The Top 10 Restaurants In Aarhus Denmark

Aarhus is the second-largest city of the picturesque, water-bordered country of Denmark. It’s a region boasting world-class shopping, innovative architecture and first-rate food. So, whether visitors here are seeking lavish meals in luxury lounges, or authentic Danish cuisine served in quaint kitchens, here’s our guide to the 10 best restaurants in Aarhus.

ARoS Food Hall

Restaurant, European

ARoS Food Hall is a restaurant located inside the ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum, the largest art museum in Denmark. The most eye-catching part of this 9th floor venue are the carcasses of pigs and cows hanging inside the windows. Intriguing, slightly disturbing and undoubtedly artistic, the display illustrates what the restaurant calls ‘honest dishes’, and is intended to highlight the freshness of the meat on offer. The food hall only uses produce sourced from a local, organic, family-run farm, an establishment which prides itself on the excellent welfare of its animals.

St. Pauls Apothek

Bar, Restaurant, European, Contemporary

The bar and restaurant of St. Pauls Apothek is located in a structure which was first used in 1899 as a pharmacy. The staff at St Pauls Apothek have continued with this medical theme and regard themselves as the latest generation of help-givers to occupy the building. They believe that their delicious food and top-quality beverages are medicine for the soul.

Mackie’s Pizza

Pizzeria, Restaurant, Greek

Mackie’s Pizza is as much an exhibition room for the owner’s interesting collection of knickknacks as it is a restaurant. On the walls of the venue hang car plates, signed football shirts from players, records and guitars from rock stars. And the collection doesn’t end on the walls; look to the ceiling and customers will be stunned by the t-shirt collection, the advancing whales, the roaring bike and the flying Greek sculpture. And the decorations here are as diverse and enthralling as the restaurant’s menu; this is a top spot to sample an array of perfectly cooked pizzas, burgers and steaks, as well as a large range of hot and cold beverage options.

Restaurant Marselis

Hotel

Restaurant Marselis is the esteemed restaurant of Helnan Marselis Hotel. The a la carte menu here includes a tasty selection of traditional Danish and international cuisines, and whilst here, it’s highly recommended to try the Danish deer with beetroot, blackberries and wild mushrooms; the meat and the sides perfectly complement each other, and the dark, rich sauce enhances the taste of the entire dish. The venue is idyllically situated overlooking the Bay of Aarhus, offering diners a stunning view of the coastline whilst they relax and recline with a first-class meal.

Castenskiold

Restaurant, Nightclub, French, European

Located on the bustling main street of Åboulevarden, Castenskiold is the perfect spot in which to eat at dinner time and enjoy a dance afterwards. The restaurant and nightclub showcased creative, modern cooking techniques and uses top-quality produce. With a sumptuous selection of seafood and meat options available here, it is difficult to choose between the mussels in white wine and the well-flavored steak. And after the dinner plates are cleared the venue transforms into a club.

Restaurant Navigator

Restaurant, Seafood, European

Situated near to the Marselisborg Marina, Restaurant Navigator takes diners a little bit out of the city center, but the unparalleled view of Aarhus Bay and the scrumptious seafood make it worth the trip. The restaurant offers traditional Danish and French plates, with the menus differing according to the seasons to allow for continually fresh produce to be sourced and used. The BBQs on the terrace here during the balmy Aarhus summer afternoons are superb.

Restaurant Komfur

Diner, Restaurant, European, Danish

Restaurant Komfur operates with three main values at its core: food, fun and energy. This is an establishment where diners can really relax and enjoy themselves, and can have a great time eating delicious food without the heavy price tag. The menu here changes every month, offering five choices for the starter and five choices for the main course. There’s exceptional service and some refreshing, ice-cold ale on tap, too.

Restaurant Varna

Restaurant, Seafood, Danish

For those who have always dreamed of some fine dining in a royal establishment, Restaurant Varna is the place to do just that. Constructed in 1908, the Varna Palace was designed by esteemed Danish architect Eggert C. Achen, and has reopened its doors to become the top spot in the area to sample gourmet, flavorful French cuisine. The seafood dishes here are served with exceptional presentation, and with a remarkable view of Aarhus bay, grand furnishings and an intricately decorated interior, a dinner here really can make visitors feel like a prince or princess.

Restaurant Hærværk

Restaurant, European, Danish

Restaurant Hærværk has no fixed menu. Instead, the restaurant works with whatever are the freshest ingredients they can find on the day, and prepares a menu accordingly. This is thebest joint in town for a food adventure, and customers will not be disappointed.

Substans

Restaurant, French, European, Danish

Substans is an Aarhus Michelin restaurant celebrated for its creative, contemporary and original dishes made from top quality and organic ingredients. A small, simple food selection combining Danish and French flavors aims to intensify the taste experience for customers, giving only a few options so as to not overwhelm the senses; less is definitely more here. There are only two menu options, either the ‘not so big tour’ comprised of four dishes or the ‘big tour’ comprised of seven.

About the author

Crystal Au

Crystal is associated with too many places sometimes it can be (very) difficult to explain. Born and raised in Macau (a former colony of Portugal but now a Special Administrative Region of China), she has studied in Brisbane, Australia and Maastricht, the Netherlands. Her current inhabitant is Turku, Finland, but spiritually she is always living on the Moon. Crystal’s passion for travel comes from her blood. As a frequent flyer, Crystal makes her carbon footprints worth it. When visiting a new city, she cannot leave without looking at its art or sending her family a postcard. She tries to use paper and ink (or rather computer and internet) to record what she sees and feels on her journey.