Copenhagen

My Guide to Copenhagen

My hometown and where I have spent most of my life, a perfect place to visit for long weekends.

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10 THING YOU MUST DO WHILE IN COPENHAGEN

Take a walk in Kongens Have (The King’s Garden) at twilight hour and enjoy the light.
Swim in the harbour.
Walk from Nyhavn over the bridge to Christianshavn and then walk all the way to Havneholmen along the water, making a few stops for coffee along the way.
Walk to the top of Rundetårn and afterwards eat a hotdog at the organic hotdog stand next to the entrance.
Visit the bookshop and café BRØG: simple tasty lunch, interesting books, also English titles.
If spring, go to Bispebjerg cemetery and the see the cherry trees blossom.
Make a trip up to Humlebæk visiting the Louisiana museum of modern art.
Have a picnic at Christianshavns kanal, but go to the quite end where there is nobody.
Walk out to Holmen, walk to Mastekran – an old military area, nobody is there and you sit on the moat (voldgrav) and look at the city from a distance enjoying the bliss of silence.
Book dinner at Østergro and eat in the greenhouse at Copenhagen’s only rooftop garden restaurant.

BAKERIES IN COPENHAGEN

Bakeries are core in Scandinavian culture. Historically because we had the produce: flour, egg and dairy, and the big farms had the staff to make it. From there countless recipes emerged over decades.

Wienerbrød, also called DANISH, is today baked on a different dough than traditionally. Most of the pastry that you’ll find in gourmet bakeries in Copenhagen bake their pastry on a croissant dough, which has egg and is folded differently. Traditionally a Danish bakery would have more than 20 kinds of wienerbrød. They all have different names, and every Dane has a favourite. Now, for the younger generation, that has been taken over by the cardamom and cinnamon buns.

Over the last decades, there has been a transformation in bakeries in Copenhagen. The best of ingredients are being used such as local flour, butter, creams and egg combined with new technics and lots of inspiration coming from bakers from around the world, who has travelled to Copenhagen to work. So, if pastry, coffee, and buns with cheese is your thing, it is time well spent to plan a few visits to different bakeries and see, if you can find your favourite pastry.

For local specialties look out for: rye bread, tebirkes, brunsviger, frøsnapper, drømmekage, kanelstang and, of course, the famous cinnamon or cardamom buns.

Lagkagehuset (Ole & Steen)

Started the new way of baking in Copenhagen about 20 years ago, it is now a chain of stores in Denmark, UK, and US.

Harts Bakery

Started by Noma Group and Richard Hart, now it is being rolled out as a chain in Copenhagen.

Little Bakery

A small independent bakery located at Reffen in Havneholmen; the best way to go is to rent a bike and bicycle out there. They also serve a nice lunch, the atmosphere is vibrant and young, a bit chaotic in a good way.

Andersen Bakery

At the Bryggen location they are famous for their pastry and cake.

Original Coffee

In central Copenhagen you’ll find great buns and pastry; they have several locations.

Apotek 57

Serves pastry and a tasty simple breakfast. The produce it fabulous, the décor very Scandinavian, though owned by a Italian woman called Chiara …… Very trendy, you’ll see a lot of influencers taking pictures, and it has even been recommended by Vogue.

Flere Fugle

Great sourdough bread and sandwiches, look out for special events, they have jazz concerts, dinners and other social gatherings.

Skipper

A local spot at Østerbrogade, great for bread and buns, a bit out of the way, but nice if you are staying in this part of town.

Galst Bageri

A real neighbourhood gem. If you are bicycling along the lakes, maybe on the way to see the little mermaid, go past here, buy some pastry and coffee, and have a picnic somewhere at Kastellet, which is an old military fortress, where you can go for a beautiful walk.

Bageriet BRØD

In the centre of Vesterbro at Enghave Plads. Take the metro and enjoy the atmosphere of one of Copenhagen most popular residentials areas.

COFFEE IN COPENHAGEN

Danes have been a coffee drinking nation since at least the 1850s, maybe before, but from then on records show the amount of coffee the Danes were consuming to be high and growing. Today Danes drink between 3-4 cups of coffee a day, one of the highest in world. We drink coffee both at home and at coffee bars. "Let’s meet for coffee" is one of the most common sayings, and it means both the intention of having coffee as well as an invite to an actual meeting – a greeting: instead of saying, Nice to meet you, you say, Let’s meet for coffee. Coffee to-go is also big, you see both bicycles and pushchairs having coffee holders, so it is an essential part of the daily culture.

