool, minutes from the slaughterhouse buildings.
Book your stay: See rooms at Manon Les Suites
Boutique Hotel Ottilia: in Carlsberg City
Rooms set in Carlsberg’s old breweries, with views across Vesterbro from the roof.
Book your stay: See rooms at Boutique Hotel Ottilia
Boutique Hotel Danmark: by City Hall Square
Right in the centre, yet only ten minutes’ walk from Kødbyen, with a rooftop bar to start the night.
Book your stay: See rooms at Boutique Hotel Danmark
Frequently asked questions about the Meatpacking District
Where is the Meatpacking District in Copenhagen?
In Vesterbro, just behind Copenhagen Central Station.
What is Kødbyen known for?
Its restaurants, bars and nightlife in the old slaughterhouse buildings, and the fact that meat is still traded there by day.
Do you need to book in Kødbyen?
At the popular restaurants, especially at weekends. Taco bars and brewpubs take walk-ins.