One of the reasons we decided to visit Copenhagen was its immense history of design – chances are your apartment is dotted with furniture designed in Denmark (or at least inspired by it.) When we were looking for places to stay in central Copenhagen, Hotel Alexandra rose to the top because it elevates all of the designed objects we love.
The rooms are filled with a large collection of carefully sourced, world-famous Danish mid-century vintage furniture combined with textiles, wallpapers, and other period gems. Each of the rooms takes you back in time to experience living as the design-loving Danes did in the 50s, 60s, or 70s.
For our stay, we chose the corner double room superior filled with pieces from Børge Mogensen and other 70’s designed objects. Staying in a place designed to feel like a home really helped us to settle in and begin to feel like Danes ourselves…
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When we pictured dining in Denmark, eating in a 17th-century windmill is exactly what we had in mind. At Lola, you can make your Danish culinary dreams come true…while enjoying some amazing Indian dishes no less! The dishes are dreamed up by chef couple hailing from both India and Latin America and their distinct cultural influences show up beautifully in their food.
This Franco-Danish restaurant takes some of the best parts of fine dining down a few notches in formality. We love that this is a place where you can come in and order a 5-course tasting menu or a couple of snacks and a glass of wine for the bistro tables outside.
There comes a point in every trip where you’re a little burned out on trying new things and crave the comforting embrace of familiarity. For us, chef Frederik Bille Brahe’s ever-hip Atelier September was that savior. The bright, cozy space is perfect for breakfast or lunch including an impeccably-executed omelette. Don’t come here without getting a few slices of their bread – served with a slathering of butter scooped from the large communal mound.
Gasoline Grill’s burgers may be better than any version we’ve had in New York (with the exception of J.G. Melon, of course.) While they’ve expanded throughout the city, the original location in a converted gas station is a must-stop for a casual bite in central Copenhagen.
Is it possible to have the best ramen of your life in Denmark…YES. Slurp is serving up some of the best ramen we’ve had, with killer pork dumplings to boot. Get here when they open for this no-resy spot to get ahead of the line.
For those of you looking for the best cardamom bun in CPH…this is the spot...and it’s actually a pull apart cardamom croissant! You’ll find many locations around the city and all have proved to be equally delicious. Richard Hart, the former pastry chef at famed Noma, created Hart Bageri using his skills from Noma to bring us new and favorite Danish flavors.
Is it weird to say a bakery has ~softness~ to it? Regardless, that’s the first word which comes to mind when thinking about Lille, tucked away on a side street of Refshaleøen. Known for their bread, this is the perfect place to try a Danish classic of bread with butter – trust us, it’s a lot better and more complex than the simple description may lead you to believe!
In 1959, Japanese baker Shunsuke Takaki came to Copenhagen and fell in love with their tradition of baking. With a classically Japanese eye for detail, Takaki opened Andersen Bakery focused on making perfect versions of Danish classics as well as less traditional delights like beautiful patisserie and roll cake.
Located a bit further from city center, Juno the bakery is well worth the trip to the residential neighborhood of Århusgade Nord. Among other things, Juno is perhaps best known for their impeccable execution of the quintessentially Danish cardamom bun.
There’s always one classic dish, snack, or to-go food that you just NEED to try when you travel. In CPH, the Danish hotdog is that thing. Stop by Mia’s in Indre By for their interpretation of New Yorker’s favorite food - don’t forget to ask for one with pickles nestled within a french-ish roll.
Sometimes during a trip, all you need is healing and fresh lunch to pick you up and get you ready for the next upcoming heavy meal. We found Sixteen Twelve in the Norrebro neighborhood and their freshly made sourdough and broth was exactly what the heart wanted.
One of our favorite walks in CPH is along the bridges between Indre By and Christiania. Along the way lies Broens – an outdoor, somewhat waterfront street food market on the little island of Christianshavn. Sample food from favorites in the city like Gasoline Grill or just grab a beer and enjoy the vibes.
It’s not every day when a food market is actually COOL - but Torvehallerne does it right. Spend an afternoon weaving in and out of the food hall buildings with endless vendors featuring cool wine bars, fresh Italian food, and local breweries.
At La Banchina lives the dream of a Nordic Summer – a place for natural wine and coffee to be sipped dockside after a schvitz in one of the rentable saunas and a dip in the cool harbor water. On sunny days you’ll find every Danish resident between the ages of 25 and 40 soaking it all in. If all the above wasn’t enough to keep you here for a day, La Banchina also offers a small, casual seafood-forward menu and always fresh oysters.
A fashionable and casual cafe, studio x kitchen is a wonderful place to grab a coffee, a miso cookie, and read a book amongst impossibly chic Danish families.
We like to think the Coffee Collective is the Hungry Ghost of CPH. There’s always one nearby when you need it, and it’s always great, fresh, reliable coffee. Look out for their takeovers of small newsstands around the city to get your brew on the go.
Coffee and music, a classic pairing. Located in Vesterbro near Copenhagen’s edgy meatpacking district, Orsa Coffee is a space that is focused on having a good time…but isn’t it nice that you can do that during the day?