My two favourites are:

Coffee Collective

The best of the chains for their modern style, the pastry and buns are good, especially the lemon twist, and they have a soft ice that is worth a visit. Their best location is at Carlsberg Byen; go for stroll in the adjacent J C Jacobsens Have (garden) and maybe go a bit further to see Vester Kirkegaard.

https://coffeecollective.dk/da/

Original Coffee

Here you’ll find both modern and traditional coffee, you can choose your coffee bean, they also serve soft boiled egg with rye bread for breakfast, the Danish classic breakfast.

https://originalcoffee.dk/

Also, for the coffee connoisseur:

Prolog

I you like the super modern, very flowery coffee style, this you place.

https://www.prologcoffee.com/

April

A modern style and next level coffee, their places look like labs, so are you a coffee aficionado, this is the place to visit.

https://www.aprilcoffeeroasters.com/

INDEPENDENT CAFÉES

For an independent place try Democratic, Enghave Kaffe, or Alice Ice Cream & Coffee.

But rest assured, have you come to Copenhagen to drink good coffee, you will find it together with a great scene of people. So get your coffee, lean back, and enjoy people-watching.

MY FAVOURITE PLACES TO EAT

The restaurant scene in Copenhagen has exploded over the last 15 years, there are so many places to choose from, it is always advisable to book a table.

Restaurant VIE

A modern “kro”, which is the Danish inn. The owner, Mikkel Mårbjerg, is a chef of a rare kind. He understands produce, he can cook vegetables, and he can combine the classic with a twist. This is really basic but, on the other hand, it is all so well executed, for example the cabbage and herbs with a few slices of roasted duck breast. And they have an incredible wine list.

https://restaurantvie.dk/en/home/

Restaurant Polly

Honest and good ingredients and nice atmosphere, I always trust their fish dishes.

https://restaurantpolly.dk

Café Sokkelund

A no-fuss place, classic French with a Danish twist to everyday eating. Quality always good, go for coffee, breakfast, lunch or dinner, a real local place and a favourite among the locals.

https://sokkelund.dk

Baka d’Busk

Vegetarian, great food, inspired by the whole world, lots of local seasonal produce. Young and vibrant.

https://bakabistro.dk/

ON A BUDGET IN COPENHAGEN

Absalon

Communal dinning, book a seat at the table, go and eat the dish of the day with the Danes. The food is good, the atmosphere nice, and you might meet new friends.

https://absaloncph.dk

Shawarma Grill House

When I was a teenager, the first shawarma house opened in Copenhagen. That was a revelation, like the world finally started coming to Denmark. I still really like the place, so my ritual is to go to Frederiksberggade 36 and sit upstairs for their shawarma before I go the movies at Grand Teatret, which is just around the corner from there.

https://www.instagram.com/explore/locations/850548179/shawarma-grill-house-no-1/

DØP Hotdog Stand

In the city centre, near the legendary Rundetårn, you’ll find the best hotdog in town, 100% organic. After a walk up to the top, get your hotdog from the stand next to the Round Tower and sit on the square behind, it is one my favourite places in the city. I am pretty sure both H C Andersen and Søren Kierkegaard would take a stroll here back in their time.

MUSEUM

Louisiana

Located in Humlebæk, on the coast north of Copenhagen, somehow in my mind part of Copenhagen. I believe it to be one of the most relevant modern art museums in the world. I have discovered many artists there over the years. They have a great permanent exhibition and always 2-3 different shows. On Louisiana Channel, a non-profit website, you can see interviews with some of world’s most influential artists, architects, and writers. Take the train from Copenhagen and walk 10 minutes; you will be rewarded for the effort. They have a nice café and is open every night, so you can also stay for dinner.

https://louisiana.dk/en/

Hirschsprungske Samling

One of my absolute favourite museums in Copenhagen with some of my favourite Danish painters like Hammershøi, Eskersberg, Anna Syberg, Anna Ancher. And another interesting thing: the museum has in recent years made it a priority to represent female artists, both when they buy new works of art and in their exhibitions. This is a place I go to to see beauty, the world as it was, the light in the North, and to just calm down and realise the world coming through its ups and downs, humans always finding a way to do the right thing.

