We returned to our spirit city: Copenhagen, Denmark for a second time following a work trip in 2017. Here’s what we did:

In our 2017 Copenhagen guide we talked about some of the logistics (credit cards vs DKK, SIM cards) but in our 2019 guide it’s pretty revealing we just flew to Denmark to eat. Actually, we really did make a dinner reservation and then booked our flight and hotel.

Stay: Nobis Hotel

We chose Nobis for it’s central location and excellent interior design. While Chris was a big fan of the shower in the marble bathroom, I took to the window to look out and watch Tivoli and people in front of the Glyptoteket museum. The hotel staff were very helpful and it never seemed like we were asking the world of them when we asked to schedule a taxi across the water or to the airport (like it seems in some American hotels).

See: glyptoteket

Chris went to this museum last time we were in Copenhagen and knew I would love it. Located across the street from our hotel, this made an ideal first day activity after an overnight flight. We dropped our bags at Nobis (check wasn’t until the afternoon), and walked over for a fantastic brunch in their atrium garden restaurant. In fact, the food and location are so good, it isn’t uncommon for people to make reservations ahead of time.

The Glyptoteket has over 10,000 works of art and archaeological objects, most of which are sculpture. The colors of the rooms and the beautifully engineered lighting make the sculptures viewable at their best. The building itself displays a bounty of colored stone and texture that I hadn’t thought would work, but it absolutely does.

The museum is free on Tuesdays and while we did stand in line for 10-15 minutes to enter, it didn’t feel very crowded.

See: kings garden and botanical gardens

I’m a plant person, so if there’s a garden, I need to see it. Because the weather was comparitively brisk and clear to late Virginia summer, we loved spending time outside, even with the occasional drizzle.

The King’s Garden is a great place to stroll or sit and read. It’s right next to the Botanical Gardens which have a variety of plantings (stone garden, water plants, perennials etc). There’s also a Palm Houses (ticket required) which we didn’t have time to go see, but I’d like to next time.

Eat: Hija de Sanchez (and other stops nearby)

Hija de Sanchez (by former Noma employee) is the perfect fast casual stop for tacos, drinks and beer. It’s the most simple menu with about three offerings and seating outside. In this former industrial area, there are dozens of restaurants next door to each other. While we were in this area, we also grabbed a burger and fries but there’s good pizza and Kul which is a fantastic restaurant we went to in 2017.

Eat: Hart Bagheri

Hart Bagheri (Noma alum) is the bakery of your dreams. Incredible bread and a basque cheesecake that will ruin all other cheesecakes for you.

Drink: Ruby

A beautiful cocktail bar with a seasonal menu, it’s the perfect place to grab drinks with a small group (or one other person).

Drink: Balderdash

Super limited seating but worth it. We loved talking to the bartenders here who gave us great recommendations for other places to eat. Balderdash is known as a chef’s hangout and these guys really know their shi*. You can always order off menu and ask for a ‘dealer’s choice’ for a custom drink.

Eat: Atelier September

A stop from 2017, but as always, simple and beautiful. Atelier September never disappoints with their unique breakfast offerings. This time, we went for the zucchini jam and yogurt along with some mint grapefruit. Per usual, it was packed and seating is awkward and stuffy, but again- worth it.

Drink (and snack): brus

A great spot for a variety of beers on tap (and to take home or open up in store). Grab their fermented fries with mushroom dip.

eat: leckerbaer

The tarts you dream of in all shapes and sizes. Grab some to go, or try several in store (we did!). We love the way the Danes use passion fruit and citron!

eat: noma (if you can get a reservation!)

This is what we booked our entire trip around. For those unaware, Noma is a former #1 best restaurant in the world for several years (it was #2 this year) and a 2 Michelin Star restaurant. The moment reservations open for each dining season, you have to be online, waiting and ready to take whatever is available. So back in February, I made it happen for vegetable season (and then booked our flight).

While Noma has 3 seasons of menus (harvest and game season or seafood along with vegetable season), we felt we would only truly enjoy vegetable season. We consider ourselves adventurous, but we don’t cross the line when it comes to blood, offal or oysters (sorry- we just don’t like oysters). Vegetable season, while not vegan, embraced everything from mold to berries, smoked thyme to bee pollen.

Torvehallerne

The ultimate food market. Stop by for a meal or to pick up ingredients to cook at home (don’t forget the flowers). There’s also wine and beer bottle shops, chocolates, and everything else you might need. Try everything. We loved a fresh caccio e peppe pasta we ordered for lunch.

Eat (and swim): La Banchina

Don’t be fooled- this is everything I want in my neighborhood. There are no reservations. There’s natural wine, coffee, baked goods, local food, a sauna, and you can peel off and swim in the water right outside. La Banchina came recommended by multiple food people in Copenhagen.

Eat: Lille bakery

Fresh out of the oven morning buns and more, you can even grab lunch here! What started as a Kickstarter campaign has turned into a heartfelt food stop focused on quality and seasonality. A three minute walk from La Banchina, Empirical Spirits and Broaden and Build, Lille is a must-stop.

Drink and Learn: Empirical spirits

Maybe one of my favorite new experiences in Copenhagen, Empirical defines themselves as a ‘flavor company’ rather than a liquor distillery. They don’t confine themselves to categories of spirits (eg gin vs vodka) because that forces them to meet specific alcohol percentages instead of focusing on flavor. Empirical is only distributed in the US by Domestique in DC and they only carry a small look at their spirit range (not to mention the parsnip kombucha and hotsauce you can only get on site in CPH).

Eat and Drink: broaden and build

Beer and lunch. It happens here. With over 20 brews on tap, there’s a beer for everyone. Oh, and did you want a multi course meal? Done! Chris and I ordered two dishes to split and loved the vinegar powder on some very juicy fried chicken.

Side story: We also saw Ferran Adrià (of famed El Bulli) here and he went to Empirical Spirits next. I’m not saying our taste is amazing but if Ferran hit both of them at the same time…well, you can draw your own over-inflated opinions about how great we are.

Eat: hidden dim sum by night

Let me be super clear here: they only take mobile pay or cash. I made this mistake. But other than that the basement neon hole in the wall was super cool. Grab crispy duck and rice, beer, sake and more at this tiny spot before heading home for the night.

Eat: union kitchen

If you’re looking for breakfast, this is a great spot that has sweet and savory and veggies. It’s also open semi-early. Located near Nyhavn (you’ll recognize it when you see it), it’s incredibly popular so make a reservation or be prepared to rely on chance. We went in 2017 as well and loved their salads they serve with eggs.

Drink: Ved Stranden 10

This is a must-do every year, no matter what. If you’re curious about wine, talk to the team and they’ll help you find a glass of something incredible to enjoy outside or in their living room-like space. If you’re into unusual and natural wines, prepare to indulge.