copenhagen in 5 days

Only one year after our last visit to Copenhagen so many new places opened. The city is always beautiful and inspiring and it’s necessary to go back there often in order to discover new food trends, design interiors and buildings mixed in its traditional and colourful beauty.

This time I visited Denmark with Lidia, a dear friend and someone who is Copenhagen cultured. We selected lots of places we wanted to check before we left. We also found new ones simply by walking around and as well, some were suggested by VisitDenmark who supported us with Volagratis. During the 5-day itinerary they recommended for us to visit Odense, a pretty city just 1 hour and a half far from the city.

This story will integrate the full Copenhagen map which we created on the website with the places we visited during our last two visits.

As a photographer I want to suggest to plan your days thoroughly, especially because during the winter, a big part of the day is dark and the weather is usually foggy. So, if you want to take good pictures with natural light, remember not to leave your hotel or apartment too late because it will get dark early. Also remember to book restaurants or try to get there when they open in order to be able to take some good pictures of the interiors when it’s not full of people inside.

Andersen & Maillard

The very first place I want to suggest has to be a cafè that is a roastery as well, obviously. Andersen & Maillard is one of those cozy places where the materials have textures and are original: wood, concrete, iron, marble. The light comes from big windows and coffee bean bags are placed all around. It’s a mix between a minimal design studio and a proper coffee factory. The coffee is great and the croissants are very well made.

Andersen & Maillard
Nørrebrogade 62, 2200 København, Denmark
http://andersenmaillard.dk/

Statement Coffee

This place is really close to the hotel where we stayed and 1 minute walk from the railway station, so it’s a good choice for a breakfast in the early morning or before you take a train (to Odense, for example). The interiors have a good colour palette and everything is very well-finished. The coffee is self-roasted and sold in three different coloured packages without any label.
I loved the La Marzocco Linea on the bench and the little circular marble tables in the corner.

Statement Coffee
Vester Farimagsgade 3, 1612 København, Denmark
http://statementcoffee.dk/

THE COFFEE COLLECTIVE

This place is always my favorite… I can’t be in Copenhagen and not visit it. The industrial building is one of my favorite ever. It looks like a laboratory, with all the coffee machines and brewing accessories around that you can see on the right as soon as you walk in. On the opposite side there are some wooden tables next to the industrial windows and a grand glass wall shows you the big roastery behind the café. The coffee and food are amazing. This time I chose a Kenya single origin coffee to be made at home.

The Coffee Collective
Godthåbsvej 34B, 2000 Frederiksberg, Denmark
https://coffeecollective.dk/

JUNO THE BAKERY

If you wake up in the morning craving a fresh baked croissant or cardamon bun, just head to Juno. The place is very small but the good smell is in the air of the neighbourhood. There’s a little table inside to enjoy a cup of filtered coffee or a bench outside.

Juno The Bakery
Århusgade 48, 2100 København, Denmark
Juno The Bakery on Facebook

Street Food

HIJA DE SANCHEZ

This is the first tacoria we visited and found out that the place is known for being featured on Ugly Delicious on Netflix just after. This is a good stop if you’re around the Meat Packing District. The style is very mexican so if you’re a fan don’t miss it.

Hija De Sanchez
8 Slagterboderne København V, 1716 København, Denmark
http://www.hijadesanchez.dk/

BLUE TACO

I’ve been intrigued by this recipe of taco bread that I didn’t know. This colour comes from the rich taco culture in the North and Latin American street art. They make the bread starting from organic blue corn, that is naturally gluten-free. Blue corn has 20% more protein and a lower glycemic index. The colours of their recipes are really beautiful and I personally wanted to try them all. Unfortunately I had to save some space in my belly for other delicious bites.

Blue Taco
Blågårdsgade 1, 2200 København N, Denmark
http://www.bluetaco.dk/

LA NETA

This place is cool and so interesting to visit. The neon lights and illustrations of mermaids or devils on the walls make the tacoria have an exuberant personality. The taste of food is a bit lighter and less spicy than Hija De Sanchez. You can taste the delicious Mikkeller beer, since this restaurant is part of their locations.

La Neta
Nørrebrogade 29, 2200 København N, Denmark
http://mikkeller.dk/location/la-neta/

RAMEN TO BÍIRU NØRREBRO

I just mentioned a group of restaurant locations by Mikkeller. During this trip I tried some of them and this ramen bar is definitely worth it. The details are selected and very iconic with a taste of irony. You can select your favorite ramen and beer from a button machine and get your meal straight after.

