Smør is the kind of place that looks cute and inviting even without any particularly flashy curb appeal. The vibe is a classic clean Scandinavian design, simple wood furnishing and neutral industrial accents, bright poppy graphics. It’s small and cozy, but doesn’t feel too cramped with a full wall of windows and high ceilings. The food comes out on muted colorful plates that pop against the light wood tables. And the food itself is bright and colorful, and garnished in a way that dares you to call it upgraded Ikea food (even if you mean it in a good way).

Opened in 2019 by two Danes living in the city, Smør specializes simple, comfort Scandinavian food. You have the namesake smørrebrøds, bowls, sandwiches, and well composed plates for dinner. Shareable sides and a surprisingly comprehensive drinks menu that ranges from coffee and lemonade to natural wines and local and imported beers and even cocktails and spritzes. 

Since then, they have expanded down the block of their original East Village location with a nordic general store and bakery, as well as SLIKNYC, a Danish candy shop that also has some of the best vanilla soft serve in the city. They also have an all day cafe restaurant in Clinton Hill, and another bakery in East Williamsburg churning out cardamom buns and sandwiches to the freelance crowd that always seems to be hanging around on the weekdays. 

Somehow, after all these years, Smør is able to balance quality and popularity without the hype. It’s easy enough for a walk in, there’s rarely much of a queue at the bakeries compared to La Cabra, and this homegrown bakery more than delivers on the bread-forward promise of any good Copenhagen bakery.