https://www.hirschsprung.dk/en

Davids Samling

A small but important collection of Hammershøi, which is one of the Danish painters I really identify with. He captures light and time, the moment of living in Copenhagen. Then they have an impressive collection of art from the Islamic world.

https://www.davidmus.dk/?culture=en-us

Copenhagen Contemporary

One of the most interesting new contemporary museums in Denmark, changing current exhibitions with important works and themes from artists from around the world.

https://copenhagencontemporary.org/en/

Karen Blixen Museum Rungstedlund

Being a big fan of Karen Blixen’s work, I find it greatly interesting to visit her house and birthplace and walk around the grounds. Karen Blixen got the Danes to help her turn the park into a reservoir for birds by asking people to donate 1 krone, no less no more, and she succeed in securing her private grounds thus making it a public park for the future. I have enjoyed many walks there, visited her grave, sat on a bench, listened to the birds.

https://blixen.dk/en

NIGHT LIFE

At night, Copenhagen is lively, fun and diverse; whole areas of the city become more or less one big street party. Many venues stay open right into the small hours, and there’s always a new place to be discovered. It is fun to be young in this city, it is safe, and everything is in walking or bicycling distance. I love to go out on summer evenings and bicycle home just after midnight, remembering how – when I was young – I would always walk home in the bright morning light.

However, despite my sentimental recollections, many aspects of Copenhagen nightlife are far better today than they were back then. When I was young, you could only find good classic cocktails in 5-star hotel bars… and we couldn’t really afford those. I remember a rare visit to one of those places in the early 1980s, to a particular hotel renowned for hosting celebrities and a lot of their after-parties. I was intimidated; I did not belong. So, it’s great that the bar scene has radically changed over the last decade. Loads of new places have opened, specialising in cocktails and wines and welcoming all comers and, now, I really enjoy visiting them. Here are some of my favourites.

COCKTAIL BARS

K-Bar

One of the first venues in Copenhagen to really take cocktail-making seriously. I have spent many hours sitting at the bar there; it was my favourite place to go on Fridays after work with friends. The outdoor space is lovely in the summer.

https://k-bar.dk

Lidkøb

You’ll find this bar in the unlikely location of the backyard of a small house in Vesterbro. My favourite time to go there is after a late-afternoon movie in the early evening, just before it gets too busy. For me, the perfect time for a cocktail is the twilight hour. I will have a few drinks, bicycle home through the city and grab something to eat on the way.

https://lidkoeb.dk

Ruby

Coming here for cocktails feels as comfortable as staying at home. You just walk into a classic Copenhagen apartment, a bit like a Hammershøi picture but with different interiors. You are served in the living room. It feels very civilized.

https://rby.dk

WHERE TO DRINK A GLASS OF WINE

Ved Stranden

This is just like an old shop in the city centre. You walk in and then go through into the back rooms. It is small and #hyggelig and has outside seating in the summer, has some the best views to visit, and a great and curated wine list, you can’t really go wrong here.

https://www.vedstranden10.dk

Nebbiolo

This venue in the city centre celebrates good Italian wine and charcuterie; the best part of an aperitivo is the company, the wine, and well selected stuzzichini.

https://nebbiolo-winebar.com/?lang=en

Bibendum

A local neighbourhood hang-out in Nansensgade on the outskirts of the city centre. It’s been there for a long time and in fact was one of the first places to do the scruffy-but-super-hyggelig atmosphere.

https://www.bibendum.dk

Josephine Vinhandel & Bar

A cosy wine bar in a very residential area of Copenhagen. You’ll find a great selection and expertise in natural wines, and they also have nice small servings to go with the wine. Rent bikes and bicycle out there for a great night out, or take the metro and walk.

https://www.josephine.dk/

FESTIVALS AND SPECIAL EVENTS

Copenhagen is a festival city; we have numerous celebrations of music, food and culture. They are so popular that they now define the city’s year as it goes through the seasons.

