Istid

Copenhagen's Ice Cream Standard-Bearer

If you're weighing Istid against Østerberg Ice Cream for your afternoon in Copenhagen, the decision comes down to track record and critical recognition. Istid has appeared on Opinionated About Dining's Cheap Eats in Europe list two years running — ranked #108 in 2024 and #126 in 2025 — which puts it in a different conversation from most ice cream shops in the city. For anyone treating an ice cream stop as part of a considered food itinerary, Istid is the more defensible choice.

What Istid Is

Istid is a small-format ice cream shop at Lille Strandstræde 13, in the heart of Copenhagen's inner city. It is run by Anniken Sand and Nina Victoria Berg Saroori. The address places it close to the waterfront and within easy reach of the neighbourhoods most visitors spend time in.

The OAD Cheap Eats ranking is a meaningful credential. That list draws from the same critical community that evaluates Geranium, Noma, and Alchemist. Appearing on it twice suggests Istid is not simply a popular local spot but one that serious food travellers have flagged as worth the detour.

Does It Travel Well? Takeout Framing

Ice cream is a format built for takeout, Istid's location supports it. The Lille Strandstræde address puts you close to the waterfront, making a cone to walk along the harbour a practical proposition on a warm afternoon. The shop's hours, noon to 8 pm every day of the week, mean this works as a late-afternoon stop after lunch elsewhere, or as a post-dinner detour before heading back to your hotel. The format does not reward lingering in the way a sit-down restaurant does; you are here to pick something, walk, eat. That is the right way to do it.

For a special occasion, the takeout format works in a specific direction: it fits well as a punctuation mark on a bigger day rather than as the centrepiece. If you are planning a celebration dinner at somewhere like Kadeau or Geranium, an afternoon stop at Istid is a low-effort, high-return addition to the day.

When to Go

The noon opening means Istid is a viable lunch-adjacent stop, but the 8 pm close makes it workable across most of the afternoon and into early evening. The leading timing on a warm Copenhagen day is mid-afternoon, roughly 2 to 5 pm, when foot traffic around the inner city is high but the queue, if any, is more manageable than peak weekend afternoon. Weekday visits will generally be easier than Saturday or Sunday. The shop is open all seven days, which removes the planning friction that affects many Copenhagen food stops.

Copenhagen's summers are short, Istid's format is at its finest in the warmer months from May through August. That said, ice cream shops in Scandinavian cities see year-round demand, the consistent hours suggest this is not a seasonal operation.

How It Compares in Copenhagen

Istid operates in a completely different price tier from the restaurants Copenhagen is renowned for internationally. Geranium, Noma, Alchemist, and Kadeau all sit at the top of the price range and require advance booking. Istid requires neither. It fills a different slot in a Copenhagen food day, the affordable, no-friction moment that rounds out an itinerary built around more demanding reservations.

For ice cream specifically in the city, Østerberg Ice Cream is the most direct comparison. Istid's two consecutive OAD Cheap Eats placements give it a slight edge in critical credibility, but both are worth knowing. If you can only stop at one and critical recognition matters to you, Istid is the call.

Beyond Copenhagen, the ice cream category has strong reference points elsewhere: Ample Hills Creamery in New York City and Angelo Brocato in New Orleans both show what serious ice cream operations look like at the city-institution level. Istid earns its place in that same register, at Copenhagen scale.

Explore More in Copenhagen and Denmark

If Istid is part of a broader Copenhagen trip, the city has significant depth across categories. For dinner reservations, see our full Copenhagen restaurants guide. For where to stay, our Copenhagen hotels guide covers the full range. Our Copenhagen bars guide and Copenhagen experiences guide are also worth a look.

If you are travelling more widely in Denmark, notable dining options outside the capital include Jordnær in Gentofte, Frederikshøj in Aarhus, Henne Kirkeby Kro in Henne, Alimentum in Aalborg, ARO in Odense, and Domæne in Herning.