Dining in Copenhagen
Over the past ten years, Copenhagen has re-invented itself and placed
its name on the Metropolis map of Europe. It has undergone an amazing
metamorphosis in a wide variety of fields ' design, fashion, media, art,
film, shopping, music, advertising and last but not least - food and
drink. With CPH international airport only 20 minutes away from central
downtown, with the soon-to-be completed Øresundsbroen bridge to Malmö,
Sweden, many Copenhageners now feel closer to capitals like Stockholm,
Berlin and London than to other major cities in Denmark.
And as the city has become more international so has its palate. Few
years ago Asian, Middle-Eastern and South American food was
off-territory for most Copenhageners but now people of all ages Sushi,
Nasi-Goreng, Tom Yum Goong and Cous-cous their way through their dinner
appointments. Warehouses have been turned into über-trendy restaurants,
old shops have been transformed into elegant bars and every where you
turn new cafés and clubs are opening up.
Østerbro
Brunch your morning away at mocca-heavenly Amokka and re-discover the
art of coffee-brewing. Lunch at Circus and get a haircut on the go in
this post-modern combi-complex. Dine at Guldandens art-deco verandah or
reserve your table at Brasseriet for a young and refreshing experience.
Innovative food is served at La-Kajen, designed by the Sidney Opera
House-famous architect Jørgen Utzon; and one of Copenhagens most
expensive but best Indian restaurants, Tabak, is also in the area.
Digestives are enjoyed in company with Kruts Karport impressive
collection of malt whiskies and your night ends at Park dancing and
sipping drinks with Copenhagen young things.
Nørrebro
Your Nørrebro-experience starts at Sankt Hans Torv where your latte is
served at retro-futuristic Pussy Galore or at classy Sebastopol. This
lively neighbourhood is packed with cafés but don't miss Floras
Kaffebar , Kaffesalonen and Props all around Blågårdsgade. Evening
dining includes excellent Indian food at Kates Joint, French
cosmopolitan cuisine at De Gaulle, vegetarian and Middle Eastern at
Picnic and Japanese future fusion dishes at Propaganda. Rust is the name
of your final destination. Nørrebros number one night-club gives you
every reason to love this up-beat part of town.
Vesterbro
Art-galleries, student bars, red-light district, ethnic restaurants ' it
all comes together at Copenhagens most wanted neighbourhood. Autobahn ,
Bang&Jensen and Ideal Bar prove that what was once a working-class
district now is something more and beyond. Vesterbro is the official
capital of curry ' the best Asian restaurants include Det Indiske
Spisehus, Thai Esan, Shezan and Nam Thip and the
not-to-be-underestimated Carry Home. For modern French cuisine try
Kamels on Sundevedsgade or if you feel first class have your stop-over
at Formel B ' you won't regret it.
Double Happiness specialises in daring Chinese food from the Sichung
province and Passagens Spisehus has the best deer and game roasts in
town. Club your night away at Vega and if you still want more after 5am,
head for Lasses for a last good-night drink.
Fredriksberg
This pleasant Parisian-style neighbourhood is Copenhagens little
theatreland and most bars and restaurants here come alive just before or
just after show hours. Alléenberg, Kellerdirk and Promenaden are all
located around Fredriksbergs Allé and are known for good atmosphere and
improvising waiters/actors. Modern Italian food is served at La Buca or
at delicious Fiasco and rustic French de pays courses are waiting at
L?Olivier. For a classic romantic night dine at La Gastronomique in
Fredriksbergs Gardens or try Prinsessens Spisehus for a France meets
Tunisia hedonistic feast.
Christianshavn & Christiania
On Holmen, among torpedo halls and old military warehouses lies the
modern London-inspired restaurant Base Camp which transforms into a
nightclub after midnight. While waiting for tapas enjoy the view of
Copenhagen waterfront at Thorsen or adventure into Christianias EU-free
zone for beautiful vegetarian dishes at Morgen Stjernen or modern
Scandinavian cuisine at friendly Spiseloppen. Christanshavn is swarming
with restaurants, bars and cafés ' Era Ora is a superb Italian
restaurant, perfect for business and pleasure, Kanalen represents France
and there is good food and value for money at Bastionen&Løven.
Brunch at Wilder with the local architects and lunch at Café Oven
Vande.
Pisserenden
This über-hip shopping district is flourishing with cafés, restaurants
and bars. For a gastronomic trip around the world try Atlas Bar, frog
lovers socialise at L?Education Nationale and Flyvefisken tempts your
palate with tasty Thai treats. Floss s understated atmosphere draws
artists and their friends from all over the city and Sabines Cafeteria
is still one of the most authentic and popular cafés in Copenhagen.
Stop by Salonen for an afternoon chit-chat and chill out at their Sunday
ambient sessions.
Frederiksstaden
A handful of top-rated fine dining restaurants and bars are found in
this peaceful side of town. On the Copenhagen waterfront few steps away
from the Little Mermaid lies elegant Langelinie Pavilionen where
quality, price and style go hand in hand. Media students and hipsters
dine at Kartoteket whose Polish owner gave up philosophy for gastronomic
pleasures and Lai Hoos Cantonese kitchen is known to be our Princess
Alexandras (born in Hong Kong) favourite place. Copenhagens first real
wine bar Le Sommelier lies on Bredgade and around the corner KGB
Restaurant og Vodkabar serves genuine cold-war vodka and caviar.
