Cafeography
Udendørsservering · Copenhagen

Outdoor cafés in Copenhagen

Pavement tables from Nørrebrogade to Islands Brygge, usually out until midnight.

Photo: Gizem Erol, Pexels License

Udendørsservering, or udeservering in the city's own paperwork, means tables set out on a pavement or square. As of October 2025 Copenhagen had 1,220 valid permits for it, under rules in force since 1 January 2025.1 Outdoor tables may usually stand from 08:00 to 24:00, with the exact times written into each permit.2

The season is short and bright. July is the warmest month, with an average daytime high of 21 °C and more than seven hours of sunshine a day; from December to February the sun shows for about an hour and a half a day.3 On 37 selected squares, a trial running from 2024 to 2027 lets tables stay out until 02:00 between 1 April and 30 September.4

Local tip: On a summer evening, check the clock before ordering another round outside: away from the 37 trial squares, terraces close at 24:00 and staff stack the chairs within half an hour.24

Where these cafés are: Indre By (43), Nørrebro (23), Østerbro (20), Vesterbro (17), Nyhavn & Frederiksstaden (14), Frederiksberg (11), Amager (8), Valby (8), Christianshavn & Refshaleøen (7), Sydhavn (6), Islands Brygge (4), Nordvest & Bispebjerg (4), Ørestad (3), Nordhavn (2), Brønshøj & Husum (2), Vanløse (1).

At a glance

173Cafés listed
116With opening hours
07:00Earliest opening
02:30Latest closing
  • Opens earliest: Coffee Collective, from 07:00 (Mon–Fri 07:00–20:00 · Sat–Sun 08:00–19:00).
  • Closes latest: Cafe Bopa, until 02:30 (Mon–Thu 09:00–00:00 · Fri 09:00–02:30 · Sat 10:00–02:30 · Sun 10:00–22:00).
  • Most common features: indoor seating (62%), card payment (27%), smoke-free indoors (27%).
Østerbro

Dallas Coffee

  • Slagelsegade 2
  • Mon–Wed 08:00–16:00 · Thu 08:00–14:00 · Fri 09:00–14:00
  • 40 42 42 46
  • Outdoor seating
  • Indoor seating
  • Card payment
  • Partial wheelchair access
  • Smoke-free indoors
Map WebsiteIs this you?Report

Nothing matches those filters here. See all cafés in Copenhagen.

The rules you can see on the pavement

Grey thermoplastic dots, 5 cm across, mark the edge of each permitted area. On a pavement one tile wide, at least 80 cm must stay clear for walkers, and on wider ones two rows of tiles. Plant boxes are the only screening allowed, so there are no plexiglass walls or tarpaulins, and open flames, candles and outdoor cooking are banned.2

Within 30 minutes of closing, furniture has to be removed or stacked and parasols folded, and parasols come down after 24:00 in any case.2 Inspectors work hardest in the medieval center and inner Nørrebro, which is why the fee a café pays for its terrace varies with location.1

The rules were adopted in 2024 after a public consultation that drew 1,886 responses. As of October 2025 the city had 16 full-time posts for terrace inspection, with checks made at different times of the day and night.1

Where the pavement tables are

Indre By has the most cafés with outdoor seating, followed by Nørrebro and Østerbro. In the center, Café Spirrevippen at Vester Voldgade 82 serves daily 09:00–18:00, and Café Rundetårn, at Købmagergade 52A, daily 10:00–16:00.

On Nørrebrogade, Grums at No. 161 opens at 07:30 on weekdays, and Gaarden & Gaden at No. 88C serves until midnight Tuesday to Saturday. In Østerbro, Løgstørgade has Cafe Bopa at No. 8 and Pixie at No. 4. Café Dyrehaven, on Sønder Boulevard in Vesterbro, is a sidewalk café whose outdoor seats are busiest on sunny days.5 In Frederiksberg, Casita at Gammel Kongevej 85 and Grannys House on Amalievej, which opens at 07:00 every day, both have outdoor tables.

Harbor, beach and garden tables

South of the center, the tables follow the harbor. On Islands Brygge, Bryggens Spisehus at No. 18 serves until 23:00 every day, and Café Slusen has tables at Ved Slusen 25. In Sydhavn, Sola at Johan Kellers Vej 1 opens at 07:30 on weekdays, Bows & Balloons is on Teglholmens Østkaj, and South Harbour Café serves daily 10:00–20:00.

On Amager Strandvej, Cafe Fusion at No. 22L is open daily 11:00–21:00. In Valby, Havekaféen keeps its tables going until 22:30 on Fridays and Saturdays, and Dessertcaféen Hyggenygge on Carl Jacobsens Vej is open daily 09:00–18:00.

Sources

  1. Udeserveringer og støj fra udeserveringer og restaurationer, Københavns Kommune, Klima-, Miljø- og Teknikforvaltningen (December 9, 2025), accessed October 2026
  2. Retningslinjer og vilkår for udeservering, Københavns Kommune, accessed October 2026
  3. Copenhagen (Climate), Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  4. Udeservering, Københavns Kommune, accessed October 2026
  5. Café Dyrehaven, VisitCopenhagen, accessed October 2026
Keep exploring

Other ways to browse Copenhagen

Specialkaffe

Specialty coffee

23 cafés
Bagerier

Bakery cafés

17 cafés
Åbent sent

Open late

81 cafés
Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi

47 cafés
Brunch

Brunch

12 cafés

By area: Christianshavn & Refshaleøen Nyhavn & Frederiksstaden Indre By Vesterbro Nørrebro Østerbro Frederiksberg

FAQ

Outdoor seating in Copenhagen: questions

Until what time can cafés in Copenhagen serve outside?

Outdoor tables in Copenhagen usually stand from 08:00 to 24:00, with exact times set in each café's permit. On 37 selected squares, a trial running from 2024 to 2027 allows outdoor serving until 02:00 from 1 April to 30 September. Furniture has to be stacked away within 30 minutes of closing.

When is the best time of year for outdoor cafés in Copenhagen?

Summer. July is Copenhagen's warmest month, with an average daytime high of 21 °C and more than seven hours of sunshine a day. From December to February the sun shows for only about an hour and a half a day, and the extended outdoor hours on selected squares run from April to September.

Which Copenhagen neighborhoods have the most outdoor café seating?

Indre By has the most, followed by Nørrebro and Østerbro. In the center, Café Spirrevippen on Vester Voldgade and Café Rundetårn on Købmagergade have outdoor tables; on Nørrebrogade there are Grums and Gaarden & Gaden, and in Østerbro, Cafe Bopa and Pixie on Løgstørgade.

For café owners

Your café deserves better than a pin someone else dropped

Free listings are free for good. A featured page gives you photos, a menu and your own URL, in your café's own design, for less than a coffee a day.

Get listed, free See a page in its own design