Conditori La Glace
A Copenhagen confectioner and tea room, opened in 1870, known for the Sportskage, a cake of nougat crunch and whipped cream.
- Founded
- 1870
- Founded by
- Nicolaus Henningsen
- Based in
- Copenhagen
Pictures © Conditori La Glace, from laglace.dk.
Why it is renowned
The Falstaff Coffee Guide Nordics 2026 rates La Glace at 92 points and names the Sportskage, created for a play in 1891, as its speciality; coffee and hot chocolate are still served in pots.1 VisitCopenhagen names it among the city's best bakeries and pastry shops and points visitors to the Sportskage.2
The story
Nicolaus Henningsen, a confectioner born in Schleswig in 1839 and trained in Flensburg, opened a konditori in the cellar of Skoubogade 3 on 8 October 1870 under the name Henningsens Kælder.3 He died in 1876 and his widow Anina ran the business. Her second husband, Thorvald Schrøder, travelled to Hamburg, Berlin, Paris, Dresden and Vienna to study how a modern confectioner's shop was run, enlarged the shop in 1896 and renamed it La Glace.3
The building was pulled down in 1922, and in 1924 the new shop at Skoubogade 3 opened; some of its tables, chairs, mirrors and cabinets are still in use. The Henningsen family ran La Glace until 1972, and in 1978 Merethe Stagetorn took over the running of it.3
The Sportskage was first made for the play Sportsmænd, which opened at Folketeatret on 18 November 1891. It is built from crushed nougat crunch, whipped cream and a macaroon base, topped with caramelised choux buns.4
Sources
- Conditori La Glace in Kopenhagen, Falstaff. falstaff.com, read 5 October 2026.
- The best bakeries and pastry shops, VisitCopenhagen. visitcopenhagen.com, read 5 October 2026.
- Historien, Conditori La Glace. laglace.dk, read 5 October 2026.
- Sportskage, Conditori La Glace. laglace.dk, read 5 October 2026.
Last checked 5 October 2026, against the maker's own pages.