Restaurant in Copenhagen, Denmark
Solid OAD-ranked café, no reservations needed.
Apotek 57 is a Copenhagen café with genuine editorial credibility — ranked by Opinionated About Dining and rated 4.5 across more than 2,600 Google reviews. It is the right stop for a considered daytime visit, particularly for solo diners or small groups who want more than a generic café without committing to a full tasting-menu experience.
Apotek 57 is the kind of Copenhagen café that earns repeat visits rather than destination trips. It holds a Google rating of 4.5 across more than 2,600 reviews, which for a casual café in a competitive city signals consistent execution rather than occasional brilliance. Opinionated About Dining ranked it #387 among casual European venues in 2024, climbing to #541 in 2025 — a ranking shift that reflects either a more crowded field or a slight dip in relative performance. Either way, it still appears on a serious food intelligence list, which matters for a café operating without the infrastructure of a tasting-menu operation. Book it when you want a well-regarded neighbourhood stop rather than a headline experience.
Apotek 57 sits at Store Kannikestræde 15 in central Copenhagen, a short walk from the Round Tower and well within reach of the Latin Quarter's foot traffic. The address — a former pharmacy corridor, implied by the name , suggests a compact, character-driven interior rather than an open-plan modern room. Copenhagen cafés at this address type tend toward warm lighting, close tables, and the kind of unhurried pace that makes a single coffee stretch into two. For a special occasion breakfast or a quiet working lunch, that kind of room works well. For a large group gathering, the scale may be limiting , check ahead if you need to seat more than six.
Chef Chiara Barla leads the kitchen, and while her full biographical background is not in our records, the OAD ranking places her output in a peer set that includes some of Scandinavia's more considered café operations. At the casual tier, that recognition reflects kitchen discipline and consistency rather than fine-dining ambition.
Apotek 57 is a strong call for solo diners, couples, and small groups of up to four who want a café with some editorial standing behind it. The OAD recognition means it has cleared a basic quality bar that most Copenhagen cafés have not. If you are in the city for a few days and want a morning or midday stop that is more considered than a chain but less demanding than a reservation-required restaurant, this fits. For solo dining specifically, a café at this scale is almost always comfortable , counter seats or small two-tops make it easy to sit without feeling conspicuous.
For a special occasion, the framing needs to be calibrated. Apotek 57 is not the right address for a significant dinner celebration , Copenhagen has [Geranium](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/geranium-copenhagen-restaurant), [Noma](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/noma-copenhagen-restaurant), and [Alchemist](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/alchemist-copenhagen-restaurant) for that tier. But for a birthday brunch, a low-key anniversary morning, or a business coffee meeting where the setting needs to feel intentional without being stiff, a café with this level of consistency earns its place.
No private dining room or dedicated group space is confirmed in our current data for Apotek 57. Given the address type and café format, the likelihood is that the venue operates as a single shared room without buyout options. If a private experience is the priority for your occasion , a corporate breakfast, a small celebration with a defined group , confirm directly with the venue before committing. The café format generally suits groups of two to four more naturally than larger parties. For private dining in Copenhagen with a more formal setup, [a|o|c](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/aoc) or venues with dedicated private rooms are worth exploring alongside your café shortlist.
Booking difficulty is rated easy. Walk-ins appear to be the standard approach for a café at this category level, though peak morning hours on weekends in central Copenhagen can create queues at popular spots. Arriving slightly before the main rush , before 9 AM or after 11 AM on weekends , is a practical move at most cafés in this area. No phone number or website is currently in our records, so your leading approach is to show up or search for the venue directly on Google Maps for current contact details and any booking options they may have added.
Copenhagen's café scene is genuinely strong by Northern European standards. Apotek 57 sits in a tier that includes well-regarded independents like [Coffee Collective](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/coffee-collective-copenhagen-restaurant) and [Prolog Coffee Bar](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/prolog-coffee-bar-copenhagen-restaurant), both of which have built reputations on coffee program quality. The distinction at Apotek 57 is the OAD casual ranking, which weighs food quality more heavily than coffee execution. If coffee is your primary criteria, the comparison set shifts. If you want a café where the food offering is the draw, Apotek 57 has earned more credibility than most. See our [full Copenhagen restaurants guide](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/copenhagen) for the broader picture, and our guides to [Copenhagen hotels](https://www.joinpearl.co/hotels/copenhagen), [Copenhagen bars](https://www.joinpearl.co/bars/copenhagen), and [Copenhagen experiences](https://www.joinpearl.co/experiences/copenhagen) for planning the rest of your visit.
For comparison beyond the capital, strong regional alternatives include [Jordnær in Gentofte](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/jordnr-gentofte-restaurant), [Frederikshøj in Aarhus](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/frederikshj-aarhus-restaurant), and [Henne Kirkeby Kro](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/henne-kirkeby-kro-henne-restaurant) for those extending their Denmark trip. Further afield, [Dragsholm Slot Gourmet](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/dragsholm-slot-gourmet-hrve-restaurant) and [Frederiksminde](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/frederiksminde-prst-restaurant) round out the country's considered dining options at the upper end.
| Detail | Apotek 57 | Coffee Collective | Prolog Coffee Bar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Café (OAD-ranked) | Specialty coffee café | Specialty coffee café |
| OAD Ranking | #541 (2025) | Not ranked | Not ranked |
| Google Rating | 4.5 / 2,635 reviews | High (varies by location) | High |
| Booking Difficulty | Easy / walk-in | Walk-in | Walk-in |
| Leading For | Food-led café visit | Coffee-first visit | Coffee-first visit |
| Group Size | 2–4 optimal | 2–4 optimal | 2–4 optimal |
For a café in the same central Copenhagen tier, a|o|c is worth comparing — it carries stronger editorial recognition and a more defined dining format. If you want to step up the ambition significantly, Koan sits at the upper end of Copenhagen's casual-to-serious dining spectrum. Apotek 57's two consecutive OAD Casual Europe rankings (2024 and 2025) put it ahead of most neighbourhood options, but it is not the only well-regarded independent in the Latin Quarter area.
Yes. A café format at Store Kannikestræde 15 is one of the more practical solo dining setups in central Copenhagen — low booking friction, no awkward table minimums, and the kind of environment where a single seat at a counter or small table is the norm rather than an afterthought. Walk-ins appear to be standard here, which removes the planning overhead that solo travellers often want to avoid.
Probably not if the occasion calls for a set menu, wine pairings, or a formal room. Apotek 57 is a café, and its OAD Casual Europe ranking confirms that positioning rather than overrides it. For a birthday dinner or anniversary meal in Copenhagen, Geranium or Alchemist are in a different category entirely. Apotek 57 works better as a relaxed morning or afternoon stop than as a centrepiece event.
No confirmed bar seating is documented in our current data for Apotek 57. At a café of this format and address type, counter seating is common, but it would function as café counter space rather than a dedicated bar. Do not expect a drinks-led bar programme — this is a café, not a bar or wine venue.
Specific menu items are not confirmed in our current data, so any dish-level recommendation would be speculation. What the OAD Casual Europe ranking does signal is that the food meets a consistent standard across visits — enough for repeat inclusion in 2024 and 2025. For specific menu questions, check directly with the venue before visiting.
Whatever you would wear to a well-regarded independent café in central Copenhagen — which is to say, no dress code applies. Copenhagen café culture skews relaxed and unstuffy regardless of editorial standing. Treat this the same way you would any OAD-ranked casual spot: come as you are.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
