EAT COPENHAGEN

I am born and bred in Copenhagen and have lived in the city centre for most of my life. It’s a city where the outdoors are crucial; there is no such thing as bad weather only wrong clothing.

New edition of Copenhagen food and stories

A new edition of my Copenhagen book is coming out at the end of June. The book is about the love of my hometown, a tribute to the different neighbourhoods, and some background and stories from my life with a lot of food that is part of the identity of Copenhagen.

We love so to sit outside in the cold of the winter and drink something hot; when spring comes, we go crazy and take over the city; anywhere we can find a ray of sunshine, you’ll see people gather to catch some vitamin D.

In the summer we wear as little clothes as possible (not me, I love layers of clothes). We have endless picnics and outdoor parties, or just meeting up in any public space with a bottle of wine or a bag of cold beer. We stay out all night and walk home when the sun rises at 4am.

The Kings garden Photo: Columbus Leth

10 THINGS I TELL PEOPLE TO DO IN COPENHAGEN

1. Take a walk in Kongens Have (The King’s Garden) at twilight hour and enjoy the light surrounding the park.

2. Visit Den Hirschsprungske Samling to see some iconic Danish painters like Hammershøi, Eskersberg, Anna Syberg, Anna Ancher. And another interesting thing: the museum has in recent years made it a priority, both when they buy new works of art and in their exhibitions, to represent female artists. This is a place I go 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

After that go around the corner to Aamanns, pick up some smørrebrød and take it to Øster Anlæg and have a picnic. You will find picnic tables down at the rose garden facing the lake.

3. Swim in the harbour, bring morning coffee and buns. There are several sites along the harbor. Havnegade is my own local.

4. Walk to the top of Rundetårn and take in Christian 4^th’s idea of being able to have a ride to the top, there are no stairs. Then take a look from there over the city. Afterwards, eat a hotdog at the organic hotdog stand next to the tower’s entrance, sit at the square behind it and imagine that H.C. Andersen and Kirkegaard once walked here. If only one could time travel.

5. Go to Perch’s Tea in Kronprinsensgade and buy some tea to take home, is it proper old school shop with impeccable service in a world of tea. After you have bought your tea, you are offered a piece of candy from Sømonds bolsjer. Always a treat.

6. Visit the bookshop and café BRØG: simple tasty lunch, interesting books, also English titles. Home baked cake and good coffee, a gem of a local place in the city centre, the kind of intellectual atmosphere one gets stimulated by.

7. Go to Nørregade and visit Sømonds bolsjer and see the old style candy store, and try the bolsjer. My favourites are rhubarb and gooseberry. If you like liquorice, you must try the dameskrå and spejderhagl. After that, go to the sandwich bar Apricot almost next door and buy some sandwiches for take-away, delicious sando-style made with quality ingredients, and walk across Nørreport to The Botanic Gardens. There you’ll find the beautiful green house and a spot to enjoy the city from the position of a central park.

8. Try smørrebrød the old Danish way, book a table at Slotskælderen hos Gitte Kik, don´t forget to have beer and aquavit:

https://slotskaelderen.dk

. Not fancy and organic, just served like it has been for decades. Finish with coffee and a little sweet treat.

9. Visit one of the cemeteries, they are also public parks and a perfect place to have a picnic, or a nice walk; in spring there’re both cherry blossoms and magnolia trees to enjoy. My favourites are Holmens Kirkegaard, Assitens Kirkegård and Bispebjerg Kirkegaard.

10. Walk out to Holmen and turn left for Mastekranen – an old military area, nobody is there, and you can sit on the moat (voldgrav) and look at Copenhagen from a distance enjoying the bliss of scilence.

I know bicycling is the thing in Copenhagen. But its bicycling lanes are also crowded and with a lot of locomotion. So, I will say, if you are not a confident cyclist, it is also a great city to walk in, and not bigger than you can walk to most places. And we have a metro that is fairly new, which works well and cover most corners of the city.

Gammel Strand. Photo: Columbus Leth

My Copenhagen

Cities are spaces organically carved out and defined by their changes over time; history leaves its trails and stories through each city’s architecture, people, art, markets and food.

Each city in the world is unique, with its own tempo, smells, noises and characters. The space and the buildings change, and the people move around; some move in, others move out. The city remains, but it changes with the people, with time, even as the building stays.

