Ken S.
Yelp
KenScale: 8.0/10
Visit: February 2024
When you visit Copenhagen, it will be impossible to leave the city without trying some smørrebrød, an open-faced sandwich consisting of rye bread and a variety of ingredients on top. While Copenhagen has no shortage of popular spots specializing in this beloved dish, Selma stands out for its modern twist while remaining faithful to traditional Danish ingredients. On our second day in the city, my wife Jun and I stopped by the restaurant for a quick lunch, and found everything we had very delicious.
If you feel stuck after looking at the menu from Selma, the safe bet is to try at least one or two dishes including cured fish. While Jun is generally not a fan of herring, she didn't mind taking a bite out of Selma's smørrebrød with geranium and white currant herring, accompanied by fennel, bleak roe and fig leaf. She is not particularly crazy about salmon, either, but really enjoyed what Selma put together with herb cured salmon from the Faroe Islands, along with grilled cauliflower and trout roe. I did enjoy both of the dishes, but the highlight of our lunch came in the third dish, with grilled and glazed pork that came with cockles and leek. It was a fabulous smørrebrød, with the pork's spot-on texture enhanced by the aromatic XO sauce. Don't skip the dessert options at Selma; we wanted to try something not in a smørrebrød format, and found a solid one consisting of mandarin and lemon, green tea and chamomile.
You probably won't need to book in advance for a reservation and the turnover at the restaurant was fairly quick during our visit. If you feel adventurous, I recommend trying a glass of aquavit/snaps (Scandinavian spirit) along with a glass of draft beer sourced from different parts of Denmark and beyond; I felt quite content with alcoholic buzz as we headed to the main shopping street Strøget following lunch. We probably need to try a few more smørrebrød restaurants on our future visits to Copenhagen, but for now Selma is a good starting point that offers cozy and pleasant Danish lunch experience.