Food experiences in the Old Town from hotdogs to whipped cream cakes

A visit to Den Gamle By is not only an experience through different periods of Danish history. Along the way, you can also taste your way through several decades of classic Danish open sandwiches, old-fashioned pastries, hot dogs and pizza from the local pizzeria.

Here you won't find one unified food area. The eateries are located throughout the neighborhoods and are part of the story of the time that each neighborhood represents. You can have lunch in cozy old-fashioned living rooms, sit down with a strawberry pie in a 1970s pastry shop, or grab a hot dog at the hot dog stand.

In this guide we have collected some of the food experiences that you can find in the Old Town.

A real hotdog stand in the 1974 neighborhood

There are foods that, in principle, you can easily make at home, but which will never taste quite the same. Such is the case with hot dogs.

Hot dogs from a real hot dog stand just taste special. It's the combination of the grilled sausage, the warm bread, the dressing, the roasted onions, and the cucumber salad, but it's also the whole experience surrounding it. There's something special about standing at a hot dog stand with a hot dog in your hand while trying to eat it without half of the filling ending up on the ground or down your jacket.

The sausage cart in Den Gamle By is located in the 1974 quarter and fits perfectly between the shops and other houses from the period. In the 1970s, there were around 700 sausage carts in Denmark. Today, there are not as many left and mostly in the big cities, but the sausage cart fortunately still has a very special place in Danish food culture.

Here you can get the classic hot dog stand experience with a hot dog and a cold Cocio. It doesn't get much more Danish than that.

Danish lunch at Restaurant Gæstgivergården

If you are hungrier and would like to sit down for a proper lunch, you will find Restaurant Gæstgivergården in the older part of Den Gamle By.

The restaurant serves traditional Danish food based on historical cookbooks. The menu includes both hot and cold lunch dishes as well as classic smørrebrød. Some of the dishes take you back to the time when the recipes were found in Frøken Jensen's cookbook, and when meatballs and potatoes were a natural part of the lunch table.

If you belong to the slightly older generation, you probably grew up with Danish open sandwiches and many of the classic dishes served at Gæstgivergården. Fortunately, open sandwiches have not gone out of fashion. On the contrary, they have made a comeback and are now found on the menus of many restaurants in both Aarhus and the rest of the country.

And while a slice of rye bread may not sound like the most filling meal, don't underestimate Danish smørrebrød. When the bread is covered with fish, meat, shrimp, vegetables, dressing and garnishes, a single slice can easily make up an entire lunch.

Restaurant Gæstgivergården is decorated with old-fashioned, cozy living rooms, where it almost feels like you have entered a private home from another time. You can eat in the Old Living Rooms or in the more modern Pejsestue. When the weather is nice, it is recommended to sit in the courtyard, and if you have children with you, they can play in Dyrefolden while the adults relax.

There are vegetarian dishes on the menu, and allergens and intolerances can also be taken into account.

Whipped cream cakes and strawberry tarts at Café Bonnich

In the 1974 district you will also find the pastry shop Café Bonnich. When you stand in front of the display case with the delicious cakes, it can be difficult to decide which cake to bring to the table.

The café is decorated with the original interior from Café Bonnich in Aabenraa. It is not a modern coffee shop with raw walls and minimalist furniture, but a really cozy pastry shop, as it might have looked in the 1970s.

The display cases feature classic whipped cream cakes such as goose breasts, medallions and Napoleon hats. The selection varies according to the season, and in the summer you can also taste large whipped cream cakes with strawberries and the classic strawberry tarts.

All cakes are made by Den Gamle By's own pastry chef based on historical recipes. That's why Café Bonnich is not just a place where you can satisfy your sugar craving. The pastry shop is also part of the story of which cakes the Danes ordered when they wanted to have a good time or celebrate something special.

Behind the patisserie is a small serving area where you can sit down with a cake, coffee, tea or hot chocolate. Here you can take a break before continuing your tour through the streets.

If you don't have room for more cake, there are plenty of options to buy something delicious to take home. On the shelves in the patisserie are bags of cookies and pretzels, among other things, that can be saved for coffee for the next few days.

Pizza and fries in 2014

As you walk through the 1974 district and on towards Dronning Margrethes Gade, the dining experience also changes. Here, Napoli Pizza is located on the corner of the pedestrian street.

The pizzeria represents a place of eating that most Danes are familiar with, and which is still a permanent part of the cityscape. Over several decades, the local pizzeria became a permanent part of Danish cities, and around 2014, the pizzeria was one of the most common types of shop in the streetscape.

Napoli Pizza is decorated with inspiration from four pizzerias on Lolland-Falster. Here you can buy, among other things, various pizzas, French fries and ice cream. The pizzas are in a size that can easily constitute an entire meal, and they come out of the hot oven with a crispy edge and plenty of filling. It is also possible to order pizza with a gluten-free base.

Napoli Pizza is an obvious stop if you want something familiar and filling, or if the younger members of the family aren't quite as enthusiastic about tartlets and Danish open sandwiches.

Take a bag of candy home with you.

Before leaving the Old Town, you can stop by the souvenir shop and take a bag of sweets home.

Here you will find bags of candies in many different colors and flavors. You can find lemon candies, rusty nails and mixes with the classic candies that many will remember from childhood.

The selection is so large that it can be almost difficult to choose. On the other hand, the sweets are easy to take home in your bag, and then a few days later you can sit with a sweet in your mouth and remember the trip through Den Gamle By.

Food experiences as part of history

The special thing about eating in Den Gamle By is that the food doesn't stand alone. The hot dog cart, the open sandwiches, the pastries and the pizza become part of the time travel that is already taking place around you.

You can start with a classic Danish lunch, continue with a whipped cream cake from the 1970s and later have a pizza in a pizzeria from 2014. Or you can keep it simple with a hotdog and a Cocio at the hot dog stand.

It is a familiar food that most of us have a relationship with, but in Den Gamle By it also becomes a small taste of our shared history.

The guide has been created in collaboration with Den Gamle By.

Practical information about restaurants in the Old Town

• Address: The Old Town, Viborgvej 2, 8000 Aarhus C.
• Restaurants in the guide: Pølsevognen, Restaurant Gæstgivergården, Café Bonnich and Napoli Pizza.
• Vegetarian options: Found on Restaurant Gæstgivergården's menu, among other things.
• Gluten-free option: Napoli Pizza offers pizza with gluten-free crust.
• Bring your own food: The Old Town has areas where bring your own food can be enjoyed.
• Opening hours: Opening hours of restaurants may vary depending on the season and day.
• Admission: An entrance fee must be paid to visit the Old Town to visit the restaurants.
• Read more: See current opening hours, menus and practical information at The Old Town website.