Once upon a time, Copenhagen was my home. Over four years have passed since my six-month exchange in the happiest place on earth, but my love for this magical city is still as strong as ever. This past spring marked my fifth time in Copenhagen, and I had a ten day vacation planned with nothing on my itinerary except to enjoy the city like a local.
My sister and I rented a flat on Ægirsgade, a quiet, residential street in outer Nørrebro only a few minutes walk from Superkilen park and Nørrebro Station. A quintessentially Danish abode, the apartment was filled with token Danish accessories: Royal Copenhagen contrast mugs, mid-century modern teakwood chairs, and classic Danish art, posters, and novels. It was the perfect Scandinavian dwelling for our ten days in wonderful Copenhagen.
Our first few days in Copenhagen we spent re-exploring the city; enjoying old favourites and searching for new ones. The Friday we arrived, we stuck to what we knew in Nørrebro: drinks at Mikkeller & Friends on Stefansgade, dinner at the Laundromat Cafe (always good), and a concert at Rust, my favourite nightclub in Copenhagen. As the weekend progressed, we expanded our horizons outside of our usual, checking out all the new and exciting spots that have opened over the past few years. These included: Heimdalsgade 22, a cafe-meets-record shop on the Superkilen stretch; Illum Rooftop, an expansive rooftop terrace overlooking Strøget, Copenhagen's pedestrian shopping street; and Brus, a new microbrewery and restaurant on Guldbergsgade, among many others.
We ate well this time around in Copenhagen too, checking out a number of restaurants on my wish list. Sadly, I will probably never eat at noma, but I take comfort in the fact that I witnessed René Redzepi water his microgreens outside his restaurant - I still regret not saying hello. Bæst was first on our list: located across from Brus on Guldbergsgade, Bæst is an Italian, all-organic restaurant serving delicious cured meats and wood-fired pizzas. We ate at Spise\Bar 20 on Rantzausgade with our Danish family, enjoying an extravagant spread of authentic, Mediterranean-inspired fare. Breakfast at Møller's Kaffe og Køkken was a unique experience: rated the best breakfast in town, you are given a menu with individual breakfast items to check off, and every single thing is heavenly. I highly suggest ordering the sourdough and rye bread combo with the homemade Nutella.
