There's more to Danish dining than rashers and pastries

Scandinavian food is grabbing the attention of the world's culinary elite, with new takes on traditional Nordic recipes. Look no further than Copenhagen, says food writer Trine Hahnemann

Scandinavian food is the new hip cuisine, and Copenhagen is a great place to experience it, both traditional, slow food and the new, light style of cooking making waves in the culinary world.

Nordic chefs have begun to explore what our own cuisine has to offer, instead of always following the French example, and they're working with produce from the fields, forest and seas around us.

To experience the best of the new Nordic cuisine, try Bo Bech's Restaurant Paustian on Kalkbranderilobskaj or Paul Cunningham's restaurant, The Paul, in Tivoli. And don't miss Noma, on Strandgade, where René Redzepi is the chef – it came in at No 3 in this year's San Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants.

Central Copenhagen is a busy place. Go early in the morning, when it is quiet, and eat breakfast at Café Europa by the Storkespringvandet fountain in Hojbro Plads. The café in the courtyard of the Royal Copenhagen flagship store is a beautiful place to eat, too. Its decor evokes the fairy-tale atmosphere you might expect from the city where Hans Christian Andersen made his name.

While you're here, try the smushi – small pieces of smorrebrod, the traditional Danish open sandwich – and the tasty selection of cakes. Smorrebrod, which comes with various toppings, is one of Denmark's most famous exports. For a more traditional version visit Slotskaelderen hos Gitte Kik, just around the corner from Café Europa. It is usually packed with politicians because it is also opposite the Folketing, the Danish parliament.

All the smorrebrod on the menu are displayed on a buffet, which makes it easier to choose if you're a visitor. The idea is to select three or four pieces of smorrebrod: herring or some other fish first, then meat, followed by Danish cheese or blue cheese. Try the fried liver with soft onions, eggs and shrimps, or old Danish cheese with rum. Next door to the Gitte Kik is the K bar – make a note of it for later, it's a fun place to drink cocktails.

Nimb, one of the first restaurants to open in Tivoli, has recently been renovated by the Gronlykke family, who own some of the main high-end food businesses in Denmark, including Falsled Kro, a small luxury hotel in the countryside, and Kong Hans, a Michelin-starred restaurant on Vingaardsstrade in central Copenhagen. Nimb now encompasses a small luxury hotel, brasserie Nimb, a dairy, and high-end restaurant called Herman, where the chef, Thomas Herman, creates his own wonderful interpretation of Danish cuisine. It even has an excellent hot-dog stand which makes this favourite snack with organic sausages and onions fried in duck fat with rosemary.

Outside the centre of Copenhagen, explore the brokvartererne, the city's neighbourhoods. Start in Vesterbro, which begins to the west of the main train station and contains the remnants of the old meat district, now an area filled with bars, restaurants and galleries. In the bar-café Karrierebar you can admire the work of many artists because everything, from the furniture to the bar, is an art installation. I love the atmosphere and the food is good. Try the lamb stew, mussels or homemade ravioli. After you've eaten, take a stroll along Vaernedamsvej, a street lined with lots of small food shops and cafés.

Norrebro is an up-and-coming neighbourhood with a multicultural population and a great buzz – residential and cool at the same time. As well as the variety of world foods available here, the area boasts the best halal food shops in town. Go to Jaegersborggade for Katz Kitchen, on the outskirts of the borough, where you can sit outside and enjoy a sandwich or salad, have coffee at the Coffee Collective and browse the small designer shops and art galleries. Or eat at gofood.dk, a tiny place with communal tables where they serve a great Saturday breakfast of French toast and yoghurt with berries. Beware: most places close on Sundays.

In the centre of Norrebro, Sankt Hans Torv is the place to be seen, an open-air square where young people hang out, especially at weekends when the party atmosphere continues well into the long summer nights. The cafés in Sankt Hans Torv are excellent places for trying out some of our famous Danish beers, particularly those from the microbreweries Orbaek, Herslev, Fur or Carlsberg's organic beer, Jacobsen. Excellent coffee is served at Kaffeplantagen and in Elmegade, which has many little food places and a good sushi bar called Selfish. For coffee, wine, tapas and literature, go to Underwood Ink in Ryesgade.

Aamanns in Osterbro, my own neighbourhood, serves the best smorrebrod in town. The cooking is organic, both modern and traditional in style, with a changing menu that includes favourites such as Icelandic herrings and potato smorrebrod. If you eat in, the smorrebrod is beautifully served on classic Danish royal china. Aamanns also sells rye bread, takeaway dinners, ice cream and all kinds of homemade products.

