I’ve already had a few posts from Torvehallerne market. We started and ended every day of our time in Copenhagen at the market and could have easily spent the whole day there lounging and drinking glasses of wine while eating tapas. Torvehallerne Market is located in the old market square of Copenhagen where, back in the days, a farmer’s market used to be located. But as the city became more industrialised the locals were more interested in shopping at the supermarkets and the farmer’s market quickly fell out of favour. Recently, a group of chefs in Copenhagen, led by the founder and head chef at Noma, voted the world’s best restaurant, came together to create a Manifesto for New Nordic Cuisine which outlines 10 points that guides chefs in Denmark and beyond. In a nutshell, according to this manifesto, food should be locally sourced, based on seasonal ingredients that are sustainably and ethically produced. These ten points have guided a whole new generation of chefs across the city transforming Copenhagen into a food mecca.
One of the results of this new food renaissance in Denmark is the Torvehallerne market. Situated inside two large glass buildings housed in the old market square, the market is filled with over 60 different stalls selling local, organic, fresh foods, product, spices, chocolate, meat etc., one of which is Grannie’s House.
You could easily miss Grannie’s House on your walk around Torvehallerne market. It is in the corner off the main passageway where most of the traffic is. But missing it would be such a pity because it is one of the best things in the market…and there are a lot of incredible things in this market.
You have already been introduced to the porridge delights of Grod. There are the Danish Pastries at Lauras Bakery right at the far end. Across from Lauras Bakery is Coffee Connection, an incredible coffee shop where the coffee changes seasonally and is of extremely high quality. Summerbird is an organic chocolate shop that sells a local delicacy: marshmallow covered in rich dark chocolate.
This is all found in Torvehallerne 2 where they keep the sweets and the chocolates while Torvehallerne 1 is for fish and savory items, which by design also keeps the different, uncompatible smells separate. In Torvehallerne 1 some highlights include Arla Unika. Arla is the biggest cheese manufacturer in Denmark and they recently realized there was an increasing demand for more quality, small scale production cheeses. So they created a line of very high quality cheese that was only available to high end and Michelin starred restaurants…until now. The market has their only store where they sell to the public and the staff are more than happy to give out samples and walk you through their cheese selection. They also have an apple wine, a sweet wine that goes really well with the cheese. Denmark doesn’t grow grapes, but they do grow a whole lot of apples. Really nice.
Right next to this is Bornholm Shop. Bornholm is a small island in Denmark that gets more sun than the rest of the country. Because it is they have a lot of local produce and their products have recently become very popular due to the new wave of demand for locally produced, artisan and organic products. Their gooseberry and their rhubarb juices are delicious, not very sweet. They also have a great selection of craft beers.
There are lots of options for hot food too. Grom’s at the top has thin crust pizza made right in front of you with a range of interesting toppings. If you want fish you are spoiled for choice but make sure you head to Hav.dk where you can buy a range of salads with fish in them, fish cakes made regularly as well as any fish they sell cooked fresh for you while you wait. You can also dive into Denmark’s traditional open-faced sandwiches at Hall’s Sandwiches. Step outside to try Thai Food in a Box. They only have 3 or 4 options to choose from but they are all equally delicious and highly recommended. Really this is just a very small selection as every stall was or looked as tasty as the next.
But Granny’s is a must. Being in the corner you are kind of protected from the crowds but still have the choice of either sitting inside just along the small stall or outside on their colourful terrace. Everything about Granny’s is colourful. The little tables are multicoloured as are the blankets thrown over the tops of the chairs for you to cover yourself with on a cold day. All of their plates and cups are brightly coloured too with pokadots and flowers, while large multicolored light balls float above the stand, illuminating the whole space. A pink elephant on the main counter greets patrons with a sign saying “If they want to have breakfast in bed, sleep in the kitchen.” Next you have the sweets and oh what sweets they have. Everything at Granny’s is made completely from scratch and they look stunning. The chocolate cake was incredibly moist and delicious. But their hot chocolate was the highlight. Also made from scratch it was served in a large bright red china cup with white flowers. It was the perfect balance of not too sweet and not too bitter, not too decadent but not too light. Just right…
Verdict: Loved Granny’s. Loved Torvehallerne. Going back tomorrow, to both. Highly recommended. Grannie’s, Torvehallerne, Copenhagen, Denmark