Nørrevold
Nørrevold is young, hip and happening and the people who live here know
it. Among bookshops and fashion stores lies Bankeråt, Nansensgades most
relaxed café. Further down the street minimalistic Sticks?n Sushi
practises the art of slow food and for suave Spanish food try El Peron.
Café Bisau plays Zouk-love with a twist of Paris and around the corner
at the Lounge media types order Frozen Margaritas. Summer afternoons are
spent inside HC Ørstedsparken at Hacienda tripping to sunshine and
sipping Swedish cider. Nights are spent at post-everything Stereo Bar ,
ordering gin&tonics, CPH networking and kissing cheeks.
Inner City
Central Copenhagens parade of world class restaurants proves that the
transformation from local to global player is complete. The excellent
Kommandanten has earned 2 Michelin stars for spectacular French food,
superb Restaurationen enjoys a single but big star and so does
innovative Pierre André on Ny Østergade. If you are looking for less
art but more smart, queue up outside stylish Konrad or hotspot Etcetc .
Luxurious international cuisine is demonstrated at Kirk and also
TyvenKokkenHansKoneOgHendesElsker belongs in Inner Citys elegance
league. Café Europa on Amagertorv glows of glass and class, Sommersko
is always a success and Zoo Bar just across is the favourite rendezvous
for the citys shopping maniacs. As the sun sets, the restaurants fade
away and the bars wake up. Tourists head for Nyhavn, teenagers shout
Klaptræet , students go for Studenterhuset , jazz lovers knock on La
Fontaine, media types elevate to NASA and VIPs light their cigars at SAS
Royal s cocktail bar.
Before you pack your suitcase, flash your passport or board your
cruiser, remember that you can not leave Copenhagen without having tried
a Danish hotdog and the Danish smørrebrød. It is a well-kept secret
that the best hotdogs are served on the very far end of the Copenhagen
waterfront and for smørrebrød try Amalie behind Amalienborg.
Entertainment in Copenhagen
Throughout history Copenhageners never really got to like the idea of
living in a big city. Noise, traffic, tall buildings, busy business men,
and displays of great wealth are all generally frowned upon. Most people
live outside the city in small independent suburbs nourishing a
provincial feel rather than any connection to the Capital. In the city
itself, traffic is sanctioned as much as possible, and limits on
building height are strictly enforced. But while the Inner City is
always buzzing with activities and crammed with people, efforts are
constantly made to make it more of a cosmopolitan haven than the busy
centre of a great metropolis. Little refuges are found everywhere from
idyllic town squares like Gråbrødretorv and Nytorv and Gammeltorv, to
the many parks surrounding the old city centre. And indeed,
Copenhageners have proved exceptionally successful in creating some of
the worlds finest, most extraordinary, mesmerising and enchanting city
sanctuaries - of which the following are only a few.
SANCTUARIES
Most famous of the institutionalised sanctuaries is Tivoli, the old
world-famous amusement park right in the middle of town with some
100,000 lamps glowing and providing magic among the flower arrangements,
antique roller-coasters, classy restaurants, and many fine performances
of music, dance and theatre.
Also Christiania is an institution and a sanctuary, even if it seems
to be Tivolis very contradiction. It is decidedly anti-establishment,
and was long considered rebel territory, having numerous clashes with
the police. It is also walled in, surprisingly peaceful, and with no
apparent connection to the city (nor, indeed, to the country, the EU or
NATO, as is stated by the entrance) The area was squatted by hippies in
the early 1970s, and has remained untouched by the government ever
since.
Further out on Christianshavn is Holmen, another sanctuary, this one
for film students, architects and like-minded people who work and study
in the former naval base.
A very unusual sanctuary is Assistens Kirkegård, a cemetery that
hosts such local celebrities as Hans Christian Andersen and Søren
Kierkegaard, as well as many others - and simultaneously serves as a
public park offering picnic opportunities among the gravestones.
Of the citys many parks, the most enchanting is Frederiksberg Have,
which offers the opportunity to rent little boats in the summer and
paddle into your loved ones heart. Kongens Have, where Inner City
trendies meet for picnic, spontaneous games of football and nude
sunbathing. The Botanical Garden with its overwhelming number of exotic
flowers, trees and plants. H.C.Ørstedsparken at night is a secretive
meeting-point for gay men.
ART
Contemporary
Patrons of modern art will find the two most important museums located
outside of town in spectacular natural settings. To the north in
Humlebæk, Louisiana offers brilliant exhibitions as does its smaller
Southern counterpart, Arken, in Ishøj.
In the city itself, large exhibition spaces for contemporary art
include Charlottenborg, the refurbished church Nikolaj, Kunstforeningen
(Danish Society of Arts) and Den Frie (Independent Artists?
Exhibitions). Also, Statens Museum for Kunst has a strong permanent
collection in its impressive new wing.
