#WhenIn Copenhagen
Copenhagen is forceful with its atmosphere; resistance is futile. With its amazing food scene and long-cultivated relaxed atmosphere (in a how-the-heck-do-they-even-get-anything-done kinda way), it is a (slightly-arrogantly) charming and sexy city, raining hot men and women all summer long. There are many great places to discover and much true Scandinavian spirit to indulge in...
Where to stay:
Hotel Sanders in Indre By is a most well-deserving 5-star experience and without any of the bling-y bells and whistles. Initially, I was so impressed and baffled by this place (particularly its unique feel of “hygge” and overwhelmingly great service) that I kept prolonging my stay, just to figure out at what point would I find something wrong with it?.. After now nine consecutive months of staying here (I guess “living” here at this point is a more accurate term, since I am updating this post from my bed in one of their 52 lovely rooms), I can solemnly swear it is still absolutely delightful.
Villa Copenhagen is a new all-time favorite of mine. The creators of the hotel have taken incredible care in restoring this historical building and transforming it into a beautiful luxury hotel. Though it is huge (for Copenhagen) with its almost 400 rooms, it does not lose any of the chic-ness, charm, and cosiness of a boutique hotel. Their impressive courtyard hosts live music and in-house DJs throughout the week, while the outdoor heated pool and sauna provides a little getaway from your getaway. My favorite thing here is of course the staff: from the reception team to the breakfast team to the RUG/bakery team (yeah baby, they have their very own [first-class] bakery in there!) to the Kontrast/restaurant team, you are just pampered with attentive, kind, and fun people everywhere!
Helenekilde Badehotel in Tisvildeleje is way up north (or 50m by car from Copenhagen to be exact), but it should be mentioned here, as the commute is well worth the unique experience. The quiet and private property is extremely charming, and the views are magical.
How to get around:
Do as the Danes and walk or bike everywhere. It may rain (or snow), but there is no time like #WhenIn Copenhagen to build up your tolerance for operating in temperamental weather. And the views, especially around the lakes and canals, are quite beautiful…
Where to eat:
Copenhagen takes great pride in all things to eat and drink, and it is particularly particular about its Nordic cuisine. Even though my favorites include acclaimed places such as Geranium, Noma, Alchemist, Jordnaer, Barr, Kadeau (both CPH and Bornholm), Era Ora, Kiin Kiin, Soelleroed Kro, etc. etc. etc. (dang, so much good food in Copenhagen — and these are all mentioned in my #FoodVisuals), I have decided instead to mention some of the places that are less mentioned by major food blogs.
Breakfast:
Rug Bakery is a gem! Whether you take your breakfast hidden (in their outside courtyard), crouching, sitting, standing, or schlepping it to the office, their baked goods are just to die for, either way and al(l)ways.
Other bakeries worth hitting are Juno, Hart, Il Buco, Lille Bakery, and Conditori La Glace.
Lunch:
One simply cannot go to Copenhagen without gorging on its famous smørrebrød (what English-speaking people call “open-faced sandwiches”)! The best places for this are without doubt Schønnemann (!!), Restaurant Kofoed, Restaurant Palægade, Restaurant Sankt Annae, Christianshavns Færgecafe, and Told & Snaps. BUT most of the places (if not all) require reservations, as they are always booked up far in advance.
Other to have a lunch in the sun include La Banchina, Beau Marché, Les Voyageurs, Broens Gadekøkken (area with permanent food trucks), Torverhallerne (permanent food market), and Reffen (Copenhagen Street Food). Go go to, eat eat eat!
Dinner:
Where to start (and where to end)?.. That is the question.... I am personally a pretty big sucker for all the Michelin places in Copenhagen, because the standard just so impressive (the juice menu at Geranium could have its own blog post). Local favorites include Pastis, Kødbyens Fiskebar, Cantina, Kontrast, Maison, Rufino Osteria, Barabba, and Bæst. For all the Michelin restaurants, these can only really be mentioned with images (#FoodVisuals).
What to eat:
Smørrebrød (“open-faced” sandwiches on rye bread), especially with “pandestegt fiskefilet og remoulade” (panfried fish filet and remoulade), is my absolute favorite Danish food. You must have plenty of good smørrebrød, or you will be deprived of some important Danish culture.
Frikadeller (homemade Danish meatballs) with “new” potatoes — Swedish meatballs, go home.
Tarteletter are delicious puff pastry cups with homemade chicken and asparagus filling.
Danish pastries (especially from Alimentari — which is Italian… but the bakers are Danish, sooo…) are of course the best in Denmark.
Kartoffelkage (potato cake; but it has nothing to do with potatoes — I know it makes no sense) and romkugler (rum balls), especially from Sweet Valentine in Torvehallerne, are very delicious and very Danish.
Hansen Is (especially “Rom & Rosin”) is a Danish ice cream made with deliciously good ingredients. The rum & raisin combo is amazing!
What to do:
Take the train to Espergærde and walk to Louisiana (via Strandvejen, passing by Tibberup Mølle). It is a wonderfully quiet walk with lovely views.
Visit Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. Louisiana’s beautiful property and gardens are a must see, and the museum’s exhibits are always very interesting and well-curated. Have a delicious lunch on the patio with a glass of rosé overlooking the ocean, and you will soon realize that this is not a typical museum experience.
Go chase some old castles: Rosensborg, Frederiksborg, Kronborg, Amalienborg, Fredensborg… they are all very beautiful, and the list is very long. You might want to rent a car.
Walk around Christianshavn, a quaint area in the middle of Copenhagen, made up of small islands. It is famous for its many hip cafes, great restaurants, and lovely canals full of houseboats, and it is also home to Freetown Christiania.
Walk (but better yet, boat) around Nyhavn. This 17th-century canal district is pretty famous for its colorful old buildings (if I have to see one more postcard…). It is very charming, but it does get rather touristy, so if you can get hold of a private boat, well then that would nice, but if you can’t, then a “Kanalrundfart” might just be the way to go.
Take a walk or a run in Kalvebod Fælled. The beautiful protected areas (serving as a rest area for giant flocks of migratory birds) look like the Dead Marshes by dawn and Simba’s playground (but with cows and sheep) by day. It is a really beautiful place for a run (and a lunch at Café 8tallet).
What not to do:
Forget the Little Mermaid (more Little than Mermaid); don’t spend too long at Amalienborg; only mustle through Strøget on your way to somewhere else (you can always go shopping); only stop by Copenhagen Street Food on Refshaleøen to take in the atmosphere and grab an easy bite, if you’re already in the area; and if you must go to Tivoli, go by night.
