The story
Reffen, Copenhagen’s sprawling street food market on Refshalevej, draws crowds with its buzzy, artistic waterfront atmosphere. Mark Wiens calls it “Copenhagen’s largest street food market,” where stalls serve everything from Nordic hot dogs to Filipino specialties by Thrilla in Manila and Mexican-inspired tacos. It’s a tourist-friendly destination that captures the city’s modern, casual food scene in one lively spot.
But Reffen also holds more refined corners. Doobydobap praises Omens, a Michelin-recognized stall, for its “incredible attention to detail” on smørrebrød—using different rye breads for each topping, with the beef tartare as her “forever favorite.” Meanwhile, Cosa mangiamo oggi? discovered a Roman-run kiosk serving “authentic carbonara, cacio e pepe, and aglio e olio—a taste of home in Denmark.” Whether you want street food or chef-driven Nordic classics, Reffen layers both into one waterfront destination.
Synthesised by AI from every creator’s review. First reviewed 2023.
Most-loved dishes
AI summary of what 5 dish mentions say about the food
Reviewers rave about Reffen's carbonara, calling it a creamy, soul-warming standout. The overall vibe is casual, vibrant street food done right.
“Spectacular. Even the cacio e pepe is just pecorino and pepper. Since Roman cuisine is really poor, we try, in a proud way, to represent it as it is. They're a bit covered in pecorino cheese -but I think you can see… -Excellent! Why carbonara cacio e pepe in Copenhagen? But why not, I'll tell you? Does it seem creamy enough? The dressing is good, the tonnarelli are good, there is a ton of pepper. The guanciale is really guanciale. They told us that when they opened this place a few years ago, in the early days they had to do some education towards the Danes because people asked themselves: Why is this carbonara so yellow? But where is the cream? Where are the mushrooms and where are the onions? You understand that they calmly sat there, explained to him how things are done well, they have the right ingredients, they get the guanciale sent from Italy… In short, it's the right stuff. And they're also teaching the people who live here how carbonara is really made. Ok, I'll give one more taste and then let's move on to the cacio e pepe.”
What creators say
3 creators have covered Reffen - Skøjteøen. Most active: Mark Wiens, Cosa mangiamo oggi?, Doobydobap
Reffen is Copenhagen's largest street food market, offering a vibrant, artistic atmosphere with diverse international food stalls, including Nordic hot dogs and Filipino specialties.
Dishes mentioned
- Nordic Hot Dogs
- Filipino Street Food (Thrilla in Manila)
- Mexican Inspired Tacos
A market kiosk in central Copenhagen run by Romans, serving authentic carbonara, cacio e pepe, and aglio e olio; a taste of home in Denmark.
Dishes mentioned
Carbonara
Spectacular. Even the cacio e pepe is just pecorino and pepper. Since Roman cuisine is really poor, we try, in a proud way, to represent it as it is. They're a bit covered in pecorino cheese -but I think you can see… -Excellent! Why carbonara cacio e pepe in Copenhagen? But why not, I'll tell you? Does it seem creamy enough? The dressing is good, the tonnarelli are good, there is a ton of pepper. The guanciale is really guanciale. They told us that when they opened this place a few years ago, in the early days they had to do some education towards the Danes because people asked themselves: Why is this carbonara so yellow? But where is the cream? Where are the mushrooms and where are the onions? You understand that they calmly sat there, explained to him how things are done well, they have the right ingredients, they get the guanciale sent from Italy… In short, it's the right stuff. And they're also teaching the people who live here how carbonara is really made. Ok, I'll give one more taste and then let's move on to the cacio e pepe.
Cacio e Pepe
As regards the cacio e pepe, however, the situation is a bit different because carbonara is quite famous as a dish abroad, even if people make mistakes and use ingredients that have nothing to do with it. Instead, they told us that at the beginning people didn't really know what the cacio e pepe was because it wasn't as famous as the carbonara and therefore even there, slowly, over time, they also taught people to appreciate this dish. What poetry, guys. This is one of those dishes that, if I stay on a desert island, I'll take the cacio e pepe with me. And cacio e pepe, we've told you a thousand times, even in the recipe we made at home, is a difficult dish to make, even though it only has two ingredients. It takes a moment and you ruin the cream, uh.
Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
Oh well we got carried away and we also took a garlic and oil. Look how beautiful. By the way, these spaghetti are crazy stuff, guys. Made in the moment, huh. Pasta is amazing. Al dente, nice and thick, angel hair is not spaghettini. If you are in Copenhagen and suddenly miss home, now you know where to go.
Omens is featured in the Michelin Guide for their modern take on smørrebrød, with incredible attention to detail — different rye breads for each topping, and the beef tartare is my forever favorite.
Dishes mentioned
Salted Pickled Herring
The herring is fermented in barrels with salt, left in a basement for two to three months. The lactic fermentation breaks down bones and makes it very acidic and fresh. When it goes through the salting process, the moisture is drawn out, so the flesh becomes a lot more taut and has a really nice bite.
Beef Tartare Smørrebrød
This is my favorite smørrebrød at Omens forever. The tartar here is just so good — you can see how beautifully red the beef is, and they grind it. What I think is really special about Omens is they have different types of rye bread for each smørrebrød. This one has more oat flakes embedded on the top rim, which makes sense because you want a hardier bite since the tartar is a little bit more soft. The attention to detail at Omens is what makes it really really special.
