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. With a Google rating of 4.9 across 98 reviews, the consistency of execution here is notable: very few food businesses sustain that score with any meaningful volume of reviews.

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, and 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, and 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, and Istid's format is at its leading in the warmer months from May through August. That said, ice cream shops in Scandinavian cities see year-round demand, and 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 leading known for internationally. Geranium, Noma, Alchemist, and Kadeau all sit at the leading 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What should I order at Istid? Specific menu items are not published in available data, so we cannot name individual flavours. Given the OAD recognition and the 4.9 Google rating, the safe approach is to ask at the counter what is freshest or made in-house that day. The awards suggest the quality is consistent enough that the current selection is the right guide.
• Can Istid accommodate groups? As a walk-up ice cream shop, there is no booking process and no formal group policy. Larger groups can queue and order together, but there is no seated accommodation or private arrangement implied by the format. For groups of more than four or five, be prepared to move as a loose unit rather than a seated party.
• What should a first-timer know about Istid? It is a walk-in only spot with no reservations and no table service. Come with cash or card, know roughly what you want, and plan to eat as you walk. The OAD ranking means it may have a short queue on busy summer afternoons. Hours are noon to 8 pm every day, so timing is flexible.
• What are alternatives to Istid in Copenhagen? Østerberg Ice Cream is the most direct peer for ice cream specifically. If you are looking at the broader Copenhagen food scene for a more formal experience, the city's leading restaurants , Geranium, Alchemist, and Kadeau , are in a different category and price tier entirely.
• Is lunch or dinner better at Istid? The shop closes at 8 pm, so dinner is not really on the table. The sweet spot is mid-afternoon, between 2 and 5 pm, when you can pair a stop here with a walk along the waterfront. Lunch-adjacent visits work if you want to start your food day here, but most visitors will find this fits better as an afternoon detour.
• Is Istid good for a special occasion? Not as a centrepiece, but as a very effective supporting act. If you are marking a celebration in Copenhagen with a serious dinner at somewhere like Geranium or Kadeau, an afternoon ice cream stop at an OAD-recognised shop adds a considered food moment to the day at minimal cost and effort.
• Does Istid handle dietary restrictions? No information on dietary accommodation is available in published data. Contact the shop directly before visiting if this is a deciding factor. The format , a small artisan ice cream shop , means the menu is likely limited in scope, which could work for or against specific restrictions.
• Is Istid good for solo dining? Yes, this is arguably the format where solo works leading. A walk-up counter, a cone to eat while walking, no booking required, and a price point that makes spontaneity easy. Solo visitors to Copenhagen looking for a low-commitment food moment that still has critical credibility will find Istid a direct addition to the day.