Food and Friendship: Copenhagen's Communal Dining
Eating out in Denmark is known for being expensive, but there are a growing number of community kitchens offering cheaper ways to get a meal.
One popular place is Absalon, a former church in the Vesterbro area of Copenhagen. There, every night, people take part in fællesspisning ("fell-spis-ning") — communal eating.
Guests sit together at long tables and serve themselves dishes made from local ingredients. The menu changes daily, and includes dishes like potato stew, or chicken and vegetables. The meals are simple but tasty, and everyone helps clean up afterward.
Fællesspisning is quite cheap, usually costing between about $3 and $15 per person. At Absalon, for example, dinner costs about $9, but on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, it's about $15 because dessert is included. Children under 3 can eat for free.
However, most people come not for the low prices, but to connect with others.
People these days are lonely, according to Absalon's founders, Lennart and Sus Lajboschitz ("LAI-bo-schitz"), in an interview with Visit Copenhagen.
So fællesspisning is a good way to fight this problem, by bringing people together to share meals and conversation.
Although there are no waiters serving meals at Absalon, there are hosts, who guide you to a seat. If you're alone, you might be seated next to friendly people, or others who are also by themselves, to encourage conversation.
And there are other ways to meet and mingle with people at Absalon, not just through food. You can play table tennis or bingo, do yoga, or just relax on the sofas.
Fællesspisning is a special way to meet people and feel like you're part of Danish culture, all while enjoying a cheap but tasty meal.
