So, some of you guys may or may not know, but this past trip to Copenhagen was actually my third year in a row!
Copenhagen is a little off the grid, so people are always wondering why we are so obsessed with the place (enough to keep coming back every year). Well, once you read this itinerary, I think you will get it. It’s just the best place ever & each year it changes SO much- which makes going back again & again so much fun. We love seeing all of the changes & checking out all the cool newness.
According to our hotel concierge, Copenhagen is getting more American’s, but typically it’s a vacation destination for people who live within Europe. So… you know it must be cool if it’s where the Europeans go on holiday. Right? Right.
The shopping, the street style, the people, & the food (oh em gee… THE FOOD!) are all wayyy beyond on point. If there is anything I could do for you guys, it would be to get you to put Copenhagen on your travel wishlist. Everyone should experience the magic of the coveted Danish “hygge” atleast once in their life!
Now, for when you’re ready to plan your first trip to CPH, here is my complete travel itinerary/recommendations! If you’ve been & I am missing anything, let me know! I will add it to next years itinerary.
P.S. you can check out all the details from my past trips to Copenhagen here. I have tons more recommendations there as well!
x, E
Stay
Hotel Sp34: this is where we have stayed for the past 3 years, in the same room! It’s the raddest little boutique hotel & the everyday organic breakfast (in a greenhouse, basically) is next level. We have a room that looks over the street & the people watching is next level.
» Hotel SP34, from left to right: the green house in the restaurant | my people watching window | these swings are everything!!! | our daily breakfast situation (so good!!) «
» rosé hour in the very chic lobby «
Eats
Møller Coffee & Kitchen: the cutest brunch spot in town! The decor is on point & the food, next level. They give you a little piece of paper to check off items you want, making your own custom brunch spread.
Souls: “Eat like you give a fork”. If you’re vegan you will love Souls. If you’re not vegan, you will love Souls! Honestly, I didn’t even tell Zack it was vegan until we left- he literally had no clue while he scarfed down is bbq “chicken” sandwich. Also, the matcha tea is so so so good.
Höst: this is probably our favorite restaurant in the city so far. You get to choose between two menus, & each is dish after dish of mind blowing food. They describe what your getting each course & there are always fun surprises in between (like pop rock yogurt, as a palette cleanser!). The vibe is cozy & warm. Make sure make a reservation in advance! They also just opened up their second restaurant, Väkst, located in Hotel SP34 (where we stayed!). We didn’t know we needed a reservation, so we missed out on this one but I am sure it’s just as amazing as Höst!
Sticks N’ Sushi: If you’re into sushi, this is most likely the best I’ve ever had. There are locations all over Copenhagen, but the one located at the Tivoli Hotel is mind blowing.
Mother Pizza: I am not a huge pizza person, but let me tell you- this pizza is next level. This is also a very hip spot for all the cool kids. I reccomend getting pizza if you go, but if you’re just looking for a fun bar- this is the place!
Royal Smushi: I LOVE THIS PLACE! I have had it on the list all three years & this year, we finally made it. It’s a girls dream, although Zack enjoyed it as well. It looks like a tea party palace, but modern & cool. Order the “smushi’s”- the are tiny open faced sandwiches & so delish. I got the smushi lunch special, which came with the most amazing cold cucumber soup & Zack got a really bomb goat cheese salad (the goat cheese was served grilled between bread- like goat cheese sandwiches meets a crouton. pretty insane!).
Amass: okay, so they say the best restaurant in Copenhagen is Noma. Noma has been given the Michelin star like 10x in a row, or something crazy like that. Noma also needs a reservation over a year in advance. That’s hard to plan, & for our third year in a row, we couldn’t get a reservation. SO, we found Amass! Amass is owned by the previous head chef at Noma, Matt Orlando. What a blessing. This restaurant is a total experience. You pay one price & they bring you course after course after course of mind blowing farm fresh food.
On top of that- the chef/owner is from my hometown! He came over to our table as he recognized my area code on the reservation & sat with us for a while. He was so amazing & literally lived 5 minutes from me and got started in his career at a restaurant my family and I ate all the time. SMALL WORLD stuff right there.
Torvehallerne Market: if you’re looking for a quick bite on the go, Torvehallerne Market is where it’s at. It’s an open market & each stand is amazing. They’ve got wine, fresh flowers, acai bowls, fresh pressed juices, organic food, to-go salads, pretty much everything you could dream of in one spot.
Grød: Copenhagen is rainy, there is no way around it… but also, totally adds to the charm. Grab an umbrella & make your way to Grød. It’s on Jægersborggade in Nørrebro, which as of this year, is my new favorite street in Copenhagen. So many cute little shops to check out!