Ramen to Bíiru
Griffenfeldsgade 28, 2200 København, Denmark
http://mikkeller.dk/location/ramen-to-biiru-2/

SLURP RAMEN JOINT

As soon as I saw Norman, Slurp Ramen’s mascot, I immediately thought I wanted to get there and slurp the ramen (I’m still craving ramen while typing). The quality of this place goes beyond graphic design: their ingredients are high quality and they’re selected locally from the motherland.

Slurp Ramen Joint
Nansensgade 90, 1366 København K, 1366 Copenhagen, Denmark
http://slurpramen.dk/

Restaurants

VANDVID

The story of this place is really interesting. We were lucky to have been welcomed by the owners an hour before they opened for the lunch and were told about the whole construction of the restaurant on a floating platform. They made almost everything by themselves: the tables, the chairs, the bar. This is their approach: to be homemade and if it’s not possible, at least locally supplied. We had the best smørrebrød, hot smoked trout mousse and crispy vegetable steaks.
The place is in a new area and hopefully next time we’ll be able to visit more around there. You can reach Vandvid by harbour bus 991. It takes a little time but it’s definitely worth it.

Restaurant Vandvid
Ben Websters Vej 3, 2450, Denmark
https://www.vandvid.com/

KIIN KIIN BAO BAO

When we decided to book a table at Kiin Kiin Bao Bao they said the only seats available were at 5pm or 9.30pm. We went for 5pm, opening time… It seemed like afternoon tea but as I said before, Copenhagen in March gets dark quite early, so we got to take perfect pictures of the restaurant with natural light. And since they had just opened, the space was empty. Beautiful!
And the food? Impressive.

Kiin Kiin Bao Bao
Vesterbrogade 96, 1620 København, Denmark
http://www.kiinbao.dk/

BEER BARR

I’ve never been at the ex Noma building before. Restaurant Barr has been a great point to start from, especially during a weeknight dinner. We had dinner at the Beer bar, a 30-seat bar open seven days a week where you don’t need to book. They work closely with independent beer breweries to find a unique selection of beers for their guests that changes quite often. The kitchen is spectacular too, following the traditions of the Northern Sea region.

Barr Restaurant
Strandgade 93, 1401 København, Denmark
https://restaurantbarr.com/

Cocktail bars

RUBY

The first aspect I liked of this place, aside the fact that it has been awarded as one of the best cocktail bars on Earth, is the choice of neutral colours and natural light during my favorite time to enjoy a drink: Happy Hour. The interiors are really well selected with a timeless design: a great and comfortable bench, some seats near the windows and a more intimate area. As a Negroni lover, I loved my twist made with Amer Picon, a orange bittersweet French aperitif.

Ruby
Nybrogade 10, 1203 København K, Denmark
https://rby.dk/

BRØNNUM

As soon as you step in front of the Brønnum building, you get stunned from the beauty of it. The facade and the interiors are totally consistent with each other. It’s a proper bar for a cocktail before or after dinner, with colleagues or friends, due to the friendly area on the bench or by the big windows where you can see the streets outside. If you want an intimate area, just walk behind the door or book a private night at the Brønnum’s private dining room.

Brønnum
August Bournonvilles Passage 1, 1055 København, Denmark
https://bronnumcph.dk/

MIKKELLER BAR

If you’re ready for a good beer and you want to be surprised by the selection of Mikkeller, just pick a beer shop. I loved the raspberry-flavoured one I tried. I recommend to buy some cans and chips to be saved for later.

Mikkeller Bar
Viktoriagade 8, 1655 København, Denmark
http://mikkeller.dk/location/mikkeller-bar-viktoriagade-copenhagen/

BRUS

This is one of the ex-industrial places I always fall in love with, especially if they’re restyled keeping their authenticity and personality. In this old iron foundry and locomotive factory in Copenhagen, Brus means brewing, kegging, cooking, shopping, dining and drinking. The word “brus” is used when a liquid obtains a sparkling quality when carbonated. It’s the right place to socialise and support local breweries. If you need a hangover cure, Brus serves an amazing brunch every Saturday and Sunday.

BRUS
Guldbergsgade 29, 2200 København, Denmark
https://tapperietbrus.dk/

Shops

YUME

Yume is a Japanese work for Dream. Their Dream is a sustainable world. That’s why they started this project that it is half a shop and half a magazine: they want to tell stories about people who convey a sustainable life, trying to inspire other people to do the same. At the same time, they support and sell products from local artisans. They call this will to help people and their opportunities Yume Promise. We walked past their shop and it looked very interesting. It’s one of those times when I feel proud to be a curious person.

