Here are a few of our favorites:

☕️ Nicolinehus

Spacious, cozy, and with a playground right outside.  You can sample everything from authentic Thai noodles and dumplings to Greek street food, gourmet burgers, oysters and homemade Belgian waffles. Bonus: the bakery serves great croissants at good prices (19 kr- while in most cafes croissants of similar quality costs around 35 kr). There is also good coffee and lots of windows for people-watching, and outdoor seating.

🍳 Aarhus Streetfood

Housed in a converted bus garage by the Aarhus bus station, Aarhus Street Food is a permanent street‐food hall with more than 30 kitchens and bars. You’ll find Mexican tacos, Vietnamese bánh-mì, classic Danish open-sandwiches and plenty of vegetarian and vegan options. Long communal tables create a casual, friendly atmosphere. There is even a couple small play areas for the kids, and of course plenty of outdoor seating.

🧸 Dokk1 Café – Inside the main library

This might be our favorite. There’s are a few playgrounds right outside next to the café seating. There are so many things for kids to do, so this is our #1 play date location when we want to grab a coffee and a bite to eat.

🍕Banken Food Hall

Spread over 3,000 m² with several food stalls, a wine & cocktail bar and a bakery, it’s a popular spot for families with kids. While it doesn’t have a dedicated area for kids to play (that I know of), the atmosphere is so relaxed no one will bat an eye if your kid gets a little loud. Here it might be good to bring a toy or activity book to help kids pass the time while you wait for your food.

Our son is a fan of drawing while we sip coffee, and bringing a small activity (like a coloring sheet or sticker book) is a game changer when waiting for food.