» the brunch spread at Møller! «
» tea party feels & the best cold cucumber soup at Royal Smushi cafe. «
» Souls, eat like you give a fork.«
» FOOD, from left to right: Grød porridge (we got the tomato polenta!) | the cutest sign leading to the cutest cafe | organic everything at Torvehallerne Market (wish we had this at home!!!) | oh my MOTHER– the pizza was unforgettable. «
Sweets
Østerberg Ice Cream: gelato is on every corner in Copenhagen, & honestly, all good… but if you really want to try some AMAZING ice cream, get to Østerberg Ice Cream. They have the traditional flavors everyone loves, but also some amazing out of the box flavors like jackfruit, avocado, lavender (my fave), gooseberry, & so much more. Drooling.
Nicecream: Holy ACAI. I am honestly not hugely into acai bowls, but let me tell you… the acai bowl from NiceCream is a total mind blow. They literally craft each acai bowl to pure perfection (I watched them make mine, it was honestly like an art the way they put this thing together). We actually went twice while we were there because it was just that good.
Hija De Sanchez popsicles: so so sad we didn’t make it here, but next year for sure! Since it was on my list, I will share with you guys. Rumor has it they have some pretty epic popsicles & it’s at Torvehallerne market (seen above), so while you’re browsing around stop for a popsicle (the avocado with freeze dried raspberries looks particularly delish!). They also serve tacos, which I am sure are insane.
Sankt Peders Bakery: Luckily for us, this place is just a stones throw from our hotel. Try the Terbikes (a traditional danish pastry) or their ridiculously amazing cinnamon rolls.
The Union Kitchen: If you have a sense of humor, like good coffee, & are into latte art- you have to go to Union Kitchen. I don’t know how they do it, but they literally spelled out “have you tasted our balls?” on my latte- I am pretty sure they have a dish with some sort of balls on the menu, or atleast that’s what I hope they were referring to. We also got a slice of yummy cheesecake to go with our cheeky lattes.
» still droooooling over this acai creation by Nicecream. «
» cheeky lattes & cheesecake at The Union Kitchen. «
Drinks
Mikkeller & Friends: This place is the cutest little bar ever & probably one of the more popular spots in Copenhagen. They have a delish assortment of beers (lots of yummy local ones!). We got sour cherry beers which were INSANE + spicy tomato chips.
Vesterbro & Nørrebro: I am really not a huge drinker, so I can’t reccomend much when it comes to more bars, but I do know these two neighborhoods- Vesterbro & Nørrebro are the hotspots for all you young bucks looking to wet your whistle.
» sipping on sour cherry stout & loving it big time. «
Shopping
Holly Golightly: if you love high end designer digs, check out Holly Golightly. It’s the definition of chic- even if you just want to window shop!
Kaktus Copenhagen: if you like cactus, pop into Kaktus Copenhagen. It’s the cutest little cactus shop that is so well set up it’s basically a cactus museum! It’s on Jaegersborgadde (same place as a lot of the restaurants & great shopping), so you can knock this out while cruising the shops. Even if just for an instagram, because traveling with cactus is not ideal, this place is a must see.
Strøget: a pedestrian street with no cars, & the main shopping are. Spend a half day & check it out- so so so many amazing stores. You can eat lunch at Royal Smushi once your done (cafe listed above!).
Envii: this store has all of the minimal Copenhagen vibes & is affordable as well!
Acne Archive: BEST.STORE.EVER & I believe, the only one in the world. Acne Archive is basically a year round sample sale. The prices will blow your mind & the selection is just out of this world. This year I scored this sold out choker for half of the price & these heels (‘The Jensen’) in nude for literally 1/6th the price. NO JOKE.
Magnolias Luksus 2ndhand: The vintage store of your dreams- all epic designer pieces in great condition. Think Chanel belts, bags, shoes, Wang, McQueen, & a handful of rad Danish designers as well! Check out their Instagram– so many goodies!
Storm: this is a super modern store with some really amazing fashion finds + fabulous Danish books & magazines! I love love love Danish magazines- they are the best coffee table accessories!
» Acne Archive (shoes found here!) «
» my major shoe score! «
» Kaktus Kobenhavn «
» SHOPPING, left to right: cactus are EVERYWHERE this year (better late than never!) | back at Acne Archive, third time in two days– oops., shopping on Strøget– where all the fancy AF store are | admiring all the plants I cant’ make mine. «
See/Do
Biking: whatever you do- rent a bike! Your hotel will most likely have them for rent, but the bike shops also rent out bikes. Don’t even try to walk the town or there is no way to fit in everything! Copenhagen is super bike friendly & easy to navigate!
Lousiana Museum of Art: again, haven’t made it to this one, but so many people reccomend this museum of modern art! It’s a bit further away, but probably worth it. Next year, for sure!
Christiania: aka the free town… where almost anything goes (& grows??). Take a load off from all that biking, grab a beer, a joint (if that’s your thing… you are on vacay?), do some shopping, have an organic smoothie, & more of than not… they also have live music. It’s a real party.
» Love this photo taken by Zack- the happy bikers of CPH! «
P.S. make sure to download the app PINBOX!! It’s a real game changer for the OCD traveler. You can literally drop a pin on all the places you want to go, color coordinate them, write notes, & map out your entire trip. Plus, it works on airplane mode so you don’t have to use your data while navigating the city.