Smørrebrød — open-faced rye bread sandwiches — are the most distinctly Danish food, and Restaurant Schonnemann on Hauser Plads has been serving them since 1877. The menu is a long list of traditional toppings: herring in various preparations, roast pork with crackling and red cabbage, liver pâté, egg with shrimp and mayonnaise, rare roast beef with remoulade. Each is an artfully constructed small work.
The dining room is a period piece of dark wood, white tablecloths, and aquavit bottles, and the whole experience is unhurried and slightly formal. Book ahead — the restaurant is small and popular at lunch (it does not serve dinner). Prices are higher than a casual lunch spot but not extravagant for the quality and the setting. The aquavit selection is excellent; ordering one with the herring is what you do here.