When going out in the city center of Copenhagen, at least for me, it’s often difficult to find a perfect spot to spend my evening at. There are a lot of bars in the center, don’t get me wrong, but finding the right one is a lot of work.

Then one dark January -evening I read about this new place called Ourselves alone, and instantly became interested, a slight curtain of mystery being curled around the spot. So, the next Saturday I walked up to Badstuestræde to ring a doorbell at building number 7.

The bell was answered by a man in a suit. He kindly escorted us in, took our coats and got us seated on one of the comfortable antique sofas. Looking around the place, you see table-sofa groups for 4-7 persons, a charming little bar and gorgeous cocktails, all of this topped with old jazz and classics from the days your grandma still went out. Two words: absolutely charming.

After taking our coats to a cloak room, the man comes back with small welcome drinks and water glasses (that magically fill up all along the evening). “What would you like to drink?” he asks, and gives also recommendations from the selection. The evening runs smoothly, along with cocktails perfectly mixed and the classics playing in the background. Ourselves alone, music for the soul.

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Ourselves Alone | Bars | Alexander-cocktail DKK 110
Badstuestræde 7 | +4550707696
Tue & Thu 20:00 – 03:00, Fri – Sat 16:00 – 03:00

In the absolute origins of the city of Copenhagen lies an area called Gammel strand (the Old Beach). It is from here that this great city started to grow from, starting from the 11th century. Gammel Strand was the place of business, the first original harbor of the city, where so called Skovserkoner -women came to sell fish.

Nowadays Gammel strand is a beautiful area with many restaurants, cafés and bars. Because most of the buildings in the area burned to ground in the Copenhagen fire (1795), most of them have been renovated and rebuilt on different eras to different styles. As a tourist you’d probably end up visiting the area anyways, but what you might miss on your walk is the Byens bedste (the City’s best) -awarded burger joint located in a basement of one of the gorgeous buildings.

Cocks and Cows was founded in 2010 to serve the best burgers in the city, and oh how they’ve succeeded! The food is simple: 8-9 awesome burgers, the crispiest and tastiest fries you’ve ever eaten (Twister fries are my favorite, try with Aioli), great, tasty dips and a good selection of beverages, even cocktails. I’ve never gotten to the dessert (as the burgers and fries are guaranteed to satisfy a hunger of any size), but their milkshakes look absolutely fabulous. All of this, served in a cozy, all-american style burger joint with red couches and wooden tables, makes an excellent choice whether for dinner or lunch. Dig in!

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Cocks and Cows | Bars, Restaurants (American) | Classic Cow-burger DKK 88
Gammel Strand 34 | +4569696000
Mon – Fri 11:00 – 00:00, Sat – Sun 11:00 – 02:00

Are you hungry for a big, long weekend-brunch? You have found the right place!

In a corner of an old residential house by one of the Copenhagen’s “lakes”, Sortedams sø, a lucky by-passer can find the cozy Cafe 22. It is located at the basement of the building, so keep your eyes open looking for it. The café offers food and beverages for any time of day you might find yourself hungry: from the breakfast and afternoon coffee to dinner, and the menu is extensive, offering something for everybody.

But the main reason I want to share this place with you is their weekend brunch, which I can best describe with one word: Spectacular! For under 100 kroners you get a real feast which with one can easily spend a loooooong, lazy morning with. The brunch is offered from a buffet -table piled up with all the classics of a brunch: Croissants, bacon and eggs in different shapes, pancakes with gorgeous maple syrup, Danish frikadelle, bread, great selection of fresh, sliced fruit and and…..the list goes on and on. Bottom line: it is absolutely impossible to leave the place without having your stomach absolutely stuffed.

So grab you paperback or Sundays newspaper and head to Nørrebro for a delicious brunch! After all the eating the near-by lakes invite for a slow stroll around them. Perfect way to spend a weekend-morning.

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Cafe 22 | Coffee & tea, Restaurants (Intern.) | Weekend Brunch DKK 98
Sortedam Dossering 21 | +4535373827
Sun – Wed 09:00 – 00:00, Thu – Sat 09:00 – 02:00

Are you bored of all the modern discos and super-hip clubs with the latest technology and flashing lights? Do you need a change? The Jane is your answer!