A brief international boat-trip will take you to Malmö, Sweden,
where Rooseum Center for Contemporary Art and Malmö City Art Gallery
are among that countrys finest centres of contemporary art.
For gallery-hopping in Copenhagen, the most rewarding area is
traditionally Frederiksstaden, especially Bredgade and the area behind
Hotel D?Angleterre by Kongens Nytorv. Recently, some of the more daring
galleries, such as Nikolaj Wallner and Nils Stærk have moved en masse
to Islands Brygge hopefully starting a trend that can only do good to
this desolated area.
Pre-War
Statens Museum for Kunsts collection and enormous building is not just
'the state of the art', but the states museum of art. In English it is
either called the National Museum of Art or Danish National Gallery.
While it has no real obligation to lead in the avant-garde, it has one
of the worlds best and most extensive collection of Scandinavian
painters from all ages.
For European masterpieces Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek holds a very varied
and rich private collection (you guess the sponsor) that also includes
an excellent Egyptian department. It too has had a recent extension that
is an architectural masterpiece - as have Statens Museum for Kunst, The
Royal Library on Slotsholmen, and Louisiana (every second year).
Den Hirschprungske Samling, right across from Statens Museum for
Kunst in Østre Anlæg, is another beautiful private collection
specialising in what is often referred to as the Golden Age of Danish
painting including the famous Skagen-painters such as Krøyer and
Hammershøj.
Thorvaldsens Museum is the countrys first public art museum, a
monument to sculptor Thorvaldsen. It opened in 1848 and is still an
impressive sanctuary.
HISTORY
The entire Inner City of Copenhagen is in itself of historic interest,
as it seems relatively untouched by the last couple of centuries. The
history of the city can further be studied at the picturesque Copenhagen
City Museum on Vesterbrogade.The history of the nation is told at
Nationalmuseet, Denmarks main museum of cultural history, with
unrivalled exhibitions of ancient art and handcrafts covering all of the
nations history including Greenland, the Faroe Islands and most of
Scandinavia. Anyone with interest in Norse mythology, Vikings and early
Nordic history should also visit the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde, the
working village of Lejre, and the National Museum of Brede; each within
an hour of the city. Back in Copenhagen the Royal Danish Chronological
Collection at Rosenborg Castle and Amalienborg shows the history of the
worlds oldest royal family through their sometimes very amusing
belongings and extravagant furniture. To contrast this, the Workers'
Museum has on permanent display a depiction of working-class life in the
1930s and 1950s. Georg Jensen Museum displays the unique works of the
famous silver-smith, as well as antique Royal Copenhagen porcelain. The
Carlsberg Museum has everything you need to know and taste about brewing
beer. The Resistance Museum sheds light on the underground liberation
movement during the German occupation in WW2. The Geological Museum
captures other underground movements.
Important castles outside the city count Frederiksborg Castle in
Hillerød and Kronborg in Elsinore as the largest and most impressive.
The amazing twin-towered church of Roskilde, Denmarks capital before
the founding of Copenhagen, is among the finest and oldest in the world
and duly listed under UNESCOs World Heritage Program.
SHOWS
Royal Theatre is home to one of worlds leading ballet troupes, the Royal
Danish Ballet, with regular shows on the Old Stage. The national Opera
and Theatre troupes too call the Royal Theatre their home while also
performing elsewhere in the city. Ny Teater, Nørrebro Teater, and
Østre Gasværk often show big-budget musicals. A majority of popular
theatres are located on Frederiksberg Allee.
Tickets for most shows and information can be obtained by phone
+4570156565 or www.billetnet.dk
MUSIC
Performances of classical music in the highest quality can be attended
at Danish National Radio Concert Hall, Tivoli Concert Hall, Den Anden
Opera, and the Royal Theatre.
Helligåndskirken, Holmens Kirke, Trinitatis Kirke as well as many
other city churches regularly have organ concerts on weekdays.
The prime jazz venues in Copenhagen are Copenhagen Jazzhouse and La
Fontaine.
Most important venues for contemporary rock and electronic music are
Pumpehuset, Vega, Stengade 30, Rust, Loppen, Amager Bio, and Stereo Bar.
FILM
Copenhagen is a city of movie-lovers, and for the connoisseur
Cinemateket in Filmhuset, Gloria, Posthusteatret, Grand, Husets Biograf,
and Vester Vov Vov all offer rare and high-quality screenings.
Mainstream cinemas are centered around Rådhuspladsen and Vesterport
Station with giant complexes Scala, Dagmar, and Palads showing Hollywood
productions and the like. Nearby Imperial prides itself on having
Northern Europes largest silver screen. Tycho Brahe Planetarium shows
you breathtaking images of space as well as IMAX-screenings. Østerbros
Park shows belated premieres and classics at discount prices.
All showings are in original language with Danish subtitles except
animation-movies for children (in fact, dubbing is considered so
blasphemous that actors will be dismissed from the Actors' Union if
caught dubbing a major motion picture). For Danish films with English
subtitles see Vester Vov Vov, Husets Biograf and Cinemateket.
Caspar Haarløv
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