Restaurants in Copenhagen

This slightly down-at-heel basement bar-restaurant is not the place for those who want a sophisticated or elegant setting. Its rustic atmosphere, with wooden beams, old photographs and paintings, is enhanced with various objects dotted around, such as ancient cash registers, dolls, battered musical instruments, books and statuettes, adding a quirky, off-beat appeal. And for no-nonsense basic Danish cuisine, it is hard to find anywhere better.

This popular budget restaurant in Copenhagen offers a great variety of different types of pasta dishes and the options are imaginative, such as fettuccine in a white wine sauce with grilled salmon strips, garnished with salmon caviar and saffron. The unfussy, unpretentious surroundings are bright and airy and are also home to an all-you-can-eat daily buffet. As well as being good value, Pasta Basta is family friendly and caters well for large groups.

This Nyhavn bar-restaurant is very elegant, decorated in the style of Louis XVI with an ornate tiled ceiling and rosehead wall lights. Nevertheless, Barock offers excellent modern Danish cuisine at outstanding value for money. There is also a fairly comprehensive wine list. From April to October, the waterside terrace is the place to be on a warm summer's evening.

Situated right on Gråbrødretorv, Copenhagen's most beautiful square, Peder Oxe specialises in traditional Danish cooking and is a good place to get to grips with the nation's culinary larder. The décor is suitably old fashioned. It may attract too many tourists for some tastes, but the quality of the food is still high, with specialities like the eponymous oxe burger and the oxe steak.

The trademark communal table at Cofoco might be a talking point with many of the guests (it's not every day you get to share your table with another 20 or so diners after all), but it's no gimmick, and should certainly not take the focus away from the food (deceptively simple, yet excellent) or the service (friendly and professional). From the home-baked malt bread to the signature crème brûlée , this is nothing short of impressive. Although the wine list is on the short side, it features decently priced, carefully chosen labels.

Ticking all the boxes for food, service and location, Auberge is a real gem. A meal there is nothing short of flawless, from the perfectly executed food (tuck into goat cheese and Karl Johan's mushroom ravioli starter) and choice of wine (the Corvina was a discovery) to the cosy yet funky room. With friendly, knowledgeable and enthusiastic service, you think it couldn't get better. Think again. At around 500Kr for a three-course meal with wine pairing, you'll be hard-pushed to find better value for money in town.

This two-star Michelin restaurant was crowned the world's best restaurant in 2010 and 2011 in Restaurant Magazine. Noma's kitchen fuses contemporary styles and techniques with the best quality traditional Nordic dishes and ingredients, sourced from as far as Greenland, The Faroe Islands and Iceland. The visionary chef in this restaurant is René Redzepi, who has worked in some of the very greatest kitchens in the world.

Formel B is an unexpected find in a busy part of the city. Chefs Kristian Meller and Rune Jochumsen perform culinary wonders with the freshest of local produce in a stylish setting that just manages to avoid being pretentiously hip, with polished wooden floors and a sleek, minimalist look. The cooking is French with a funky accent and includes dishes like veal tartare with chervil sorbet, and Danish red deer with salt-baked beet roots. Reservations strongly recommended.