The bar – or should I say She – is wrapped in a mystery: where it is, how is She to experience, what do people talk about Her? Check their homepage to find out Her secrets…

The Jane is a relatively new place in the Copenhagen night-scene, but in my opinion one of the most interesting ones, too. The bar is decorated in a style of the tv-show Mad Men – expect big comfortable sofas and armchairs, dark wooden panels and bookshelves, they even have a real fireplace which really does make a cold winter-evening quite merry. Have friends with you who don’t care for the cozy cocktail sipping on the sofas? No problem, The Jane has also a small dance floor!

And the cocktails! Their drink list consists of marvelous creations, some more known, some of their own. I highly recommend The Jane’s own drink including passion fruit-an absolute crown to a great evening. There’s also something delish offered for the friends of tea…

Absolutely the place to be on weekends!

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The Jane | Bars | Cocktail DKK 90.00
Gråbrødretorv 8 | +4569696000
Wed – Thu & Sat 20:00 – open end, Fri 16:00 – open end

The thing about Copenhagen is it surprises me almost every day. I found this  surprise on a beautiful night after walking home from the Fisketorvet -cinema. This skinny,gray and simple biking/pedestrian bridge happens to be an exquisite “work of art” telling the Copenhageners and its visitors’ love stories.

On this bridge combining areas Islands Brygge and Kalvebod Brygge you will find hundreds of padlocks. The phenomenom behind is Love locks, also seen in other big cities of the world. The couples come and lock their padlocks (decorated with their names) to the wires of the bridge, then throw the keys to the water below as a sign of unbreakable love. 

Absolutely cute idea, and without a big effort, creates a beautiful story of romance and love in Copenhagen. Go see in the evening when its dark, the view from the bridge offers a lot to watch in the surroundings, too, with all the modern buildings being lit with pretty lights. An every romantic’s must-see -spot.

p.s. On the Kalvebod Brygge’s side, there is a very nice spot looking over the water  to sit and talk sweet with your “kæreste” f.ex. before going to see a film in Fisketorvet’s Cinemaxx

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Bryggebroen | Art & culture, Relaxing | Free
Brygge broen
24 hours daily

The cutest dresses in town!

On the street with the most of variety in Copenhagen, Istedgade, you can find a small shop offering you a trip back in time, straight to the fifties. Dixie Grey offers a great deal of beautiful clothing, jewelry and shoes, all in the style they call “Modern vintage”. The best way to describe their clothing is found from their webpage: “Humor, nostalgia and stories are all essential to the design of Dixie Grey clothing”. See it for yourselves, this shop is worth experiencing! 

Not that the clothes wouldn’t be enough, Dixie Grey also sells Vivienne Westwood’s amazing shoes! 

ps. After shopping at Dixies, continue your Mad Men -inspired day with a drink at The Jane…

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Dixie Grey | Shopping
Istedgade 56c | +4535131808
Mon – Fri 11:00 – 18:00, Sat 11:00 – 15:00

It is my honor to write this article about perhaps the greatest venue of culture in this city, Jazzhus Montmartre.

This “jazzhus” (jazzhouse) has long, thick roots in the soil of Copenhagen. The club was originally opened in 1959, and during its existence, to the year 1995, hosted all the amazing jazz artists’ concerts from Webster Gordon and Stan Getz to Dizzy Gillespie. The club stayed on Store Regnegade till the year 1976 and on Nørregade till 1995. Since then the admirers of the late club have been eager to re-establish the club, and in 2010, their dreams came true when the original house of the first Jazzhus Montmartre became vacant again. With the strength of the volunteers and CEO Rune Bech, Jazzhus Montmartre is in its previous glory, hosting as magnificent concerts as in its past.

Concerts are amazing, the small, intimate club’s feeling intense and the food and drinks offered by their restaurant: mouth-watering! The restaurant even got five stars from Politiken, one of Denmarks most appreciated newspaper. Unfortunately one cannot dine at Montmartre every day, just the concert nights, and usually it is wise to book the table in beforehand. Many people like to come for a dinner before the concert and continue the evening with the greatest jazz artists of today.

