Copenhagen: A city of supreme Scandinavian charm
- Cameron Woodhead
- Sep 4
- 8 min read
Day two.
Our second day in this beautiful city began with a locally influenced breakfast, purchased from a nearby supermarket the previous evening. This was made up of some crisp, fresh apples, Danish rye bread smothered with butter, and a mix of smoked ham and a local cheese.
A hearty start to the day, it meant that we had more than sufficient energy to fight through our slight sleep deficit and set off round the city for further recon of the famous Danish design brands that live rent-free in our minds.
The sun was beating down on the canals and the whole area was awash with its caring golden rays. It encouraged us to slow down and just appreciate how perfect it all was once more.
From Sluseholmen, we took the metro back to Gammel Strand and were back in the heart of the city in a jiffy. I think it's time to profess my love for the Copenhagen Metro system, as it was a constant presence during the trip.
The trains were remarkably clean, bright and always felt spacious, as well as been air-conditioned. Running 24/7, often you would only be waiting three to four minutes between services and delays were virtually non-existent due to the fact it was a fully driverless system. Ultimately, it offered a view into the future of what public transport can be and how it makes a difference to daily life when there is a reliable and even enjoyable service that makes travel less of a stress.
Once we arrived at Højbro Plads, we made a beeline for a building that was proudly overlooking the main square, containing a store we had been desperate to visit for a long time: the Hay House. Barely containing our excitement, we ascended the staircase to the show floors and were greeted by a kaleidoscopic array of wares.
Not knowing where to look, we worked our way methodically through each section of the store; from the famous colour crates and thoughtful trinkets, to the new line of perforated metal cabinets and inviting pouffes, it was a truly inspiring and enriching place to be. Unsurprisingly, purchases were made. For myself, a cute little pen and a blue and white chequered tin, and for Tommy, a pair of mini crates and a serving bowl from the La Pittura collection.
We continued our exciting morning by heading to Studio Arhoj, a company that specialises in handmade ceramic and glass ornaments, each item a unique blend of colour and form. Although we already own several of their ghosts and blobs, it would be rude to head to their spiritual home and not buy one or two... right?
After surveying the entire catalogue of options, two of their traditional ghosts stood out and now sit proudly on our bookshelf at home; a colourful daily reminder of the joy and whimsical nature that their store brought.
By now the afternoon was getting on and it was time to seek out some lunch, which today came in the form of Kismet. One of our many, many options on a google maps list that had been curated in the lead up to the trip, Kismet was tucked away on a street featuring new developments of typical Scandi flats.
On the approach, the atmosphere was exactly what we like - open, buzzing yet relaxed, sophisticated and a real hub of the area. Being so close to so many flats, it had a natural clientele who were predictably rather hipster, so this instantly sat well with us.
Plumping again for a fruity batch brew despite the growing heat, we also selected a couple of summery dishes for lunch. My choice of spiced mussels, with sourdough, whipped butter, pickled jalapeños and cauliflower was divinely fresh and left me feeling like a true Dane (if only...).
Before leaving we grabbed a couple of Fritz Kolas (a hangover from our German adventures that we have a love for) and headed to the Kongens Have that surrounded Rosenborg Slot. Strolling around in the baking sun amidst the luscious foliage, as well as saying hello to some carp, it was like an urban paradise and everyone was content and relaxed. One big thing stuck out to me as well: nobody was on their phones!
Next up for us was a very big moment, huge in fact. We buy plenty of coffee beans at home but one roaster that always draws us back and is a massive favourite is La Cabra. En route we stopped by footwear brand Veja and body care aficionados Aesop. Even though we didn't make any purchases in Veja, it focused our vision on potential future pairs from them and then this was followed by a mini-pamper in Aesop.
The two staff members working that day were incredibly friendly and helpful, maybe the best customer service experience I've ever had, taking time to talk us through the products, what might be beneficial to our individual needs and allowing us to try some before I settled on a shower cream to add some luxury into my daily routine.
As the google maps dot drew closer to La Cabra, the excitement was building and eventually, the lettering and shopfront came tantalisingly into view.
The space was shared with independent clothing store Another Aspect, which made for a homely and soothing atmosphere as we approached the bar and set about choosing our pour-overs. The two we selected were Mofa and Riakiberu, before duly taking our seat at the bar and awaiting the coffees.
