Smorrebrod are truly the Danish national dish, prized for their contrasts of earthy rye bread, sweet butter, salty toppings and bright garnishes. They are served on every occasion and for no occasion, often with a shot of aquavit or a beer, or both, and for lovers of bread, fish and salt there is no better bite.

But whether New Yorkers will appreciate the effort here, or be left wondering how a few slices of bread the size of a playing card and some chunks of cold herring can be considered dinner, remains to be seen.

Did I mention the herring? At least three kinds are served on any given night as a trio ($24), of which the most delicious has been the firm “Christmas” style. It comes in a little round jar with pickled red onion, sour cream and many spoonfuls of capers that are just the right accent.(By contrast, the herring in a viscous curry sauce with chopped egg, though perhaps authentic, is not going to attract many converts.) Another Danish Christmas classic, rice pudding with cherries ($9), is wonderful, rich with almond slivers that almost melt into the rice; another dessert, honey cake with tangy oranges and yogurt sauce ($7) is great with the strong coffee brewed to order all day. (Breakfast is probably the most satisfying meal served here.)

The bread, a crucial component of any self-respecting smorrebrod, is worth whatever tweaks were required to get the combination of sour, chewy, sweet and nutty flavors into the chocolate-brown dough. Studded with rye berries and sporting a shiny, fragrant crust, it’s wonderful with cheese, butter and a peppery apple compote ($17). Toasted, it’s even used here to flavor an aquavit, with surprising success. The aquavit list ($7 each) is a high point: traditional infusions like lemon, cranberry or dill, and more adventurous ones like beet, roasted pumpkin and parsley. All match well with the smorrebrod, cutting through richness with the zip of alcohol and leaving behind a fragrant breath of spice, earth or citrus.