Light meals and afternoon tea for around NT$200 each, served on royal Danish porcelain

Reported by Hong Ling-Ju / Special Feature

The integrated business model that combines lifestyle goods or tableware with light meal and afternoon tea has become a trend in department stores. The third global café from the 238-year-old Danish hand-painted fine porcelain brand, Royal Copenhagen—after locations in Denmark and Japan—has opened at SOGO Zhongxiao Department Store. Offering light meals, afternoon tea, or beverages for approximately NT$200 per person, the café may promote an affordable dining concept, but allows guests to enjoy their meal using tableware worth thousands of dollars without time restrictions, providing a leisurely experience of Nordic charm and little joys.

▲Royal Copenhagen Café & Light Meals also offers an afternoon tea pancake series. The shop specially custom-molded and ordered a pancake baking machine to present the pancakes in a crown shape, echoing the brand logo, and this crown pancake is only available at the Taiwan branch. (Photo / Reporter Chen Ming-Jen)

Different from familiar British or American cuisines, Royal Copenhagen Café & Light Meals positions itself as serving authentic Danish food. Over 50 main dishes, afternoon tea items, and beverages are designed by Danish lifestyle expert Jens H. Jensen. Among them, he specifically taught three traditional Danish home-cooked dishes to local chefs, including “Classic Open-Faced Sandwich,” “Cauliflower with Baked Salmon and Dill Soup,” and “The Little Mermaid Afternoon Tea,” priced between NT$190 and NT$220. For food lovers who enjoy sampling international flavors, they can satisfy their curiosity and taste buds at everyday prices.

▲The Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Open-Faced Sandwich features smoked salmon slices, salmon roe, fresh vegetables, lemon slices, and honey mustard sauce, bursting with sweet and savory ocean flavors. (Photo / Reporter Chen Ming-Jen)

Take the open-faced sandwich as an example—it refers to spreading the main ingredients on one slice of bread, unlike typical American sandwiches that use two slices. Emphasizing nutrition and freshness, the bread used is whole wheat or rye. Chef Jiang Zhen-Xian of Royal Copenhagen Café & Light Meals explains that authentic European and Danish-style whole wheat or rye bread is dense, thick, and somewhat hard. Considering Taiwanese people’s weaker jaw strength, the bread texture is made slightly softer for easier chewing, and is paired with ingredients such as sweet shrimp or smoked salmon to add diverse flavors.

▲The Sweet Shrimp with Egg Slice Open-Faced Sandwich allows customers to choose between Greenland shrimp or Taiwanese sweet shrimp based on preference. (Photo / Reporter Chen Ming-Jen)

Li Jia-Shan, deputy marketing manager of Royal Copenhagen hand-painted fine porcelain, mentions that Denmark’s coastal geography means open-faced sandwiches often feature seafood. The Sweet Shrimp with Egg Slice version is quite traditional, using small, sweet imported Greenland shrimp as the main ingredient. For those concerned about taste, Taiwanese sweet shrimp can be substituted. To suit local palates, the café has also developed options with ham, chicken, or vegetable salads. Though the portion isn’t large, the sandwiches are filling and considered a proper meal by Danes.

▲The Cauliflower with Baked Salmon and Dill Soup, made purely from vegetables, has a refreshing taste and can also be served with bread. (Photo / Reporter Chen Ming-Jen)

Another dish, “Cauliflower with Baked Salmon and Dill Soup,” differs from typical Taiwanese clear soups or soups usually stewed with pork ribs. Its highlight is the use of a large quantity of vegetables—including cauliflower, onions, bacon, salt, bay leaves, and water—simmered together, with cauliflower added at the end and topped with baked salmon pieces and dill, resulting in a hearty vegetable soup that can be served hot or cold. Li Jia-Shan says, “Because it’s cooked with vegetables, the taste is refreshing, and even when served cold, there’s no worry about any off-flavors from wild greens. However, we usually serve it hot for guests to enjoy.”

▲The “Little Mermaid Afternoon Tea” features strawberry bits paired with white cheese, offering a soft, sweet-and-sour taste. (Photo / Reporter Chen Ming-Jen)

The daily limited “Little Mermaid Afternoon Tea,” made with strawberry bits and a blend of three types of cheese to create a white cheese mixture, is layered to form a fruit tart. Jiang Zhen-Xian points out that the strawberries are specially marinated with ingredients like limoncello, cherry liqueur, lemon juice, and sugar to enhance flavor and aroma. Chilled at 10–15°C, it highlights a cool sweet-and-sour taste, while the optimal tasting window is within 5–10 minutes after removing it from refrigeration.

▲The dessert is served on a Datangcao 21cm deep plate. (Photo / Reporter Chen Ming-Jen)

In addition to the food, the presentation also follows a consistent Danish style, making it ideal for “foodies” who love taking photos before eating. Li Jia-Shan further explains that Danish cuisine emphasizes the visual appeal of food. When plating, space is intentionally left to create a refined and grand visual effect. The café uses 25–27cm round plates, and all the tableware is from Royal Copenhagen’s classic collections, including Plain Edge Tangcao, Plain Edge White Porcelain, Princess Blue, and Blue Tangcao. The average price of a single piece of tableware is NT$3,000, while teapots are around NT$12,000.

▲Using Royal Copenhagen’s classic tableware makes every meal feel especially elegant. (Photo / Reporter Chen Ming-Jen)

▲The blue-and-white store design is clean and sleek. (Photo / Provided by Royal Copenhagen Taiwan)

▲The interior decoration emphasizes a Danish style of nature and simplicity. (Photo / Provided by Royal Copenhagen Taiwan)

Echoing the brand’s minimalist characteristics, Royal Copenhagen Café & Light Meals uses the classic “Danish Blue” on the inside of the door arch from the entrance to the interior decor. It pairs this with ample white, natural wood tones, and glass display cabinets and open shelving to showcase a neat, simple Nordic style that emphasizes natural lighting. For example, tables and chairs mix three different colors and materials—including fabric-covered sofas and circular tables and chairs in black-and-white and natural wood tones—to express a relaxed, comfortable, and quality lifestyle aesthetic. While learning about Danish food culture, you can also experience the Nordic philosophy of slow living.

[Royal Copenhagen Café & Light Meals Complex Store]
Address: 4F, No. 45, Section 4, Zhongxiao East Road, Taipei City 106, Pacific SOGO Zhongxiao Department Store
Phone: (02) 2711-3362
Business Hours: Follow the department store’s hours

Show detailed map