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Jazzhus Montmartre | Art & culture, Music, Restaurants | Two course menu DKK 269
Store Regnegade 19A | +4533329666
Wed -Sat 17:30 – 23:30

Very close to the busiest streets of Copenhagen, though still hidden on a small side street, a lucky traveller might notice this little piece of Spain -El Tapeo.

I have to say I absolutely adore this Spanish dreamland, everything about it! The “experience” starts already outside the building -the restaurant is located in a skinny, white, very Spanish -looking house squeezed between others.  The decorative shutters give already away a piece of the magic inside.

The restaurant is basically in two floors, and for bigger parties there are also two more floors to be booked. The feeling in this place is amazing-its like taking a quick holiday in Spain: rustic wooden benches and tables, candle light, authentic pictures, old advertisements and newspaper on the walls, and the look is completed with -yes-plates filled with gorgeous tapas.

With a very versatile menu, I feel a bit lame to talk only of their tapas,but it simply is so fantastic so why not. I think the beauty of tapas hides in the concept that even though you still have to choose on what to eat, you are able to choose more than one dish to enjoy- and the more people,the more dishes My favorite would most likely be the Dates wrapped in ham and roasted in oven- an absolute delicacy! And to make this dining really feel like a trip to south, I suggest you order some of their excellent Sangria.

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El Tapeo | Bars, Snacks, Restaurants (Spanish) | Tapas plate DKK 180.00
Peder Hvitfeldts Stræde 15 | +4533931166
Mon – Thu 12:00 – 23:00, Fri – Sat 12:00 – 02:00, Sun 12:00 – 20:00

Just a 10 minute walk from the main railway station is absolutely the cutest cinema in the city, Vester Vov Vov. At the time the cinema was established (1975), there were plenty of cinemas side by side in the area of Vesterbro, but this one is the only one still standing. Even though they sometimes show some “mainstream” -movies, are they still considered as an art cinema. The movies are chosen with thought and they always have an interesting film to see. And the earlier showing you choose, the cheaper are the tickets.

For me, especially the Vester Vov Vov’s café plays a big role in creating the good, old cinema atmosphere: Cane chairs, big movie posters and checked floor, not forgetting the glass roof. They sell the beverages also to be enjoyed during the show, which I like a lot. And if you are lucky with your timing, during the summer they have outdoors cinema! Just remember to take (a phone with) a radio and headphones, since the voices of the movie are to be heard only that way in order not to disturb the neighbors.

Like they say in Denmark: god fornøjelse!

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Vester Vov Vov | Cinemas, Coffee & tea | Shows after 18:00 DKK 80.00
Absalonsgade 5 | +4533244200
Depends on film

I have come to notice that with a little effort it is possible to travel around the world just staying in Copenhagen- food wise that is. LêLê nhàhàng -or just LêLê among me and my friends -is a great addition to the large choice of restaurants offering food from foreign cultures.

During the years in Copenhagen LêLê has grown to be the biggest -and the most popular – Vietnamese kitchen. They started with just one “streetkitchen” offering take-out -food, and today they have a restaurant and a takeaway on Vesterbrogade, street kitchen on H.C. Andersens Boulevard next to the famous Rådhuspladsen and another takeaway on Østerbrogade.

Why do I like LêLê? Simple answer: Vietnamese Spring rolls. Especially the dish from takeaway where the rolls are served with rice noodles, vegetables and fish sauce -simple, tasty and healthy! Also the brunch where you have 5choices gets points from me – as one of the choices includes only sweet treats. Having a serious bacon-eggs -brunch loving friend with you? No problem, LêLê offers something for them too.

This is especially for you who has never tasted Vietnamese food- go taste and fall in love!

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LêLê nhà hàng | Snacks, Restaurants (Vietnamese) | Dak Lak -menu DKK 168.00
Vesterbrogade 40 | +4533227135
Sun – Thur 17:00 – 23:00, Fri – Sat 17:00 – 02:00