At Café Halvvejen, the value proposition is three pieces for 89 DKK. This set includes herring in different preparations: pickled (traditional), fried (warm), and spiced (karrysild-style). For the price, this represents the best value in the city. The bread is rye; the herring is proper; the combination offers variety.
Tips from diners
This is the meal at Café Halvvejen—three pieces for 89 DKK. The best value for smørrebrød in Copenhagen. Add a 35-DKK beer and you've spent less than 125 DKK.
A single liver pâté piece (sold individually at roughly 30 DKK). The pâté is rich; the pickled beet provides acidity. This is rustic comfort food. Reviewers note the pâté is proper—not overly fancy, but authentic.
Tips from diners
Can order single pieces if you just want one or two. The pâté is made in-house.
One of the warm options. The plaice is light and crispy; the tartar sauce is homemade. This is comfort food—budget-friendly and satisfying. At around 35 DKK for a single piece, it's a bargain.
Tips from diners
One of the few warm options—crispy and satisfying for the price.
The mixed option: one herring, one roast beef, one liver pâté. This gives you the full Café Halvvejen experience in one meal. It's the sensible choice if you can't decide, and at 89 DKK for three pieces, you can't go wrong.
Tips from diners
Order the mixed set if it's your first visit. You get herring, beef, and pâté—the three anchors of traditional smørrebrød.
The roast beef version of the three-piece set. Each piece features roast beef with different toppings: one with crispy onion, one with horseradish cream, one with remoulade. This is the meat-eater's answer to the herring set.
Tips from diners
If you prefer beef over herring, this is your option. Three variations on roast beef for the same 89-DKK price.
Café Halvvejen occupies the same location since 1789, making it among Copenhagen's oldest establishments. The restaurant is unabashedly focused on value: three pieces of smørrebrød for 89 DKK, large draft beers for 35 DKK. The menu is traditional—herring, roast beef, liver pâté—with no pretense or renovation. The bar opens late (1:00–3:00 AM on weekends), serving locals and late-night diners. This is where Copenhageners eat when they want affordable tradition, not Instagram moments.
Three pieces for 89 DKK. Large draft beers for 35 DKK. This is the cheapest smørrebrød in central Copenhagen with good quality. The bar stays open until 1:00 AM weekdays, 3:00 AM Friday–Saturday.
Kitchen closes at 15:00, but the bar stays open until 1:00–3:00 AM. Come for smørrebrød at lunch; come for beer and bar snacks at night.
This is where Copenhageners come for affordable lunch, not tourists. No reservations needed. Walk in, order, sit at the long bar with locals.
Historic 1789 establishment. The decor is unchanged, the prices are unchanged, the regulars are unchanged. This is old Copenhagen.
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