Copenhagen: At Torvehallerne Market, Impeccable Taste, Design And Smoked Scallops

As I exited the bustling Nørreport metro station straight from Copenhagen airport, trolley bag and foggy, trans-Atlantic-flight head in tote, the first, second and third thing on my mind was finding a good cup of coffee. And oh yes did I find it, after a brief five-minute roll down the sidewalk, at the Torvehallern Market (torvehallernekbh.dk) — a high-end food market that takes cues from urban food meccas like La Boqueria in Barcelona and Borough Market in London. (But it's still positively Danish in design and ethic.) Lines are orderly, words limited. The silence of the whole operation was actually quite shocking. Hawking? More like a smile and a nod and a hunk of cured venison jerky pressed into my palm as a free sample. No pressure to buy, of course.

Last September Torvehallerne opened as two symmetrical buildings in a cobblestone square called Israels Plads. The structures now house over 80 food vendors selling a wide variety of culinary treasures: fresh pints of raspberries and pressed pomegranate juice, smoked salmon and langoustines the size of lobsters. A beer stand peddles quirky Danish brews and vinegars.

Many of the city’s top culinary shops opened with stalls including cult Italian bakery Il Fornaio and the city’s world-regarded coffee bar and roaster, Coffee Collective. It is there where I found my fix; a perfect little cortado made on a Kees Ven Der Westen espresso machine and a nutty, slightly acidic cup of house-roasted Ethiopian brew, which was of course served pour-over style using the latest Japanese ceramic drip cone.

The round of joe cost a mighty 80 kroner (around $13), but it was so well worth it. Especially paired with pastries from Lauras Bakery. Indeed, the Danes do not fuck around with their Danish. Here’s what else I found during my daily visits to Torvehallerne.

Also see: A Big Weekend At Copenhagen Cooking 2012

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Photos: Matt Rodbard

Torvehallerne Market includes 80 food vendors selling a wide variety of culinary treasures.

 

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A perfect cortado from Coffee Collective, made on a Kees Ven Der Westen espresso machine.

 

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The crew at Coffee Collective.

 

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Danish smørrebrød: Slices of buttered brown bread topped with egg, shrimp and mayonnaise.

 

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Fresh berries from the Rokkesysse Jordbaer stand.

 

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The owner of 360 North, a Danish products store selling cured game, vinegar and all sorts of things from the nordic country side.

 

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Prosciutto sandwich from Il Fornaio.

 

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Fruit and vegetable stands line the south end of the market.

 

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The counter at HAV fish market.

 

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Smoked salmon and scallops at HAV fish market.

 

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The morning catch at HAV fish market.

 

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Massive langoustines are a common sight on menus in Copenhagen.

 

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Salmon and tuna on ice HAV fish market.

 

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Kanelsnegle (Danish cinnamon rolls) from Lauras Bakery.

 

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Flat pastries from Lauras Bakery.