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Even with the world on pause, Copenhagen kept busy. Now it's ready to seduce travelers anew. Noma may be closing next year, but a group of young chefs is writing the next chapter of the New Nordic Food Manifesto. Cutting-edge design, always a draw here, is more prevalent than ever with the reopening last year of architect Kaare Klint's Designmuseum Danmark; this year, the city is the UNESCO World Capital of Architecture, with events themed around sustainability. Emerging neighborhoods are easier than ever to explore via Copenhagen's world-class biking infrastructure and steadily expanding metro system, while the much-anticipated summer opening of the Opera Park will add to the buzzy waterfront. Its 19th-century-style gardens and walking paths will be a perfect counterpoint to the glass and limestone of the Royal Danish Opera House—the kind of juxtaposition that makes the Danish capital so unique. Copenhagen is always a good idea, now more than ever.
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Little Luxuries
Long a bastion of traditional hotels, Copenhagen is witnessing the growth of small but spectacular rental properties. From Kanalhuset, a canalside home turned apartment hotel, to The Darling, a design-forward guesthouse, accommodations here have never been more diverse or visually interesting. The most exciting new player is Villa Canada, a stately five-room, two-suite rental in Østerbro. Built in 1918 and designed by architect Albert Oppenheim, it was formerly the residence of Canadian ambassadors. Inside, original details like decorated ceilings and hand-painted wallpaper have been left intact, but there are also modern creature comforts like heated bathroom floors and an elevator. Expect the level of service you'd get from your favorite hotel, along with meals prepared by chefs from Michelin-starred restaurants like Alouette's Nick Curtin and a 1,100-bottle wine cellar. A long soak in the gilded bathtub is encouraged.
See the Sea
Copenhageners use their harborfront the way many city denizens use their parks. At Copenhot, Nordhavn, a popular weekend hangout spot, guests sip wine between sauna sessions and take in the panoramic sea views from wood hot tubs. Try to nab a spot in the glass-walled “floating sauna,” right on the water. Waterfront development Krøyers Plads includes a wood deck where visitors often lounge, sometimes jumping into the sea. The setting, with views of the colorful houses of Nyhavn, is unsurpassed, and Broens Gadekøkken, Copenhagen's famed food market, is right next door. Clothing is optional at Butchers Heat, a pair of no-frills mobile saunas parked on the harbor in hip Refshaleøen—be sure to book a SaunaGus, an aromatherapy session that pairs searing heat with '70s rock and relaxing light. People-watching at one-stop shop La Banchina for sauna, drinks, and farm-to-table food is some of the best in town. Order smoked spelt dockside.
The Insider
Anne-Louise Sommer, director of the newly reopened Designmuseum Denmark, on where she goes for inspiration.
“Its iconic ultramarine ceilings, impressive architecture, and collection of Danish neoclassical sculptures by Bertel Thorvaldsen make it one of the city's most tranquil oases.”
“A unique subterranean space, the old water reservoir has housed exhibitions from Jeppe Hein and Tómas Saraceno. It will host South Korean conceptual artist Kimsooja through November.”
Cirkelbroen
“This Olafur Eliasson–designed bridge has five ‘masts’ that rotate to allow boats to pass through the canal. It beautifully illustrates the intersection of architecture, art, and design.”
“At this centrally located art-and-design gallery, you can marvel at lamps and vases by Danish artist FOS, unique ceramics by Karl Monies, and tinted mirrors by Sabine Marcelis.”
On the Menu
Now that the hyperlocal hegemony of New Nordic is fading, what's next? Far-flung flavors—with a Danish twist. Tables are hard to come by at Jatak, where chef Jonathan Tam infuses the approach that he honed at the now shuttered Relæ with Asian flavors in dishes like the shatteringly crisp sea buckthorn tempura. Be sure to sit at the kitchen counter and watch the chefs (silently) prepare your 12-course dinner, which could include the flavorful pumpkin cheung fun and the Instagram-famous egg tart.
Around the corner from 17th-century Rosenborg Castle on Farimagsgade is Juju, a modern-casual Korean eatery from Noma alum Kristian Baumann. On its small à la carte menu are banchan, mandoo, Korean fried chicken, and sesame ice cream. In the spring, its older sibling Koan will open in a new location with a menu that marries Baumann's South Korean roots with Danish ingredients.
At Donda Deli, the newer, more casual outpost of Christianshavn hot spot Donda, the menu is full of Latin American flavors. Think snacks and small plates served alongside tortillas, árbol mayo, and guajillo salsa, as well as a selection of natural wines. The restaurant's cozy vibe—pink walls, warm wood, and Poulsen lighting—will encourage you to linger.
From the team behind the beloved Slurp Ramen Joint comes Kōnā, a Japanese izakaya and cocktail bar in Carlsberg Byen. Pair the chicken karaage or a scallop skewer with an Austrian Gewürztraminer for a good night out—and for an even better time, head downstairs to the U-shaped counter for a special ramen menu imported from Slurp.
Former Geranium head chef Will King-Smith and wife Megan Leung have been pulling in the crowds at Goldfinch with excellent Cantonese in a setting made for dates. Expect traditional dishes you'd be served in a Chinese home, like char siu and roast duck, alongside more modern ones, such as Hong Kong–style French toast.
Garden Party
Europe's most famous theme park embarks on a season of celebration. The iconic Tivoli Gardens oozes old-world charm, but it's far from stodgy. This summer, to celebrate its 180th birthday, the park will open Kilden, a new sustainability-focused restaurant; a Danish wine and produce market; and pop-ups of several Michelin-starred restaurants including Knystaforsen from rural Sweden, which will bring its critically acclaimed forage-and-fire approach into the heart of the city. Concerts, fireworks, and ballets will follow, and of course there are always the rides.
Urban Renaissance
A stream of hotels, restaurants, and shops has made the industrial area of Carlsberg Byen the hippest place in town. Carlsberg Byen used to be accessible only to its workers. Now, more than a decade after it opened to the public, the former brewery district wedged between Frederiksberg and Vesterbro has become a go-to destination for both locals and visitors. Set in an iconic building with round windows where Carlsberg beer was once brewed, Hotel Ottilia, a soaring contemporary hotel from local company Brøchner Hotels, was one of the first to arrive. Following suit was a Copenhagen outpost of the global brand Aire Ancient Baths, which repurposed an 1881 building to house its collection of hot and cold pools. For the weekend crowd, there's Cadence, an easygoing coffee shop and bakery that serves up sweet-potato hotcakes and blackberry fastelavnsboller (cardamom buns), as well as Surt, a low-key pizza joint making wood-fired sourdough pies. At the Michelin-starred Studio, it's a slightly more upscale affair: Head chef Christoffer Sørensen, winner of the Michelin Guide's Young Chef Award in 2021, whips up plates of scallops with green strawberries and horseradish. Unsurprisingly, there's no shortage of design shops (this is Copenhagen, after all), including Carl Hansen & Søn, which stocks brands like Hans J. Wegner and Arne Jacobsen. Meanwhile, Von Bartha, the first international outpost of the Swiss gallery, features contemporary artists such as Camille Graeser.
Additional reporting by Mary Holland.
This article appeared in the April 2023 issue of Condé Nast Traveler. Subscribe to the magazine here.