Copenhagen has in my lifetime grown bigger, changed its population, it has become more international, gone from no tourist to millions of tourists every year. From almost bankrupt to wealthy and just now voted best place to live.

People come to live in Copenhagen, others come for a visit, some for the food, hygge, bicycle and beautiful areas, coffee bars everywhere and, not least, the cardamom bun. Easy access to green spaces, the clean waters (you can swim in the harbour), the bicycling culture (please, dear guest, get acquainted with the bicycling rules, it can be dangerous).

I have always lived in cities, and I used to think I would die if I was forced to live in the countryside – which is what I now do a big part of the year. So, that has changed. I have grown to love the country, its silence, the different pace, the unruliness of nature, the changing seasons and, most of all, the sense that nature is bigger than you.

This development has come about through my relationship with food. I have discovered a deep understanding and appreciation of the countryside and the people who live and work there. They grow the food and thus allow cities to work; in return, the countryside feeds the cities I love so much.

As a child I spent a lot of time imagining that I was a member of another family. Actually, I had several lives in several different families. I loved sitting in the dark on my windowsill, looking into the other apartments and imagining I lived there. In my mind, I decorated the rooms and made-up stories about the other family members, what they did, the conversations we would have, what we would eat, the cakes I would bake...

Life can carry us in various ways, and we get inspired by these whimsical imaginings as well as – more tangibly – by chance encounters, and we learn new things from each opportunity that comes our way. We make choices, both good and bad, but I do believe that living in a city makes our possibilities more diverse; there is simply a bigger chance for things to happen, as we will meet far more people along the way.

Then there are all the people you didn’t meet and all the choices you didn’t make. That is where storytelling begins. I still tell stories to myself, when I am walking around Copenhagen. I can’t help myself; they just come to me on morning walks around the city, looking at all the things that goes on. This is a truly inspiring city, and I will list my favourite things to do, eat dink and see. Welcome to my Copenhagen.

Rye Bread

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.

Flere Fugle

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

Lido

Serves pastry and a tasty simple breakfast. The produce it fabulous, the décor very Scandinavian, though owned by an Italian woman called Chiara… Very trendy, you’ll see a lot of influencers taking pictures, not necessary eating it.

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.

Bageriet BRØD

In the centre of Vesterbro at Enghave Plads. Take the metro and enjoy the atmosphere of one of Copenhagen’s most popular residentials areas. While you are there, visit the vinyl records shop BEAT a few doors down from the bakery.

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. You see them everywhere.

Coffee Collective Carlsberg byen Photo: Columbus Leth

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 the 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.

Where I go for my morning coffee:

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 a 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.

I often go for a morning walk at Kastellet and then go to Original Coffee in Store Kongensgade.

https://originalcoffee.dk/en?srsltid=AfmBOopWkqnv_nlpVbzrnnw7TVr9IH6KrRmhrT_Uvenotv2v0FZ4KKRb

WHERE I EAT

The restaurant scene in Copenhagen has exploded over the last 20 years, there are so many places to choose from, it is always advisable to book a table. There are new places opening all the time. Here are the places I eat, when I go out.

Restaurant VIE

My absolute favourite without a doubt.

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 basic but on the other hand, it is all so well executed, and Mikkel’s daughter has a regenerative farm where things are sourced in the season. And they have an incredible wine list.

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

Hong Speciel

Out of the way in the suburb of Hvidovre you’ll find the best Chinese food in Denmark. This is a place I have found out about only recently, and I am in awe of the quality of the dishes and the flavours they serve; one of best Chinese restaurant I know, and I go whenever I’m home in Copenhagen. www.hongsspecial.dk

Banegaarden

Check out events at Banegaarden, an alternative place for events, eating and other things, a former workshop space for the railways: https://www.banegaarden.com/events

Østergro

Book dinner at Østergro and eat in the greenhouse at Copenhagen’s only rooftop garden restaurant. www.oestergro.dk

Restaurant Polly

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

https://restaurantpolly.dk

BARR

Casual and Danish food at its best, love to walk and sit in the bar. Also try some of their craft beer, the waffle with fish roe, and the great interpretations of Danish classics. www.restaurantbarr.com

EAT 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 like the place, so my ritual is to go to Frederiksberggade 36 (Strøget) 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. http://www.døp.dk/en/

MUSEUMS

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 (see above under “10 things to do”)

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