The classic Danish New Year's menu is poached cod with potatoes and mustard sauce, and at midnight the marzipan ring cake and champagne come to the table. A three-course menu with starter, main course and dessert suits most New Year's Eves, and there's plenty of room to adjust it along the way.
Dims Studio's own figures: Among the champagne glasses sold at Dims Studio, 61% were blue and 41% were clear as one of the colours (more than 50 items sold, from November 2025 to October 2026), and half of the champagne glasses sold cost under DKK 220 (more than 60 items sold, same period).
Contents
New Year's Eve is the last evening of the year, and in many Danish homes the evening follows the same fixed points: a good menu, marzipan ring cake and champagne as it gets closer to midnight. This guide goes through the traditions behind the Danish New Year's menu, how to build up a three-course menu, and how the evening can be planned leading up to midnight.
If you'd also like to see how the table can be set for the occasion, you can find inspiration in the article about New Year's table.
The short answer
The classic Danish New Year's menu is poached cod with potatoes and mustard sauce, and at midnight the marzipan ring cake and champagne come to the table. For most homes, a three-course menu with starter, main course and dessert suits New Year's Eve nicely, and the whole structure can be adjusted according to how many guests there are and how much time there is to cook.
The traditions behind the Danish New Year's menu
The Danish New Year's menu has changed over time. Until the 1700s, it was common to eat rice pudding and meat on New Year's Eve, just as at Christmas. After that, fish became the preferred New Year's food, and poached cod, poached eel or salted dried cod became a regular part of the evening in many parts of the country.
Today, marzipan ring cake, the King's New Year's speech and the town hall bells at midnight are part of many people's New Year's Eve, and the new year is celebrated with fireworks and champagne. The town hall bells in Copenhagen rang in the new year for the first time on the night of 1 January 1900, and that tradition lives on.
A rather curious detail is the prize Årets torsk (Cod of the Year), which the newspaper Ekstra Bladet awards each year to a person who has made a fool of themselves over the past year. The name is a little nod to how closely cod is linked to New Year in Denmark.
Structuring the menu
On festive occasions such as New Year's Eve, a three-course menu consisting of a starter, main course and dessert is typically served. More than three courses is rare, so there's no need to overcomplicate the evening.
- The starter should only fill you up a little, so there's still room for the main course.
- The main course is the centrepiece of the evening, and this is where the classic poached cod fits in nicely.
- A cheese board can be brought out before dessert, and dessert comes as the last part of the meal.
The marzipan ring cake traditionally belongs just before or at midnight, so it can easily wait until the champagne has been poured.
The phases of the New Year's menu can be summed up in a short overview.
| Dish | Description |
|---|---|
| Starter | Light and cold, doesn't fill you up too much |
| Main course | Boiled cod with potatoes and mustard sauce |
| Cheese board | Brought out before dessert |
| Dessert | Last part of the meal |
| Kransekage | Belongs right before or at midnight |
Menu ideas for New Year's Eve
The most classic main course for New Year's Eve is boiled cod with white potatoes and mustard sauce. Bay leaves and peppercorns in the cooking water give the fish extra flavour, and the dish is both simple and steeped in tradition. If you fancy a bit of variation, boiled eel or salt cod can also be used as an alternative to the cod.
For a starter, you can choose something cold and light that won't fill you up too much, so there's still room for the main course. After the main course, a small cheese board can be brought out before dessert and the kransekage come to the table.
If you fancy breaking a little with the classic recipe, a whole tapas spread or a cheese board can be a great setting for the evening, where your guests can put together their own plate. Find more ideas in the articles about tapas ideas and cheese board ideas.
Snacks and nibbles can be beautifully presented in dishes in different colours, such as a lemon dish in ceramic from &Klevering or an oyster dish in ceramic from &Klevering, both of which are suited to tapas as well as a cheese board.
Tip: An orange dish in ceramic from &Klevering can be used for fruit or biscuits alongside the kransekage, while also adding a bit of extra colour to the table.
Drinks for the New Year's menu
Boiled cod goes well with white wine or beer and schnapps, a combination that's accompanied the dish for many years. At midnight, most people switch to champagne to toast in the new year.
If you need to know how many glasses there are in a bottle, so you can work out the amount for your guests, you can find the answer in the article about glasses in a bottle of wine and champagne. A set of Jazzy champagne glasses can help make the midnight toast a little extra festive.
Find champagne glasses and other accessories, so the table is ready for midnight.
See champagne glassesThe plan for the evening
A large part of the New Year's menu can be prepared during the day, so you're not standing there making everything at the last minute. Cold dishes and accompaniments can be made ready well in advance, while anything to be served hot can wait until closer to mealtime.
King Frederik X gives his New Year's address earlier in the evening, so it can conveniently be watched before you sit down at the table, or as a natural pause between starter and main course.
Dessert and the kransekage don't need to come to the table until it's getting close to midnight. Many people wait with the last part of the meal until the champagne has been poured and the new year is rung in by the town hall bells. That way, you naturally gather the evening around the moment the new year begins.
Food safety for New Year's Eve
Cold dishes such as fish and cold cuts should only be brought out to the table right before you're going to eat, and hot dishes should be served piping hot. Only serve as much food as you reckon will be eaten, and preferably serve it in several rounds rather than putting everything out at once.
- Put leftovers in the fridge quickly after the meal.
- Keep the fridge at a maximum of 5 degrees.
- Let hot food that's to be stored cool down briefly before putting it in the fridge.
- Divide large portions, such as sauces, into smaller parts so they cool down more quickly.
Frequently asked questions
What do you eat for New Year in Denmark?
The most common tradition is boiled cod with potatoes and mustard sauce, and at midnight, marzipan ring cake and champagne come to the table.
Why do you eat cod on New Year's Eve?
Fish such as boiled cod, boiled eel and dried salted cod became a common New Year's dish after the 1700s, when people had previously eaten rice pudding and meat as at Christmas.
What makes a good New Year's menu?
A three-course menu with a light starter, a main course such as boiled cod and a dessert works well, ideally with a cheese board before dessert.
When do you eat marzipan ring cake on New Year's Eve?
The marzipan ring cake traditionally belongs at midnight, and many wait until the champagne has been poured and the year is to be celebrated before serving it.
What can you prepare in advance for New Year?
Cold dishes and much of the trimmings can be prepared earlier in the day, while hot dishes should wait until they're to be served piping hot.
What do you drink with boiled cod?
White wine or beer and schnapps go well with boiled cod, while champagne is typically saved for the midnight toast.
Summary
The Danish New Year's menu is built on fixed points: boiled cod as the main course, a three-course structure, and marzipan ring cake and champagne as midnight approaches. With a bit of preparation and a handle on food safety, the evening can glide calmly towards the town hall bells and the new year.
Read also
- New Year's table: how to lay the table for New Year
- How many glasses are there in a bottle of wine, and champagne?
- Cheese board ideas: how to arrange a lovely cheese board
- Tapas ideas: dishes, presentation and drinks for the evening
- How to open oysters: a step-by-step guide
- Nytårskur: what is it, and how do you hold one?
- What is prosecco? The difference between champagne, cava and sparkling wine
Get the New Year's table ready
Find platters, glasses and other accessories for the New Year's menu in the New Year's table collection, hand-picked by Dinna.
See New Year's table