Copenhagen · ice cream
Istid
The clearest case of imported technique meeting Copenhagen's appetite for a scientific approach to food: two founders who had never made ice cream before 2015 built a liquid-nitrogen shop from a Kickstarter and consultation with university chemists, rather than a recipe brought over from Italy or Denmark's own dairy tradition.
What to order
Salted caramel with roasted almonds and a sea salt and rosemary topping, described by the Scandinavia Standard writer as among the best ice cream she has had.
What we know
- Opened May 2015 as Scandinavia's first liquid nitrogen ice cream shop, founded by Nina and Anniken after they left office jobs at the Foundation for Entrepreneurship (Scandinavia Standard, 2015)
- The idea traces to a 2012 trip when co-founder Anniken visited Smitten, a liquid nitrogen ice cream parlour in San Francisco (Scandinavia Standard, 2015)
- Cream base is poured into liquid nitrogen at -196°C and churned to order in front of the customer; the ultra-fast freeze avoids ice-crystal formation, producing a smoother texture (Scandinavia Standard, 2015; Børn i byen, 2026)
- Founders consulted with University of Copenhagen professors to refine the science behind the freezing process (Scandinavia Standard, 2015)
- Launched via a Kickstarter campaign plus personal investment rather than outside financing (Scandinavia Standard, 2015)
- On the car-free stretch of Jægersborggade in Nørrebro; closes seasonally through the Copenhagen winter rather than trading year-round (Børn i byen, 2026)
- Status
- open
- Address
- Jægersborggade 13, 2200 København N
- Maker
- Nina and Anniken, co-founders (surnames not given in sources opened)
- Opened
- 2015
- Website
- www.istid.dk/
- Last checked
- 2026-08-21
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