Paludan Bog & Café

Paludan Bog & Café is a little Copenhagen gem that effortlessly blends bookstore charm with café comfort—think worn wood, wall-to-wall shelves, the low hum of laptops, and the scent of coffee and paper in the air. Just steps off the pedestrian-only Strøget, it’s tucked into one of the city’s most walkable, lovable corners, and it’s the kind of place you wander into and wish you had back home.

Part library, part student haunt, part casual restaurant, the space buzzes with a kind of quiet creative energy. When we visited in the afternoon, nearly every table was taken by someone deep in a laptop or notebook—writers, students, solo travelers, all seemingly at home. It reminded me a bit of a Scandinavian take on SoHo: a little artsy, a little academic, and totally unpretentious.

And the food? Surprisingly great. This isn’t a try-hard café menu with Instagram bait—just honest, satisfying fare. I had a Carlsberg and a burger and honestly couldn’t have been happier. The menu leans simple and Scandinavian, with a mix of light plates and comfort food. Nothing fancy, just well done.

The staff is a curious mix—clearly trying for that brisk, no-nonsense New York energy, but missing the mark slightly. What comes off as confident and efficient in Manhattan reads here as vaguely disinterested. Still, it’s part of the charm, in its own way.

Whether you’re stopping in for a beer and a bite or looking to lose yourself in a book for an hour or two, Paludan nails it. Cozy, cool, and thoroughly Copenhagen.

Great interior and the Paludan brunch was very worth the price, their Flat White was nice too.

Though, my experience here did not go too well. This place is 100% not for deep work/read due to the crowd and noise. There is no way you can focus here. For group discussion, assignments? Maybe. But I don’t like the fact that this place was marketed as “reading cafe” because it’s simply not true.

Also, there are so many rules! You can’t use laptop on some tables, you can’t study or work on certain days, etc. finding a suitable seat is difficult (mainly due to the crowd).

Staff are efficient but not the friendliest. Conclusion? Come here for brunch, hangout with friends, enjoy the atmosphere. And go somewhere else if you want to study/work.

This is a super cute spot and also huge. This is definitely laptop friendly but only on the weekdays! They don’t allow laptops on the weekends.

There is a nice outdoor and a huge indoor area with outlets. The cappuccino and croissant I got were good, and Wi-Fi is free and solid. A great place to work!

Very nice coffee & restaurant. You can work on your laptop or even play board games with your friends. Could be crowded but not especially noisy still. The atmosphere is very nice, filled with books and the waitresses are friendly. Beware that portions are quite big

My wife came in to enjoy a slice of cheesecake and a coffee and to do a bit of work - it is literally next door to the university - and was told AFTER she bought the cake that she was 'not allowed to open her laptop'. She then asked to return the cake, as no one had told her and they refused. She ended up getting the cake in a box, WIHTOUT fork/spoon and left without so much as 'we're sorry'... 2 min down the road, nice place callee ROAST Cafe where they were super accommodating and friendly.
Very disappointed in my 'fellow' Danes at Paludan and will never come back.

Great ambiance and service. Good place for studying on laptop during the week. But take note, no laptops allowed on Fri night or Saturday/Sunday. wifi was quite slow in the back room I was in but it was good when I moved to the main room upfront. outlets accessible. Many groups so not quiet but many books and crannies for finding a separate (but not quiet) spot.

Absolutely amazing coffee, and atmosphere. One of the best cafés in Copenhagen. Café has antique style with huge library.
They restricted the use of computers, anyway, there is a free wifi network.
I recommend this place.

A fine place to get some work done. Pleasantly located in the old town. Free wifi and ample seating in a more or less inviting ambiance. A small selection of books for sale and more that are for decoration. Expensive and unremarkable coffee, but such is the state of all coffee in Copenhagen.

Food is ok but bacon is really dry 😅🤦🏻‍♀️
Service — staffs too busy to clean up table so I have to help a bit while I find an empty table. Also feel staffs have tough life as while they are working 😂😂😂(wish can make them smile now)

Place is pretty noisy which no idea why as people around speak very loud.

Toilet is VERY dirty 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

Price is ok but not recommend if you wish have quiet place have coffee.

FOR TOURISM. Went there as a student to study, paid 48 for a soda, sat down, and the place was almost full. After sitting there studying for more than an hour I was told one couldn't use a laptop until after 5 pm in the evening in the weekends. Other signs urge students to buy several drinks (to consume), but I was not told this before. 70 meters away from the main library and filled with paying tourists, it's just another example of how the centre is becoming a place for tourism and consumption and other functions are pushed out. The placed otherwise seemed okay.

Nice place for having coffee and talking or going to work or studying. wifi was free and they have an amazing collection of books. The prices are high so that is the only disadvantage I see. You can sit inside or outside. Until 17 it was a laptop-free zone.

We paid 77 kr for only a water and a coffee and we were not allowed to use our laptop. Doesn’t make sense to me, since we were costumers and the Café is in an old library. So when you can bring a laptop to a cafe, why not here?

I always find it hard to rate places like this.

It's a cozy place to be and to study. They have outdoor seating, and plenty of indoor seating.

