Open Sandwiches in Copenhagen

Open sandwiches have been a popular dish since the 1880s and have subsequently become known outside Denmark's borders, despite not being the easiest word to pronounce for non-Danish speakers.

At Café Gammeltorv, The House with the Green Tree, in the cozy premises in the middle of Gammel Torv in Copenhagen, Fabbi and Sten are ready to welcome both tourists and locals with traditional and classic Danish open sandwiches. You can enjoy them with a good Danish beer and our traditional spicy snaps.

Café Gammeltorv is known as one of the best and oldest open sandwich restaurants in Copenhagen, which is evident at first glance, with the building's beautiful and old architecture. The building was erected in 1795 and has been depicted in literature by Kevin Lindemann, who wrote the novel "The House with the Green Tree," set in Copenhagen, as well as paintings throughout time. But it's not just outdoors that the building exudes architectural components. As soon as you step into the restaurant, you are greeted by the original interior, which has been maintained with wood paneling on the walls, beautiful paintings of landscapes in Denmark, and pictures of both Her Majesty the Queen and other members of the Danish Royal Family. It testifies to the Copenhagen and Danish cultural heritage that we preserve.

We are immensely proud of our ancient history and cultural heritage and take great pride in catering to both our regular guests, other visitors, and tourists from such a historic and authentic place in Copenhagen.

At Café Gammeltorv, traditions and open sandwiches go hand in hand. Therefore, our waiters will always take pride in giving our guests an authentic experience at Café Gammeltorv.

But the traditional Danish dish deserves its own story. We always serve the fresh and classic high-topped dish, just as we have done from our café in Copenhagen since 1902. Since then, we have been a well-known lunch restaurant focusing on enticing open sandwiches – served on royal porcelain and rightfully earned a handful of good reviews.

We do our very best to maintain the old traditions within Danish and Copenhagen lunch gastronomy. On our menu, you'll find all the classics such as "Roast Beef, Breaded Plaice Fillet with Remoulade, Chicken Salad with Toast, Smoked Eel with Warm Scrambled Eggs, and of course, the homemade liver pâté with crispy bacon and mushrooms." These are true classics that you can't go wrong with. Our open sandwiches are always served on the finest plates, in generous portions, so you won't leave hungry. Stop by Café Gammeltorv – The House with the Green Tree and experience some of the best open sandwiches that Copenhagen and its surroundings have to offer.

A true classic on the open sandwich menu is herring. This is, of course, also on our menu, and we are proud to serve a wide range of different herrings. For example, try our old-fashioned matured curry herring with smiling eggs and 4 kinds of capers. If curry is not to your taste, fortunately, we have many other types of herring that will surely delight your taste buds. All our herrings are traditionally matured, and we soak them ourselves, using our own stock. A good herring sandwich is not always easy to find in Copenhagen, but at Café Gammeltorv, we can guarantee that our herrings taste of old days and historical Copenhagen.

At Café Gammeltorv, we have innovated our open sandwiches, adding some vegetarian and vegan options for all our vegetarian and vegan guests, so everyone can feel welcome – and no one misses out on Danish taste experiences and genuine Danish atmosphere. Therefore, we have chosen to offer a menu for vegans and vegetarians who happen to pass by our little historic gem in Copenhagen. There will definitely be something for everyone on our menu that will be to their liking.

Gammeltorv is Copenhagen's oldest square, with a beer tap and serving since 1671. In 1902, Café Gammeltorv opened its doors to the food-loving Copenhageners for the first time – nearly 40 years later, Kelvin Lindemann wrote the novel 'The House with the Green Tree,' about a family who lived in the property. At that time, there was a large tree at the entrance to the restaurant, and the name has stuck ever since. The restaurant is today maintained with great respect for the original settings, and the menu still revolves around the best traditions of good Danish open sandwiches, accompanied by frothy draft beer and snaps.

Open sandwiches as we know them today were developed in the late 1880s and are something that we in Denmark are particularly known for outside Denmark's borders. In fact, it was one of the first things that we in Denmark became known for gastronomically and that tourists in Copenhagen always get excited about. Initially, open sandwiches were actually invented as a kind of snack or light meal. The festive high-topped dishes quickly became part of Danish culture. The open sandwich has since persisted in Danish culture and has gradually become one of Denmark's cultural treasures, which we in Denmark proudly display and which is sold from many places in Copenhagen.

At Café Gammeltorv, we place great emphasis on presenting our dishes presentably and invitingly. You will therefore notice when you order that our skilled chefs have made a point of creating a personal and unique touch that adds the finishing touch when you enjoy open sandwiches. This personal touch also carries respect for the traditions and the way food should be prepared by the book. It's not just in our food that you'll experience love and personal charm. We have made it a virtue to always offer a wide range of carefully selected beverages that we believe go perfectly with our dishes. Our friendly staff are happy to give a guiding hand if you're unsure what to choose from the menu.