News flash: the Lower Manhattan craft coffee shops actually originate in Copenhagen. Stop in for some of the best beans in town, or better yet, check out the Møntergade location inside of Another Aspect to shop chic menswear as you sip a cortado.
Speaking of cafes inside shops…Apotek 57 (located inside FRAMA) offers coffee and pastry alongside seasonal breakfast and lunch. All developed by acclaimed chef, Chiara Barla.
If you’re a fan of either craft beers or cool labels, Mikkeller is the drink for you while you’re in town. The brewer has numerous locations including a Michelin-rated beer-paired restaurant, Selma. Our favorite way to drink it, however, was grabbing a can from the Mikkeller and Friends bottle shop inside Torvehallerne and sipping it in the fading afternoon light.
This was the perfect pre-Frank Restaurant drink. Bar Deco is serving up some super fun and fresh cocktails with the most thoroughly explained cocktail recipes we’ve ever seen in their menus.
For the MOST ingenious cocktail spot in the city, try Balderdash. The folks behind this bar have their system down to a science…literally. Their award-winning cocktails range from PS - if you make a reservation, you can snag the best seat in the house downstairs by the oldest fireplace in Denmark.
Among the many design shops dotted along Copenhagen’s streets, House of Finn Juhl stands out for it’s pure elegance. If you’re the type of coolstuff reader who just bought a brownstone and has endless cash on hand, go wild – if you’re more like us, this is a great place to ogle things we’ll buy when we win the lottery.
CPH is the home of Ganni World, so it only makes sense to stock up on their branded graphic tees and leather mini bags while you’re in the motherland!
The small showroom of Muuto is impressive in that they change the entire design of the space with the seasons. The design-minded among you might recognize this brand for its tubular vases that popped up in some of our favorite NYC design shops a few years ago, but this is a must stop as there are many practical pieces for the NYC apartment and Muuto ships!
We loved the variety of designer mens & womenswear in this sweet shop. You can expect Missoni bathing suits, Cecilie Bahnsen dresses and Rachel Comey tees
If you’re a lover of design mags & art books, this is your spot. Stop in for immediate inspiration, or snag a cool Danish mag to-go.
Take a trip down an iconic porcelain shop’s memory lane. Royal CPH’s ceramics are so iconic to this day, but we love how their flagship gives you a peek behind the curtain with a timeline and visual history of the brand. Their pieces aren’t the type to go on sale if you know what we mean…but once you see them, you’ll see lovely vintage versions around at markets all over the city.
Danish design lovers rejoice! HAY’s flagship HAY House in central CPH is one you cannot miss. The multilevel shop is full of all of the gorgeous pieces you see online, plus so many other small curated goodies perfect for souvenirs.
This Danish chain is the best dollar store in the world. While the New York locations closed with many other beloved institutions in 2020, Flying Tiger is absolutely thriving in Denmark. While known for affordable goods, Flying Tiger embraces the true Danish spirit of design excellence and has quite a few gems tucked in alongside plasticky trifles.
Fashion girls, this one’s for you. This boutique’s got all of your favorite designers and all of the designers waiting for you to discover them. Stop by after a visit to Hart Bageri in Frederiksberg.
This fashion label’s flagship store is filled with wonder. Each corner there’s a new little vignette, espresso bar or seating area…and of course lots of fashion.
This concept furniture store set in an old bank is the perfect place to get immediate inspiration. You can shop their lighting pieces, iconic chairs and small accessories to get your design fix.
This classic Danish furniture label has a stunning store in central Copenhagen. Each Fritz Hansen piece is so simple but so perfectly designed - stop by to wonder in awe at their pieces.
One of our favorite Danish design brands has a sweet little store (next to a Gasoline Grill location!) that’s filled with new items just designed, and classic pieces like their recycled plastic furniture.
This centrally located park (also known as Rosenborg Garden) is filled with Danish folk playing lawn games, picnicking and taking walks. We were stunned by their perfectly manicured rose gardens and imposing architectural trees.
Not many cities have such a centrally located Botanical Garden and that’s part of what makes this Copenhagen Sight such an exception. Small in scale, this is the perfect activity to kill time in those strange hours between the closing of shops and your readiness to enjoy a meal. If all that isn’t enough to sway you for a visit, keep in mind that this rec came to us directly from the chic staff at designer Cecilie Bahnsen.
This is the international center for design and craft in Denmark set in a former hospital. Each gallery space and room in this building teaches you something about color, textiles, furniture design and everything in between. You might only need an hour in this space as the route for the exhibitions is swift and fun!
One tip you can’t miss! Take the train from CPH to visit the stunning landscape and art of the Louisiana Museum of Art. This museum was created in order to bring modern and contemporary art to Denmark. You’ll be amazed by their large permanent collection, expansive sculpture garden and views and ever-changing seasonal exhibitions.
PS - before you head back to the city, grab some snacks for the road at Hej Humlebæk Cafe.
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