The problem I have with this cafe is that you are expected to know where you are seated before you order so you can notify the cashier where to deliver your food. It's a reasonable request - however, they ask that you don't leave your items unattended because thieves can easily take your belongings. So it is hard to visit the place when your by yourself because 1) I don't want to leave my laptop, purse, or jacket on a seat 2) if I don't have a seat the servers aren't too happy about it. I understand why it's more efficient to let the server know where you'll be ahead of time but this system isn't executed well.

The food menu is on the smaller side, which is okay - they offer brunch, lunch, and dinner and many choices of coffee. The only student discount available is for beer in the evening. The picture I attached is for brunch (99kr) and includes a pre-made fruit smoothie. I do enjoy the brunch!

wifi is available as is a place for your bike. Certain areas are off limits to those who want to study so make sure to find the appropriate table. The entrance is handicap accessible but half of the cafe (top floor for bathrooms and more seating) are up a flight of stairs. It is child/family friendly.

Latte was ok, the edges show lots of wear and tear and not well organized. The pro is that you can study at certain tables and certain spots feel like a library. It's great if you have a laptop otherwise meh.

Popular, busy book café in the heart of Copenhagen. The staff do the best they can, but due to massive popularity don’t expect much service.

It’s a great place to study or host an informal meeting with large tables, reasonable prices, wifi, free toilets and idyllic bookshelves with old books.

The bookstore is in the cellar where there’s a great smell of old books!

Reserve a table to be sure to get a spot in this Copenhagen hotspot.

Menu description and served food often don’t match, so prepare yourself to be surprised. The food is a bit bland.

Personally, I’d recommend the French Book store next door for food and study space.

This place has the cozy vibe of an old bookstore. The food and coffee are great, and it’s perfect for a bit of co-working (when it’s allowed) or casual meetups. It can get a little loud at times, but overall it’s a lovely spot.

Had a gorgeous breakfast here. There food is fantastic and the cafe is great for both big and small groups. It’s got a wonderful combination of people having a quite (& well priced) meal as well as people working on laptops or reading.
Highly recommend their veggie brunch. Was wonderful

Terrible service and complete disregard for customers.

We drove specifically to this place for lunch. However, it was unbearably hot inside. Likely because the air conditioning wasn’t working. so we decided to sit outside. Unfortunately, the outdoor tables were wet.

When we asked the staff if they could wipe one down for us so we could sit and order, one of them simply handed us some paper towels with an arrogant expression and told us to do it ourselves.

After that, there was no way we still wanted to dine here. What a disappointment!

Really nice atmosphere here. There is the opportunity to browse new books, the wifi is free and I had an excellent sandwich and coffee.
I recommend this establishment.

Concept of the cafe is very cute as you are surrounded by many books and dark wood furnishings. But the air inside is very bad without any breeze and the prices for drinks and food is very high, even for Copenhagen standards.

Also their wifi is broken and wouldn’t connect.

Paludan is one of those places that are hard to categorize. I've been coming to brunches at Paludan since the first time I came to Copenhagen. I think over 100 times now I've had brunch there with friends and family. It's a bookstore. Co-working space. Art gallery. Restaurant. Cafe. And all is super affordable due to its location - next to the university, yet in the heart of the old town.
I love paludan because I always feel the coziness of the place with all the students, artists, families, hipsters around me coming here to try the different brunches they offer. - if you're in Copenhagen, you have to come here!

Absolutely fantastic brunch! We loved everything about this place. The decor with all of the books is awesome! We got the Paludans Bruch and Vegetarian Brunch. They are almost the same, but instead of the bit of meat that comes with the Paludans, the vegetarian comes with baked goat cheese and hummus. The baked goat cheese was to die for. It was so much food! You get eggs, cheese, jam, fruit, yogurt, bread, a pancake, and your choice of a smoothie or orange juice. We also got chai lattes that were wonderful. They have menus in English and Danish as well as free wifi. Don't forget to go downstairs and check out the book store. This was our last brunch in Copenhagen and I would highly recommend it!

Paludan Bogcafe is a fantastic place with a warm atmosphere, delicious food, and delightful coffee options! Surrounded by books, this unique setting is perfect for both working and enjoying time with friends. The service is fast, and the staff is very friendly. I highly recommend it for a pleasant break in Copenhagen!

Headed here to decompress before travelling home. What an amazing place, chill vibes, nice atmosphere, people chatting, working, studying, dating.... Great place to people watch and read. Nice selection of cakes coffee and drinks... couldn't want more from this place

amazing place, food no so good, wifi sucks and you are suppose to work there..

Good coffee and working space. For internet you need to use voucher. It works for 1h30 min and just for one person. There are some tables where is forbidden to use P.C. place is very crowd.

We visited on Monday for a lunch. The place was packed and it was hard to find a place to sit. The interior is really nice. The queue to order food was very long all the time. Because the place is so crowded, I can’t imagine working/studying there. It is very loud.
The food was prepared quickly but was average and quite expensive for the quality (also considering the location).

Very cool place in the city centre. Awesome atmosphere, like in an old library. Very good for brunch with friends, studying or working. Friendly staff and good service. Prices great for Copenhagen.