You’re never more than 100 feet away from a great meal in Copenhagen : a smørrebrød here, a sticky bun there; the best street veggie dogs I've had (vegan as well—don't come for me, please); precision-cut Nordic cuisine, and locavore tasting menus.

For a few seasons now, though, I’ve maintained that some of the best dining experiences here can be found not in one of the many lauded temples to fine dining but inside an amusement park. Not just any amusement park— Tivoli Gardens , the world's second-oldest and inarguably the most charming. Copenhagen’s top tourist attraction is known for many things: its romantic gardens, the Rutschebanen, its century-old wooden roller coaster, and, come dusk, its transformation into an illuminated wonderland.…