4 Best Restaurants in Jutland, Denmark

This atmospheric restaurant housed in the picturesque wine cellar of a Renaissance-era house (it was built in 1624) is a favorite among those who treasure its old-world ambiance and well-priced traditional cuisine. Copious plates of Danish classics—smoked herring, caviar, hearty vegetable-laden venison stew, baked local salmon, and roasted potatoes with parsley dressing—are served à la carte or buffet style under vaulted ceilings. The jovial atmosphere and ever-flowing beer and wine may help guests overlook the indifferent service.

Just south of town lies Marselis Harbor, a bustling little sailboat cove surrounded by waterfront restaurants and cafés that draw big crowds on sunny summer weekends. Restaurant Seafood has an interior of light-blue walls, and its signature dish is a seafood bouillabaisse heaped with tiger prawns, squid, Norwegian lobster, and mussels and served with aioli on the side. Other dishes include oven-baked catfish with asparagus and warm ginger butter.

At first this place seems very unassuming, but it faces one of the two marinas that dock private yachts, and in the summer the restaurant's terrace is the place to see and be seen by the denizens of these vessels. Whether you dine on the ground floor in the pub or upstairs in the blue-and-white restaurant that resembles a warehouse attic, you must try the fiskefrikadeller (fish cakes). Made from three Nordic fish and gently creamed with herbs and potatoes, they are one of the restaurant's most popular items. Wash them down with a frosty Danish beer or lemon soda.

The 400-year-old canal-side tavern named after the seals often spotted on the nearby coast can seat up to 60 people, but it feels smaller, and its coziness draws both wayfarers and locals. The only seal mementos left are a few skins and pictures, but you can still order a "seal's special" of cold shrimp, sautéed potatoes, and scrambled eggs. In summer, you can sit outside by the river or in the courtyard.