Dining around Denmark: Our restaurant round-up

I've already written of our gourmet dining experiences on our Danish holiday: the extraordinary Restaurant Domestic in Aarhus, and the intimate delights of the Ruths Hotel fine dining restaurant in Skagen.

They were exceptional ... but not surprising. From humble hot dog stands to brew houses and local inns, the food throughout our exploration of the Danish countryside was uniformly excellent. It's what I've come to expect. In fact, I'd say that only an Italian holiday is better at delivering meals that provide consistently high value for money without demanding much restaurant-hunting effort from the tourist.

Much of this is down to the dependability of the traditional "Kro", or inn. These are roughly the same as the British gastropub: charming, historic building; a place to have a quiet drink; but majoring on delicious meals, locally sourced and individually prepared. In England, unfortunately, a good gastropub is the exception to the pub rule ... we have three pubs in our village and none have better than average food ... and can often be as expensive as a fine dining establishment. Perhaps we were just lucky, but every Kro we stumbled into in Denmark was excellent.

In addition, Denmark is following global trends with the rise of small local breweries. Every town we visited had one, offering a range of craft beers that had this wine drinker happy to embrace the hops. Most also have restaurants, usually with a range of traditional food.

Top of the traditional list, especially if you're having lunch, is smørrebrød. I had originally confused this tradition with "smorgasbord" which, though Swedish in origin, has degenerated in America to mean an all-you-can-eat buffet, often of marginal quality. Though you sometimes find smørrebrød in a buffet, usually these artfully-crafted open-faced sandwiches are ordered individually. In the same way that tiramisu can be a benchmark dish in Italy ... everyone does one, the quality and details can vary widely ... I'd put forward the prawn smørrebrød as the Danish equivalent. That, with a glass of beer and a small shot of snaps if not driving, is our go-to lunch order. I don't know what it is here, but the small prawns are of a radically better quality than any we get in the UK. (My guess: locally caught, never frozen.)

You can also reliably depend on pickled herring (if you haven't tried it, you really should; it's much better than you'd expect), additional interesting takes on pickling and delicious mixes of fruit with meat. The base cuisine is Franco-Germanic: roast meats, sauces, potatoes. You'll find schnitzel on almost every menu. But it's usually done with a lighter touch than German versions. You'll come out of a Danish restaurant satisfied, but rarely stuffed.

And, of course, there's pølser.  The Danes are mad for hot dogs; this is a cheap and cheerful go-to meal if you're in a hurry. Roadside stands abound, and whether it's motorway rest stops or vans serving in car parks, you can usually get a delicious combo of meat, bread and essential crispy onions.

The ubiquity of resolutely Danish culinary traditions is fading as global influences spread. And, let's face it, while we want to eat Danish food when we visit, the Danes themselves are probably relieved to find more variety than their traditional repertoire. Sushi places abound. Roadside vans are as likely to be roast chicken or burritos as pølser. In both Aarhus and Helsingør, when we were keen to find classic Danish food we stumbled into markets providing a range of global options, from Thai stir fry to American pulled pork. Without a local to accompany them, two friends of mine recently returned from Copenhagen and, when I asked them about the food, could only reply: "what is it about the Danes and pizza?"

If you want quality traditional food, all of the places below are worth a try. None of these are worth a special trip (as Ruths' or Domestic would be), but if you're in the area already, then seeking them out will reward your efforts.

Aalborg - Søgaards Bryghus

The town's microbrewery sits conveniently on the central square in the old town, in a 16th-century red brick building with tall gables a stone's throw from the main church. The decor inside is more modern, echoed in a fun, informal take on a traditional menu. Excellent value for money: we've never had a bigger platter of pickled herring (we easily could have shared one portion) ... three versions, all tasty, and a beautiful excuse to try the range of beer and snaps.

Aalborg - Bøf og Vin

Does what it says on the tin: beef and wine. Good steaks, some fine seafood options for starters, a salad bar and a solid wine list. On the main road into the historic part of town, near the waterfront.

Gillelej - Adamsen's Fisk

If the sun's out, bypass all the charming restaurants in town and head for the harbour. Adamsen's is a hut attached to a seafood shop, walk up to the window and order from what's fresh. We had battered, fried place on a generous bed of salad with a bread base, garnished with lumpfish roe. Simple, delicious and enhanced by eating at a picnic table bathed by sea air. Reminded me strongly of Captain Kidd's in Redondo Beach, California.

Ribe - Kolvig

Restaurants in the picture-postcard town of Ribe are curiously tipped towards burger bars, kebab shops and Chinese buffets. I suspect this is due to German tourists on bargain caravan holidays. One nicer option is this bistro, down a flight of steps next to the river. Delicious classic food with a French flair and very serious drinks: boutique gins, home-made tonic and a sophisticated wine list. My husband, in a moment of weakness brought on by too much sightseeing, made the mistake of leaving the wine matching completely up to our waiter. He obviously asked with an air of affluent comfort. We ended up with an exceptional bottle of Gevrey Chambertin which we were too embarrassed to reject. It was a profligate splurge, but thankfully delivered at a lower cost than online wine guides had us fearing. Kolvig lets diners order additional bottles to take away for half their menu price ... though we called it quits at one.

Rønnede - Rønnede Kro

The best prawn smørrebrød we had the whole trip, served in an exquisite historic building furnished like a grand 19th century house. Obviously a favourite event venue, this charming thatched inn is less than an hour south of Copenhagen.

Rungsted - Rungsted Kro

Very much like Rønnede, but to the north of Copenhagen. A stone's throw from the Karen Blixen museum and where the author used to put up guests when her house was full. It's recently had a major renovation, so the charmingly crooked walls and windows are now shining like new. I was introduced to biksemad here: literal translation "tossed together food". It's essentially a meat and potato hash served with a fried egg. Delicious, seriously stick-to-your-ribs stuff; this was the only time I left a Danish restaurant uncomfortably stuffed.

Skagen - Solnedgangskiosken

Translated as the "kiosk of the setting sun", this beach hut in old Skagen is this trip's best example of great food coming from humble places. (Top photo.) Delicious hot dogs enjoyed with boutique bottled beers from Skagen Bryghus, consumed at picnic tables screened by dunes and with a clear view of the North Sea. Try the liquorice ice cream for dessert, it's a Danish classic that packs a flavour punch. Resist, however, the temptation to have it with the traditional "guf" topping. This is something like uncooked Italian meringue, slathered thickly atop the the ice-cream and sweet enough to trigger a diabetic coma; the sugar punch had killed my tastebuds before I got to the excellent ice cream.

Stege - Slagter Stig Stoeberiet

This clever butcher has knocked through to the shop next door to create a restaurant with a healthy self-serve ethos. Help yourself to a smørrebrød buffet. Serve your own drinks with an electronic key linked to your tab. There's even a pile of candles and a lighter to so you can build your own hygge. Or pick something out of the butcher's case for them to cook up. Exceptional hamburgers.

Stevns - Traktørstedet Højeruplund

Tiny and rigorously traditional, the low ceilings and groove-and-plank walls make it feel like you've been invited in by a local sea captain for dinner. Hearty soups, delicious prawn cocktail and one of the biggest plates of schnitzel I've seen outside of Bavaria.

Vedbaek - Nautilus

A laid back yet elegant restaurant on a pier. The style and sophistication match the location: we're in the heart of Copenhagen's most affluent commuter belt. Excellent seafood, as you'd expect.