Mac Rating: 5.00 | Votes: 1 | Date: 02/07/2026 23:44:00

Taxidermied animals in fancy dress stare down from the walls of Bankeraat: deer heads on human mannequin bodies, doll-head lamps and candlelit corners have made this corner cafe in the Nansensgade quarter one of Copenhagen's most photographed interiors. Opened in 1992 (some sources date the founding to 1989), it styles itself the city's original bohemian cafe and reshaped local cafe culture as a home for students, artists, musicians, night owls and neighbourhood regulars. By day it is a classic cafe - the brunch, served in build-your-own combinations, is the big draw, alongside burgers, coffee and board games at the tables; by night the full bar takes over and the room runs until midnight. The space seats around 80 inside plus a handful of pavement tables, and over the decades it has doubled as a stage for live music, art and creative performances. Ownership has changed hands several times, most recently to a pair of friends who gave the menu a sustainable overhaul built on seasonal produce from local suppliers while carefully preserving the eccentric identity. After a period of unexpected challenges the cafe reopened refreshed and restored, and remains a fixture of the streets between Norreport and the Lakes - reasonably priced, defiantly odd, and unlike anywhere else in the city. The name is a play on "bankerot" - Danish for bankruptcy - which regulars have long joked explains the friendly prices. The 232-square-metre corner premises, cellar included, anchor the quiet Nansensgade quarter between Norreport station and the Lakes, a pocket of the inner city known for small wine bars and independent shops, and in summer the handful of outdoor tables are as sought-after as the taxidermy-guarded seats within.