Copenhagen

I've been to Copenhagen twice; once in December 2018 with my dad and brother and a second time recently in June 2024 with my friend who just moved there. The vibes were definitely different, as are a lot of northern European cities in the winter vs. summer.

The biggest shock of Copenhagen to me was how expensive the food and wine was. It was basically NYC prices which was insane to me, so be warned if you're planning a trip here, you won't get those 30 euro bottles of wine. A lot of places they were around $100 for the cheapest bottle.

In terms of where to stay, we stayed right next to 'Fabro' (an Italian restaurant) and it was super convenient! I can't speak to too many other areas, but I'd recommend staying around that area. Meatpacking was cool, but I don't know that I'd stay there if I were visiting for a weekend.

Another random fact about Copenhagen that is helpful to know going into planning is it is a very early city. Gelato shops are even closed by 9pm, so dinner is early. We consistently ate at around 8-9pm and were the last ones in every restaurant. Keep this in mind when planning dinners!

The first time I went, we had an incredible food experience, but sadly nearly everywhere we ate is now closed (Relae, 108). Copenhagen felt to me like there is a bit less to do in bad weather than a city like Amsterdam, but a ton to do and see when the sun is shining. The city itself on a nice day is really cute and charming with the canals. Be sure to eat plenty of pastries (get bread with butter and cheese) when you go. I would strongly recommend keeping Copenhagen to a summer trip when the weather is nice and there is more to do. Now into the recs..

Restaurants

My favorite food experience by far in Copenhagen was Relae. It was one of the best meals of my life and I can't believe they closed down. I would say I was actually quite underwhelmed by the food scene the second time I went, despite getting a bunch of recs, but the first time I was really blown away.

• Baest: It pains me to write this because I got this rec from basically everyone and it is by the owner of Relae, but I was pretty underwhelmed and disappointed given the hype. The meal was fine, but nothing special in my opinion. They don't have any red wine options that aren't incredibly light. The pizza was fine, the salad was great honestly and probably the best part. The bubbles were good at the beginning and it is in a vibey area, but I don't get the hype around the food.

• Barr: This was our splurge meal. It was definitely super pricey, but a good experience overall. The wine was delish and the sourdough was exceptional. The waffle was much better hot and got a lot worse as it cooled but was amazing when it first came out - probably my favorite thing we ate that night. The rhubard dessert was odd, it tasted like you are licking the sweetest part of a forrest. We ordered the rib and it was super fatty, but good. I would have loved to try the fish here. It was a great din all in all, but didn't compare to Relae for me.

• Tommi's Burgers: We were craving a casual burger one night and this spot did not disappoint. The burger beat my expectations for sure. It's in a cool area in the Meatpacking district. You could taste the old bay seasoning on the burger. The sauce was great, it was cooked perfectly. All in all it was a great burger. The fries were fine and did the job. I'd definitely go back here.

• Rufino Osteria: This was an italian restaurant I saw consistently on blogs and TikToks as the best Italian in Copenhagen. I loved the cute little vibe. The menu is super small, but everything was yummy. The bread and burrata appetizers were amazing (and normally I find burrata quite boring). The pasta was decent, but nothing too great. And the tiramisu dessert was lovely. My qualm with this spot was it was more expensive than a top tier Italian restaurant in NYC, but the food wasn't at that level. It was ~$280 for 2 people, and we ordered bread, burrata, 1 pasta each, 2 tiramisus (they were very small), and 2 glasses of wine each. That felt insane to me! It was enjoyable, but I probably wouldn't go back given the value wasn't there for me. We wanted to try Fabro instead, but they have weird hours and long waits.

• Studio x Kitchen: We went to this spot twice for breakfast because it was so good! We got the traditional rye bread, soft boiled egg, and jam plate the first day. The jam was incredible. Rye bread is very seedy and an aquired taste I'd say. The second day we got the beans and the nduja eggs. They were both insanely good, but the beans were the winners I'd say. Would highly recommend this spot.

Bakeries & Treats

I didn't have one cappucino I thought was really all that good here to be honest, but the pastries were amazing. Probably the best bites of the trip! Definitely prioritize eating pastries daily.

• Juno: This bakery has the most hype in the city, and for good reason! There will be a line, but it moves super quickly. I'd recommend going on a weekday to avoid crowds if you can. The cardamom bun was insane and so buttery, as well as the citrus loaf. The bun with bread and butter (ask for it at the counter, they won't have it displayed) was oddly amazing, so so good. Coffee was the only thing that wasn't great, but I was truly blown away by everything else here. It deserves the hype.

