Andersen is undoubtedly one of my favorite bakeries in Copenhagen. Whether it’s their iconic Hiroshima bread or just some Danishes, this is the place you need to come if you want to experience the best.
Let’s talk a bit about Danishes — the well-known delicate pastries known by that name in a lot of countries. They are called, however, wienerbrød (literally Vienna bread) in Denmark, and are indeed a crucial part of Danish food culture. You can find them in countless cafés and even in supermarkets (see my article about the best cardamom bun in Copenhagen, one of the most iconic Danish pastries).
But let’s be honest: most of these pastries around the country are just meh. You get something, you feel sweet flavors in your mouth, but that’s probably it.
But if you want to taste the real deal, and not return home disappointed from the Danish capital, you have to visit one of the most famous bakeries in Copenhagen. And Andersen is definitely one of those.
Let me share my experience in Andersen Bakery, plus an interactive map where you can find their locations. At the end of this article, read a short story about this bakery, which, interestingly, was started by a Japanese guy who happened to find Copenhagen more attractive than his home country.
Andersen Bakery Test
To experience everything Andersen Bakery has to offer, I decided to do a test with their iconic pastries and breads.
For the test, I bought more pastries in the morning than I could eat at once, so I ate some of them in the evening. They were still delicious—a definite sign of a perfect bakery. But it’s definitely best to eat everything fresh.
Cardamom Bun
Andersen’s cardamom bun is a delight compared to other versions you can buy throughout the city. It has a dense dough, but that actually works really well for this pastry. It’s deliciously soft on the inside, with an intense cardamom flavor—which is something you can’t say about every cardamom bun. You can even see the seeds all through it, unlike in many other versions.
What’s interesting is that this top-notch cardamom bun is actually cheaper than the ones at Espresso House. There’s no question which one is better, whether you look at quality or price.
And one more fun fact: you can just look at the buns and you’ll instantly see that every cardamom bun at Andersen Bakery is completely different. You can tell that this is real handmade stuff.
Croissant
As close to a French croissant as you’ll get. Super thin crunchy layers; it’s a pleasure to bite into it and eat it on its own. Nicely soft on the inside, but not chewy like many second-class croissants.
(Mini)Spandauer
Spandauer is a classic Danish pastry: puff pastry filled with vanilla pastry cream. A bit too simple and sweet for me, but if you want to taste the best version of it, you’ll definitely have to come to Andersen. The layers of the puff pastry are delicious, just like those of the croissant.
Mandel (almond) Croissant
It’s delicious, just a bit too sweet. Eat it as a dessert or split it. A croissant filled with almond cream and topped with powdered sugar and almond slices. Crispy almond slices, crispy croissant layers, and a smooth inside almond-cream filling.
Breads
Their Hiroshima and sourdough breads are just perfect. I’m the kind of guy who would rather skip bread than eat something even mediocre. And believe me, I’d rather eat the famous Danish pickled herring by itself without bread than ruining it with a not-so-perfect bite of bread.
But the Hiroshima and sourdough breads in Andersen Bakery are two of my favorites. Two loaves you can never get enough of. If you have the opportunity to try some real Copenhagen bread at home (hotel, apartment, wherever), make it one of these.
Rolls
Andersen sells a lot of different bread rolls which are all delicious. My best advice is to try the iconic Danish bun with butter and cheese here, and enjoy good, cheap food in one of the most expensive cities of the world.
Andersen Bakery Locations
Unfortunately, Andersen still has only two locations in the Danish capital, and neither is in a central spot (see interactive map below). You can visit their original bakery in Islands Brygge by taking bus #68 from the main train station or bus #33 from Rådhuspladsen. Or you can walk there, crossing the canal, if you have a spare 15 minutes.
Alternatively, you can stop by their newer shop en route to or from the airport. Take the airport train to Ørestad (2 stops from CPH airport or 1 stop from the main train station), then take Metro line M1 one stop to Bella Center. Andersen Bakery is on the left side in the second block as you walk back toward Ørestad.
Ørestads Blvd. 49A, 2300 København, Denmark
The Story of Andersen Bakery in Copenhagen
If you think it’s a bit funny that one of my favorite “Danish” bakeries in Copenhagen has Japanese roots, you’re not alone. But that’s exactly what makes Andersen such a cool story.
It actually starts in Hiroshima, Japan, back in 1948, when Shunsuke Takaki and his wife Akiko Takaki opened their first bakery. A decade later, in 1959, he traveled to Copenhagen and basically fell for Danish baking (and the Danish mentality in general). When he went home, he started baking bread, cakes, and wienerbrød (a.k.a. Danishes) in Japan using original Danish recipes—so by 1962, Danish-style pastries were already being made there.
The “Andersen” name came a few years later, in 1967, when a Danish-inspired bakery and restaurant opened in Hiroshima—and from there the whole thing took off. Over the decades, the bakery became known for sticking to Danish traditions, but polishing the craft with that very Japanese kind of precision (the “nothing can be sloppy” mindset).
And then comes the full-circle part: Andersen eventually came back to Denmark. The company set up a Danish subsidiary in 2007 and opened its first shop in Denmark in 2008—and today, you can visit them in Islands Brygge and Ørestad (the Ørestad shop opened in 2023).
So yeah—when you’re biting into a croissant or picking up a loaf of Hiroshima bread here, you’re not just eating “something sweet.” You’re tasting a little Copenhagen → Hiroshima → Copenhagen journey that somehow ended up on the same tray.
