Skål! How to throw a Danish lunch

Soho House Copenhagen's waterfront terrace at Havengade is opening soon and there’s nowhere we’d rather feast and boat-watch in the afternoon sun. A typical dansk frokost takes culinary adventurers on a journey exploring sea, land and farm over three courses of smørrebrød, with copious overflowing glasses of aquavit (aka snaps) as standard.
 
While the menu at SHC will be typical of other houses – signature favourites from around the world – there's always a smattering of national personality at Local Houses. Copenhagen is no exception to the rule: keep your eyes peeled for fresh seafood or a modern take on a classic smørrebrød (open-faced sandwiches – smørre meaning butter and brød bread).
 
So, as the opportunity to while away an afternoon watching boats and paddle boarders sail along the Nyhavn canal draws near, why not take in another great Danish tradition? At your own pace, please. That aquavit hits hard.

Simplicity
Move methodically and neatly through a routine pattern of courses. The Danes like things as orderly and functional as their designware. Your lunch typically begins with a fish course and that can mean only one thing: sild (herring). Favourite takes on the dish include curried with caper berries or tartly marinated with pickled onions. It might not look so fetching, but it tastes divine and lines the stomach. Serve with remoulade (a sexier take on mayo) and pair with dill aquavit. 
 
Next up, meat. Roast pork served whichever way you can manage, followed by fried Camembert for dessert. Trust us.
 
Customs
The idea of a boozy lunch isn't exactly novel, but this kind of snaps-drenched one stems directly from the Danish julefrokost (Christmas lunch), in which an entire day is designed around the glorious pleasures of overindulgence and obnoxious behaviours.

Rules at the festive edition involve a dull rice pudding game centred around a nut, but any other celebratory frokost basically means blocking out your diary for the rest of the day and night – if you're still standing from all the heavy, rich fare and are seeing straight after all the amber-cask snaps, it's definitely time for bed and probably a lie-in the next day. 
 
Usually, Danes will be very hospitable to new additions around the table – just be sure to check beforehand who they might be. After all, Copenhagen is a frightfully small city and we've all got our skeletons. 
 
And to finish? You might want to serve skrub af suppe (get lost soup) – a dish designed to signal that you want your guests to hit the road. Although, perhaps one last snaps and a point in the direction a Soho House bar is more actionable?
 
Skål!
 
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