Eat, Porridge, Love: a foodie guide to oatmeal-only cafes around the world

I’ll admit it: this post is a little niche. Cafes that serve nothing but oats sound almost like an impossible business idea, and this is definitely what I thought the first time I heard about Grød, Copenhagen’s porridge bar. At the time, I wasn’t even sure I liked porridge – how could a cafe that serves nothing else survive in a city so full of exciting brunch options?

However, upon my first visit I was completely sold: not only was an oatmeal-only café an unusual idea, it was a great one, and a spot I would end up returning to time and time again during my time living in the Danish capital. It’s one of my favourite cafes in the world.

Since leaving Copenhagen, I’ve found myself pining for a bowl of porridge from Grød, and have missed being able to swing by whenever I fancied. When I visited New York earlier this year and started to research some foodie options for my trip, I found out about another oatmeal-only café with a similar concept, and I was excited to see how the New York café measured up.  Having assumed Grød was the only oatmeal-only cafe in the world, I expanded my research, and I found out about a third oatmeal-only café, this time in my new home of London. What else could I do than head on a pilgrimage to these two cafes, and check out which served up the best gourmet porridge?

So without further ado, here are my thoughts on three oatmeal-only cafes around the world.