ITS NAME IS PRETTY SELF-EXPLANATORY: THIS QUAINT LITTLE DINER SERVES SNACKS WHILST PLAYING ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY TWANGY, EARTHY TUNES BY THE LIKES OF HOWLIN’ WOLF OVER THE SPEAKERS. THE STAFF ALSO WHIP UP THE BEST FRIED CHICKEN IN COPENHAGEN.
For an affordable amount, you can get yourself a sizzling basket of fried wings and thighs that will transport you to the Deep South with every bite, even if you’ve never set foot in the USA. For just a few kroner more, you can upgrade to fried chicken and waffles absolutely drowning in maple syrup – a welcome alternative to the New Nordic-inspired fare that dominates many of Copenhagen’s hippest restaurants. And if you don’t wash the meal down with a Negroni, a weird yet surprisingly fitting combo for this meal, you’re missing out on one of the strongest cocktails in the city. Luckily for you, Snack & Blues is located near Elmegade, a quaint street off Nørrebrogade where you can make your way through concept boutiques, an astoundingly tasty vegan ice-cream shop and a well-stocked Acne Archive store before settling down for your fried-chicken escapade.
Snack & Blues is the brainchild of Barkas, a boutique design firm in Copenhagen – and it shows in every detail, from the hazy, nostalgic lighting straight out of a grunge music video, to the relentlessly fuchsia cushions you’ll be leaning against. Daniel Rørbæk of Barkas explains that the inspiration for Snack & Blues came from Montreal, Canada, where some of the founders lived a few years back. “There was this place we always went to listen to blues and drink dark beers,” he says. “I think we went a bit Tarantino on this one. We started with a soundtrack, then we came up with the menu, and at the end, the design. For us, aesthetics is just as important as the food. The overall experience needs to be 100 per cent thought through.”
Try to get there before 6.30pm, though, especially on weekends. This place fills up pretty quickly.