8 Best Restaurants in Funen and the Central Islands, Denmark

One of Denmark's best Japanese restaurants is located in Odense, and the omakase menus alone are worth the trip from Copenhagen. Regulars stop by for a single serving of sushi or for the all-evening chef's menu---or just for a late-night drink and dessert.

This French restaurant became a staple on Odense's dining scene as soon as it opened. The dishes, best sampled in one of the very fairly priced tasting menus, are inspired by brasseries in Lyon, based on local produce, and served by friendly, knowledgeable waiters. 

This small restaurant draws a full house almost every night with its New Nordic–inspired prix-fixe menu. You will start out with a selection of creative snacks; continue with starters like burned salmon with a sauce of fermented cucumber, avocado, and salt-pickled lemon; have duck prepared in several ways with new carrots as a main; and finish off with a dessert of pears with rosemary cream. The team behind the restaurant also runs a Parisian-inspired bakery and café, Canelé, and the classic French bistro Salig Simons Gård, both located nearby.

This fishmonger doubles as a lunch spot. Whether you're in the mood for smoked salmon and oysters to go or fried fish fillet with fries on the harbor, you'll find it at this beloved local institution.

Built within the courtyards of several 17th-century homes, this popular restaurant has walls of ancient stone topped by a sliding glass roof. Though the menu is mostly French, you can still order inexpensive smørrebrød for lunch.

This combined farmers' market, café, and bar is the main meeting point on the town’s central square. Stop by for local products---such as locally produced clothes, pottery, whiskey, soap, mustard, vinegar, or beer---or for a meal in the atmospheric café.

The snug corner restaurant is situated in the same cozy, cobblestoned neighborhood as Hans Christian Andersen's birthplace. It serves seasonal Italian- and French-inspired dishes using Danish ingredients, such as grilled redfish with boiled potatoes, and is also a popular brunch and lunch spot.

The six tables at Vår are a popular place to get a taste of Funen, as the small restaurant uses only organic produce from local farms. You can opt for five, seven, or 10 small dishes, such as scallops with buckwheat, zucchini, and peas, and pair them with organic and natural wines from Europe.