For a local dinner in a bustling place with great food and atmosphere, visit Luns, run by chef and owner Jens Vestergaard, who gave up his two Michelin-starred restaurant to run this small neighbourhood eatery. He works in the kitchen with just two waiters looking after the diners – if they are not outside smoking with the guests! The food is always seasonal and dishes are served in rustic pots and pans taken direct to the small tables. The place is very informal, great fun and has an impressive wine list.

Copenhagen is a city defined by water – not just its proximity to the sea but also its five 16th-century artificial lakes, which run through the city from Vesterbro to Norrebro and Osterbro. The shores are peppered with cafés and bars and in the evening the atmosphere is magical, with light from candles and windows reflecting in the water. Christianshavn, south of the city centre, is a beautiful, regenerated area, an island connected to the mainland by three bridges for traffic and one for pedestrians and cyclists. This is where you'll find Noma – it's expensive, but worth every penny.

This is also home to Denmark's best bakery, Lagkagehuset, at Christianshavns Torv. I can recommend everything here: rye bread, muesli buns, muffins and the best Danish pastry in the world. They all have different names, but everybody speaks English, so just ask. Try the kartoffelcake; I have a recipe for this Danish cake in my book. Ole Kristoffersen, the owner, is responsible for developing the bread. His ciabatta and spelt breads are among the best I've tasted. It's a great place to eat – sit at high chairs in the window and watch life pass by outside.

Christianshavn is also the location of Christiania, the hippie community founded in 1971, which is still a partially self-governing neighbourhood of about 850 residents. Past Christiania in Holmen, slightly further to the north, the old navy barrack has been converted into attractive apartments and offices, with direct access to the water. From this side of the town you get some beautiful views of Copenhagen.

If you have time, rent a car and drive north along the coast for a picnic. In Denmark, we picnic all year round whatever the weather. Danes joke that there is no such thing as bad weather – only wrong clothing!

Pick up your supplies in the food and wine retailer Logismose at the harbour behind the Gefion fountain, and be sure to include some Danish specialities – ham, salami, liver pâté, Danbo Danish cheese and rye bread.

Once the provisions are bought, drive along the coastline on Strandvejen to catch a glimpse of Sweden across the water. Stop at the woods at Dyrehaven, just after Taarbaek, and take a walk in the forest and park. This is where many Copenhageners spend their Sundays strolling, enjoying picnics, cycling or riding. It's just the place, however briefly, to feel like a real local.

Trine Hahnemann's next book, The Nordic Diet, will be published by Quadrille in January, price £12.99

Where to eat

Restaurant Paustian V Bo Bech, Kalkbraederiloberkaj 2 (00 45 39 18 55 01; restaurantpaustian.dk).

The Paul, Vesterbrogade 3 (00 45 33 75 07 75, thepaul.dk).

Noma, Strandgade 93 (00 45 32 96 32 97, noma.dk).

Café Europa, Amagertorv 1 (00 45 33 14 28 89, europa1989.dk).

The Royal Café, Amagertorv 6 (00 45 38 14 95 27, theroyalcafe.dk). Slotkaelderen hos Gitte Kik, Fortunstæde 4 (00 45 33 11 15 37).

K Bar, Ved Stranden 20 (00 45 33 91 92 22, k-bar.dk). Nimb, Bernstorffsgade 5 (00 45 88 70 00 00, nimb.dk).

Falsled Kro, Assensvej 513, Millinge, Falsled (00 45 62 68 11 11; falsledkro.dk).

Kong Hans Kaelder, Vingaardsstræde 6 (00 45 33 11 68 68, konghans.dk). Karrierebar, Flaesketorvet 57-67 (00 45 33 21 55 09, karrierebar.com). Katz Kitchen, Jaegersborggade 8 kld (00 45 36 96 65 55, katzkitchen.dk). The Coffee Collective, Jaegers borggade 10 (00 45 60 15 15 25, coffeecollective.dk).

Gofood.dk, Jaegersborggade 40 kld (00 45 36 96 65 93, gofood.dk);

Kaffeplantagen, Sankt Hans Torv 3 (00 45 32 11 41 14).

Selfish, Elmegade 4 (00 45 35 35 96 26, selfish.dk).

Underwood Ink, Ryesgade 30A (00 45 35 35 55 53, underwood-ink.com). Aamanns, Osterfarimagsgade 10 (00 45 35 55 33 10, aamanns.dk).

Restaurant Luns, Osterfarimagsgade 12 (00 45 35 26 33 35, restaurant luns.dk).

Lagkagehuset, Torvegade 45 (00 45 32 57 36 07, lagkagehuset.dk).

Logismose, Nodre Toldbod 16 (00 45 33 32 93 32, loegismose.dk).

Book Offer

The Scandinavian Cookbook by Trine Hahnemann is published by Quadrille, price £20.

To order this book at the discounted price of £17 (free p&p on UK orders), please call Independent Books Direct on 0870 079 8897 or visit independentbooksdirect.co.uk