Yume
Århusgade 138A, 2150 København, Denmark
https://www.yumecph.com/

NOTRE DAME

This shop is a must to stop by every time I go to Copenhagen. It’s the right place to pick jars, glasses and kitchen tools that I can take back to Fusillo Lab.

Notre Dame
Nørregade 7, 1165 København, Denmark
https://notredame.dk/

HAY

If Denmark, Hay is famous because of their iconic design. Hay is the temple where you can admire all their amazing furniture and accessories. Even if Hay is everywhere nowadays, I suggest to visit ‘Hay House’ to check all their new products and take beautiful pictures of the spaces and of Amagertrov square.

HAY House
Østergade 61, 1100 København, Denmark
https://hay.dk/

Stay

HOTEL DANMARK

When I walked into Hotel Danmark I immediately had the same feeling I had when I stayed at Hotel SP34… I can tell this is part of Brøchner Hotels! My room was in the new section of the building (the green one) and it had dark tones, with a beautiful view of the palace on the opposite side of the road and a pretty balcony where I took a picture of the Hotel sign. I got to see the fireworks of Tivoli from it too. We had a tour of the hotel and I can say that it’s all beautiful, from the cool room with bunk beds to the most luxurious suite. The breakfast is entirely organic and very delicious and the wine hour is amazing if enjoyed on the rooftop terrace.

Hotel Danmark
Vester Voldgade 89, 1552 København V, Denmark
http://www.brochner-hotels.com/hotel-danmark/

Places

TIVOLI GARDENS

Even if it’s been my third time in Copenhagen, this is my first visit to Tivoli. As you know, I’m not a huge fan of touristic and entertainment activities, but Tivoli is definitely not something like that. From what I saw, Danish people like spending a good time there, having dinner or a snack or simply a walk. It’s a beautiful park and visiting it is really worth it, especially if you decide to get the Copenhagen Card, that entitles you free access.

Tivoli Gardens
Vesterbrogade 3, 1630 København V, Denmark
https://www.tivoli.dk/en/

KINFOLK

This is my favorite working space in the city, the headquarters of my favourite magazine. This time they changed the interiors a bit but I spent some time looking around, checking what was new there. I wanted to say thank you to them for sending the previous issue to me so I decided to buy the newest one.

Kinfolk
Amagertorv 14, 1160 København, Denmark
https://kinfolk.com

THE MAERSK TOWER

It’s been my first visit to a university during a holiday. The design of the University of Copenhagen by C. F. Møller Architect is stunning because of the geometry and wooden and copper materials. The external shutters move depending on the sun and reduce the energy consumption. We took a tour around and loved the spiral staircase the most. The highest level is free-entry and gives a beautiful view of the city.

Maersk Tower – University of Copenhagen
3b Blegdamsvej, 2200 København N, Denmark
http://maersktower.ku.dk/

SUPERKILEN

Superkilen is an urban park project built in the area of Nørrebro. The concept is to support and engage citizens around the park, one of Copenhagen’s most diverse neighbourhoods, each one participating supplying at least one artifact or idea.

Superkilen
Nørrebrogade 210, 2200 København, Denmark
https://www.visitcopenhagen.com/superkilen-park-gdk707822

OLUFSVEJ STREET

It’s the street of the coloured houses, an iconic corner of Copenhagen with Nyhavn. I recommend to walk across this street and find yourselves in a little and colourful world.

Olufsvej Street
Olufsvej, 2100 København, Denmark

TRIP TO ODENSE

Odense is a little and colourful town, which is the third biggest city of Denmark. We decided to visit it on a Sunday, where most of the shops are closed, but the quietness with the short buildings make the day totally relaxing for a walk. Odense is associated with Hans Christian Andersen, famous fairytale writer, who spent his childhood there and it’s still possible to visit his house and museum.

CAFÉ FLEURI

It’s the prettiest Café in Odense. If you feel like a warm coffee, a rose-flavored soft drink or a piece of cake sitting on a cozy vintage table, don’t miss it. There’s lots of stuff around and you will want to spend a lot of time looking at the shelves. There’s a pretty backyard as well.

Café Fleuri
Nørregade 28, 5000 Odense, Denmark
https://fleuri.dk/

JAGGER BURGERS

We didn’t plan to have lunch at Jagger in Odense. It was on our list for Copenhagen, though. Since time for food was totally running out in Copenhagen, we decided to have a meal at the Odense spot instead. The burgers at Jagger are incredible… As soon as I saw the shiny buns I started craving them and I’m definitely proud to have tried them. Highly recommended!

Jagger
Vestergade 5, 5000 Odense, Denmark
http://jagger.dk/