BaneGården

Behind the rails and on the outskirts of Vesterbro you’ll find a small oasis with old, restored workshops that belonged to the Danish State Railways, DSB. It is now a place for the public with food, bakery, and lots of special events. Check out their website to see if there is anything you can join while visiting.

https://en.banegaarden.com

CPH:DOX

This is a documentary film festival held in March; over 10 days you can view interesting documentaries from around the world, including fascinating events every day with a lot of international guests.

https://cphdox.dk/da/

Distortion

Four days in May and June transform alternating Copenhagen neighbourhoods through huge street parties and underground nightclub events.

https://www.cphdistortion.dk/

CopenHell

In June, strictly for heavy metal music fans.

https://www.copenhell.dk/en

Copenhagen Jazz Festival

In July, when you’ll find live jazz music all over the city.

https://jazz.dk/en/copenhagen-jazz-festival-2025/frontpage/

Copenhagen Cooking and Food Festival

In August and September, celebrating food culture, specifically the booming Copenhagen food scene.

https://www.copenhagencooking.dk/?lang=en

Golden Days

This September fixture is a more unusual festival: it is concerned with storytelling about Copenhagen, exploring who we Copenhageners are, and how we connect with our past and the future.

https://www.goldendays.dk/

OFF THE BEATEN TRACK

Dyrehaven

Going for a walk in the city is one of my favourite things. Having a picnic or just hanging out drinking a glass of wine, sharing a beer, getting a takeaway coffee or ice cream – that’s what Copenhageners love to do when the weather is right. But you could also easily take a trip to some of the beaches and forests just outside of the city reachable by the S-train.

If you jump on that train and go north, you will in less than 20 minutes be outside Copenhagen. From Klampenborg train station, coming out, you either turn right and walk to the beach, or turn left and enter the big public park, or wood, called Dyrehaven.

Walk to Eremitageslottet, the royal castle situated atop a hill. A big open field surrounds the castle, so that one may enjoy the view over the park and to the sea. On a clear day you can even see Sweden. I call it my Karen-Blixen-view because, somehow, I imagine that it is similar to the one she had over the savannah in her Africa. The Karen Blixen Museum is located a bit further up the cost.

The Eremitage castle was built by Christian the Fourth and was meant to be used for hunting. Rumour has it that it was also used by the king to bring his mistresses there – who knows. The royal family still uses it for hunting parties… The yearly Hubertus hunt nearby in November draws big crowds and is a real spectacle.

There’s a large population of deer living in Dyrehaven, and you can observe them from real close. It’s an amazing sight when they start moving in big herds over the open landscape. It is also fascinating just to stop and observe them when they are in small groups. I will admit though, when the bigger.

I also love to walk down to the other side of the Dyrehaven wood to a small village called Rådvad, which is very romantic and “hyggelig”. The famous silversmith Georg Jensen was born here. There is also a small inn that is open in the summer, where you can sit and have lunch at the terrace. In the wood behind the Rådvad Inn I go foraging for mushrooms in the autumn. You can also find ramson around here in spring.

I go to Dyrehaven in weekends to exercise, but also to relax and think. No matter what time of year, I like to bring a picnic, or a hot soup, and then find a nice spot to sit and watch the season’s change with the light and the hour.

Go swimming or hang out at the beaches

North of Copenhagen, there are several beaches. The first one is at Svanemøllen, which is about 15 minutes on bike from my house, so I like to go there after work to swim. I believe this is a real luxury and one of the benefits that comes from Copenhagen not being bigger. Then, if you move up the coast you have Hellerup beach, and after that Charlottenlund beach. On this beach, which of course, as all Danish beaches, is public, there’s a very well-known resort that is a club for members only. The old wooden bathhouse rests on a jetty constructed on poles in the water. There’s a long waiting list to become member. Many swim all year round, so in the winter they’ll jump in the cold sea, which may be iced over, and they then need to chip a hole, and afterwards sit in the sauna. Further up north, in Klampenborg, there’s Bellevue beach, which is big, and more beaches can be found up along the coastline.

South of Copenhagen you can either bike to Amager beach in 30 minutes or take the metro. From there you may enjoy the view to the Bridge. It’s a nice wide and rather large sandy beach with lots of beach life going on as soon as the sun is out. You’ll find interestingly designed bath areas. You must bring your own towels and camping chairs as there are no chairs or parasols to rent. But it is possible to buy an ice cream and coffee