05/09/2026: Yummy, fish fillet with shrimp, expensive but good, good homemade chicken salad.
26/08/2026: Kanal Cafeen – from 4 to 5 stars, but now drop the half cucumber
We first reviewed Kanal Cafeen back in 2016. Back then we ended up with 4 stars.
Since then we have been back several times, and now I actually think it is time to upgrade to 5.
Atmosphere & surroundings
Kanal Cafeen is one of the classic Copenhagen basement pubs, where you walk down the stairs and directly into Danish lunchtime coziness.
Small rooms, close between the tables and lots of history and atmosphere. It is not the place if you want an intimate conversation that the next table should not hear.
On the other hand, you may have made new friends before lunch is over.
But in the summer, Kanal Cafeen has an extra ace up its sleeve: the barge outside.
Sitting there by the canal with classic Danish smørrebrød and something cold in a glass is simply one of the coziest things.
The food – and the portions!
The portions at Kanal Cafeen are gigantic.
They were on our first visit, and they still are. Here you don't go home looking for a hotdog on the way.
On our last visit, we had smoked eel, potato salad and rib roast.
The smoked eel was really good, and the potato salad was delicious.
The rib roast was exactly as it should be: juicy, tender and with lots of crispy skin.
A little pork heaven.
And over the years we have been around several other dishes. The overall picture is the same: Kanal Cafeen can make a good, classic Danish lunch.
But then there's the garnish...
Already in my review from 2016, I complained about the excessive garnish on the food. At that time, I asked, among other things, who eats tomatoes and orange slices with rib roast.
Ten years later, I can say:
The battle is not yet won.
Who eats half a cucumber cut into large slices with potato soup and smoked eel?
And why do you still need orange slices with the rib roast?
It's left on the plate and sent straight back to the kitchen. It's not decoration. It's food waste.
In fact, it's almost enough to make me want to take back the fifth star.
Almost.
The service
Because something positive has happened here too.
The service is fun, service-minded and fits the place perfectly. A comment or a little humor is welcome along with the food.
It's part of the experience at a classic Copenhagen lunch restaurant.
Overall experience
After several visits, I no longer think the 4 stars from 2016 are adequate.
The food is consistently good, the portions are enormous, the atmosphere is fantastic, and on a nice day the barge outside is hard to beat.
That's why we're upgrading.
Conclusion
Kanal Cafeen has become one of the places we like to return to when we want a classic Danish lunch.
Good food, gigantic portions, lots of Copenhagen coziness and service with humor.
👉 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ from us this time.
But dear Kanal Cafeen...
Drop the half cucumber and the orange slices now, so I don't have to come back in ten years and complain again. 😄
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