• Buka: This was my first pastry stop in the city. The cardamom croissant looks like a muffin and was fantastic. I thought Juno's was better, but this one was a different vibe and still amazing. I'd recommend trying it out. Everything we got here was good, including the pistachio croissant which they are known for.

• Andersen & Maillard: This is a chain with decent coffee and a decent bread, cheese and butter. The star here was the cinnamon roll. I'd go back for that, but skip the bread & cheese.

• Lille: We quickly stopped in here after La Banchina and they were sold out of everything except the rye cookies, so I can't speak to much, but those were fantastic and buttery.

• Siciliansk Is: This gelato spot was amazing. We came after dinner at Tommi's and it did not disappoint. I overheard a local talking about how this is the best gelato spot and she was right. It rivals Italy for sure. I got the almond, fior di latte (which was basically vanilla), and passion fruit and it was the best gelato order. I'd come back a million times.

• Vaffelbageren Nyhavn: This was one of the only gelato shops open late. It's definitely in the touristy area. It scratched the itch, but I wouldn't go back. The mint chip was good, but the strachiatella wasn't.

Bars

The wine bar culture here is very cute, so lots of great spots to wander into.

• Bottega Barlie: We came here for a glass of wine and some nibbles and it did not disappoint. The bread and olives were gigantic and amazing (and very aesthetic). The cheese dessert platter was also fantastic. The kitchen was closed by the time we arrived so that was all we could order and it was super satisfying. It felt very european. The orange wine and Sangiovese were both lovely, and all of their reds are chilled (even the heavier ones!) which is a win in my book in the summer.

• Rino Vinofino: This spot was the upstairs wine bar of Baest. The waiters were super helpful and fun to interact with. They recommended a bunch of fun wines that were lovely. Antipasto platter was small, but delish. Be warned that the wine is very pricey here and they do give quite small pours. Would definitely go back, but cap it at one glass given the price.

• Pompette: This spot was an adorable wine bar that we went to after dinner at Baest. It closes pretty early for a bar, but was super vibey up until close. You just have the option of the color of wine, a few of which they produce themselves. I'll be honest, I'd go back for the vibe, but I'm a red wine girl and it tasted like a barn which I didn't like at all. The orange wine was yummy though.

• La Banchina: This spot was such a highlight for me. We took the ferry over (I'd recommend walking honestly, this took forever because we had to wait for multiple). It was a nice, sunny day and you grab a bottle of wine from the shop, take it to the dock, and sunbathe. You can jump in the water which felt pretty clean to me. It was a vibe and I loved it. It was my favorite part of the trip and favorite spot in the city for sure. The walk back was so lovely too and you can see noma on your stroll.

• Ved Stranden 10: This is a wine bar on the canal which was such a vibe for sunset. We grabbed some glasses and drank them sitting on a bench on the canal. The selection is great and the vibe is even better. Highly recommend for sunset!

Things to do

• Walking around: Obviously my favorite thing to do in a city, always. Especially in Europe. Nothing beats wandering around the streets on a nice day with no set plan.

• La Banchina: See above in the bar section!

• Kongens Have (King's Garden): Really well manicured, beautiful gardens. I brought pastries here, sat on the lawns while I ate, then found a bench and read a book. It was so lovely and there was a lot of empty space which is great to post up and get some sun.

• Shopping: There is a Ganni outlet here that has super reasonable prices and a decent selection - I'd recommend checking it out! I didn't do much other shopping, but there are great homegoods vintage shops all around, I just couldn't bring anything back like that in my suitcase unfortunately.

• Designmuseum: I'm not the biggest museum girl, so take this with a grain of salt. We went here on a rainy day and the line was pretty long, but moved quickly. We spent nearly 2 hours here and it was a nice stroll on a rainy day, but I wouldn't feel the need to go back. I usually like when a museum tells a story vs. just displaying art, so this one wasn't my favorite, as it was more of an installation display. (For reference, my favorite museum is the WWII museum in New Orleans to give a sense of what I like, closely followed by the 9/11 museum in NYC).

• Places to work:

  • Soho House - Nice spot to work from in a cool area. It was super empty the whole time I was there. The prices are shockingly reasonable.

  • Zoku - I didn't go to Zoku while I was there, but they have one in Amsterdam and they have a great coworking space and lovely food (with really cool hotel rooms as well).