Copenhagen isn’t necessarily the first city where you’d think of eating shawarma. But what if you’re in the Danish capital and want to try some authentic food, even if it’s not Danish? Alshami Shawarma is a perfect solution for that. And as a bonus, it’s located near a famous yet often skipped sight in Copenhagen (see below).
How Was Alshami Shawarma?
Alshami Shawarma was recommended to us by a Lebanese friend. She said that it is as authentic as it can be, considering that it is still in Copenhagen though. So we were excited to try this place for months, and finally, we made it here.
It is located on a street where you can probably find more shawarma restaurants than anywhere else in Copenhagen, so it can even be missed if you’re not careful. But once we stepped in, we knew we had come to the right place.
Alshami is a restaurant in the sense that you can sit down either outside on the street or inside in one of its two small rooms. But it’s still a shawarma place, a self-service restaurant, where you order food at the counter and take it to your table once the beeper notifies you that it’s ready.
The ambience is very much as if you were somewhere in the Middle East. The front part is all about the food: shawarma spits turning behind the counter, fresh salads and toppings in front of you, sauces, trays, menu screens, and the staff working quickly in the open kitchen.
Then you step into the seating area, and the feeling changes a little. It’s still simple and casual, but the patterned wooden panels, warm lights, marble-like walls, and Arabic calligraphy give the place a much more atmospheric look than you would expect from a regular shawarma shop.
It’s not fancy dining, and it doesn’t try to be. But it has character. It feels busy, direct, slightly chaotic in the best possible way, and much more authentic than the average kebab place you find in a big European city. For me, this is exactly the kind of ambience you want when you come here for shawarma.
What we Ate?
We both ordered a shawarma plate, and let me start with the most important thing: the portions were huge. Not “a little generous” huge, but the kind of huge where you start wondering halfway through whether you’ll actually be able to finish it.
The meat was very tasty. Flavorful, but not too aggressive, not overly spiced, and not the kind of shawarma where the seasoning tries to cover everything. It had a nice, honest taste. I can imagine, however, that some people might find it a little on the dry side.
The same was somewhat true for the pita. It was good, but it gave me a slightly dry feeling. To be honest, I barely needed it anyway, because the plate itself was more than enough. I got two pieces of pita with the plate, and I didn’t even finish one.
The fries were really well made. Crispy, hot, and exactly what you want next to shawarma. But for me, one of the real highlights was the hummus. That was simply excellent. Smooth, rich, and full of flavor—one of those little things on the plate that you keep going back to.
The salad was also surprisingly good. Not just a sad side salad thrown on the plate, but something that actually helped the whole dish. It had greens, red onion, and a lot of parsley on top, with a slightly sweet but strongly sour taste. I think the onions were probably pickled red onions, and together with the parsley they worked perfectly with the meat. The salad made the whole plate fresher, lighter, and much more balanced.
There was no sauce poured over the food, no yogurt dressing, no hot sauce added automatically. The hot sauce was on the table, so you could use it yourself if you wanted to. I actually liked this, because the plate had its own clean flavors, and you could decide how much extra heat you wanted.
We also tried stuffed grape leaves on the side. Small, soft, bite-sized pieces filled with rice, with a lovely sour flavor. They were really good, and again, they fit the whole Middle Eastern feeling of the meal very well.
When we visited, one plate cost 119 DKK, and for that price it was a seriously large portion. This is not a tiny snack or a “let’s eat something before dinner” kind of meal. This is a full plate that can easily leave you completely full. For Copenhagen prices, and especially considering the amount of food you get, I think it’s a very good deal.
Where is Alshami Shawarma Located?
Alshami Shawarma is located on Nørrebrogade, in the heart of Nørrebro. It’s very easy to reach from central Copenhagen: take the M3 metro line to Nørrebros Runddel, or simply hop on bus 5C, which runs along Nørrebrogade.
The location is actually part of the experience. Alshami sits right opposite Assistens Cemetery, the famous Copenhagen cemetery where H.C. Andersen is buried. So if you’re already visiting this beautiful, atmospheric place, Alshami is a perfect stop for lunch or dinner before or after your walk.
And the street itself has a very different feeling from postcard Copenhagen. Nørrebrogade around here has a strong Middle Eastern vibe, with plenty of eateries, shawarma shops, barber shops, small stores, and second-hand shops. It’s busy, local, a bit chaotic, and exactly the kind of neighborhood where a place like Alshami makes sense.
