Eight hours in Copenhagen
Whilst in Sweden for a few days this Christmas, Cecilia and I visited Copenhagen for the day. I hadn’t been to the city despite travelling through its airport many times before, so it was great to spend a few hours exploring it. Despite it being bitterly cold, I found the city vibrant and interesting, reminding me a lot of Amsterdam. We certainly didn’t have enough to do it justice – we only skimmed the surface in terms of places to see and visit – but here’s a very short run down of some must-visit places that we loved.
Peder Oxe Graabroedretorv 11 – based on a recommendation for a place that might serve authentic open sandwiches and other Danish food, Cecilia was recommended this restaurant: an ancient, traditional restaurant in the heart of the city. It’s charming, and – dare I say it – felt authentically Danish in its design. We opted for the novel lunch menu rather than a la carte, which allowed you to choose three open sandwiches (for instance, I had wonderful smoked salmon, rare roast beef, and breaded plaice), all washed down with a bottle of Jacobsen and schnapps. http://www.pederoxe.dk/
Ruby Nybrogade 10 – a lovely, cozy bar with hushed music and a terrific cocktail menu. In London or New York it’d be seen as a prohibition style bar given the relatively hidden location and moody lighting, but feels more comfortable and less scene-y. It is similar in style to Zetter Townhouse in London, but styled to feel more like your sensible grandfather’s living room, rather than that of your insane grandfather… http://rby.dk/
Kødbyens Fiskebar Flæsketorvet 100 – the first thing that strikes you about this place is that it is in the heart of a fish and meat market. I have read that some compare the area to Meatpacking in New York, but they miss the point that this isn’t some gentrified district, it’s an actual working market. At night, the Fiskebar seems to be the only place open, and inside it is busy with a diverse crowd - from very casual, to very hipster. The food balances the fine line between chef-y and delicious, but was all superb. Brace yourself for some steep prices, but it’s well worth a visit. http://fiskebaren.dk/en/
Other places to see are Tage Andersen (Ny Adelgade 12), a quirky flower shop and museum, and while it’s like suggesting a trip to Apostrophe in London, a branch of Lagkagehuset is worth a look for the pastries and cakes. That said, there are hundreds of bakeries and coffee shops in the city, so you’ll struggle to go wrong in any. You’ll also find plenty of places to browse furniture and design, but a good bet is Illums Bolighus for contemporary furniture and homewares.