There was a slight pressure on this moment, as it was essentially the lynchpin of our entire trip, but we were, thankfully and unsurprisingly, not disappointed. Mofa was an example of the diverse branch of heirloom coffee from Ethiopia, with these cherries being grown at a higher altitude and then undergoing an anaerobic fermentation. All of this led to a wonderfully fruity coffee that left a light, floral aftertaste on the palate.
This was in contrast to the Riakiberu coffee, which was a washed Kenyan coffee that was clean and satisfying, every bit a relaxing 'daily' sort of coffee. The flavours were much more subtle than that of the Mofa but it was still a delectable coffee in its own way with some gentle stone fruit flavours and a very silky smooth feel in the mouth.
Despite feeling like we could happily sit there all day, closing time was approaching so we picked up some funky sounding Geisha beans to take home and steered towards a Copenhagen landmark, the Rundetaarn.
When we arrived, the queue for entry was significantly long, however, the tower was open until the early evening so we decided to continue exploring until the queue died down.
It was at this point that we took our first trip to Copenhagen staple Hart Bageri. This was another example of a local independent that had turned into a city-wide institution. On this occasion, it made sense to go for their most famous icon - the cardamom croissant. For the time being, we weren't hungry so decided to save for later on as we continued on our way, but felt giddy with excitement over the small paper bag with the upside-down hand logo.
Further stops included supreme local brands NN.07 and Samsøe Samsøe, both showcasing their polished yet placid Scandinavian charm through clean cut lines and premium materials. Had we recently come into some money, it would have been easy to spend uncontrollably in both stores, but fortunately, sensible heads prevailed. Maybe one day we'll be back and be able to indulge our wardrobe fantasies.
As well as clothing, we headed to another titan of Danish interior design, Fritz Hansen. The famous designer was packed with the kind of furniture and homewares you'd expect from a high-end Scandi store, featuring new and vintage products alike. Our visit provided further inspiration of how we'd decorate any future home(s), but given that the store was closing shortly, we didn't have time to fully indulge ourselves and instead went back in time to the Rundetaarn.
In the past we've climbed a lot of towers from Cologne Cathedral to the Sacré Cœur but this one was different. The cobbled pathway spiralled its way up the tower, making for a relatively smooth ascent. It contained an exhibition hall halfway up (as well as an original toilet) and at the top was the oldest functioning observatory in Europe, which unfortunately wasn't open at the time but is occasionally for members of the public to use.
From the viewing deck outside, there was a stunning panorama of the Copenhagen rooftops and in the distance, the Øresund Bridge was just about visible, along with the ghostly silhouette of the Malmö coastline. It may not be a city known for big name tourist attractions, but I would give The Little Mermaid a miss and come here instead. You'll get a far better view.
Once we'd had our fill visually, it was about time to get our fill gastronomically. For the third time in two days, we found ourselves braving chopsticks again as we sat down at Hidden Dimsum. After being advised to order a couple of dishes each, we went for one larger and one smaller dish each, but shared the entire selection.
Sweet and sour pork, and a crispy roasted duck were the larger dishes, alongside which we had some steamed prawn dumplings and char siu pork bao buns. The duck was very crispy and tender, the sweet and sour sauce on the pork was well balanced and zingy, both sets of steamed dim sum were soft and fluffy and the fillings had an abundance of flavour.
However, when the final bill came, it implied Michelin star level prices for what was, admittedly, very good food, but couldn't be justified at such a high price point. I'm not in the habit of complaining about price and I know a lot of small businesses struggle with costs, but this was an extra step up that seemed a little too far. I have definitely paid a lot less in the UK for food that was equal or better, as well as the fact that we were charged for tap water (something they didn't do at any other restaurant or café we visited) and a rather high fee was added for using a foreign card, something that should have been made clearer to us on entry to the restaurant.
It was also slightly noticeable that the staff were a little colder and more direct to us than they were with some of the locals, although maybe I'm just being paranoid, but I feel that we were respectful guests and even asked, "Taler du engelsk?" when entering rather than presuming. After some searches post the trip, it doesn't appear uncommon that tourists have felt unwelcome here and not just English ones.
Nonetheless, we had had a superb day ticking off a lot of the stores and cafés that had been circling our mind for months, as well as picking up some more cute purchases that now adorn our Harborne home and gaining a lot of inspiration for shaping our future.
Walking back to the nearest metro stop, we contemplated what the next day might bring and how we were going to branch out into the farther regions of the city.
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