If You Go: Copenhagen

We had a surprisingly awesome time in Copenhagen!  It was a quick 3 day trip that had not been high on my list.  I pictured someplace that was cold, fish-filled, and a bit boring.  What we found was summer weather, beautiful architecture, and modern food.   I would highly recommend this trip!  A few administrative notes:

• Copenhagen Card: The price of the Copenhagen Card will seem high.  It is well worth it - it covers all transportation, every museum, and even includes a canal tour.  
• Meals:  Just about everything is more expensive than you expect in Copenhagen!  Like...a bottle of water at 7-11 is $3!  That said, there are some crazy food gems around the city, so take the time to look for great restaurants (our recommendations are below) and check the menu prices before you visit.  It is well worth your time! 

Hotels 

Christian IV: One of the few hotels we have stayed in that I do not recommend.  We paid a huge price for this centrally located hotel - but the room was small, dank, and not air conditioned.  With the windows open, the staff outside talked and smoked all night into our room.  It was really unsatisfying given that it's one of the most expensive hotels we've booked in Europe. 

Restaurants

Vakst: This was one of the coolest restaurants we have ever dined in!  There is a greenhouse in the center of the restaurant.  The set menu is truly spectacular with some of the most beautiful and inventive dishes we have ever tried.  Mushroom pancake tacos, hake carpaccio, and an incredible strawberry dish.  Get reservations and try this place!

Cofoco: This stands for Copenhagen Food Company - they have an incredibly modern, fresh menu - things like lavendar-infused mussel soup and a pineapple yogurt dessert that was heaven in your mouth.  Another amazing place to try. 

Copenhagen Street Food: This former Paper Factory has been turned into a huge food market with every type of cuisine you can imagine.  I had an awesome Burrito and P had Duck-covered french fries.  We finished with ice cream and iced coffee...but they had every street food from Moroccan to Indian to BBQ.  It's packed, but incredibly well thought out and a fantastic place to stop for lunch. 

Torvehallerne: A second street food market!  This one was closer to our hotel and we stopped twice.  Slightly more refined than the other market, but a few less options.  My most favorite was an amazing pizza spot called Gorm...gourmet pizzas!  Try potatoes on your pizza.  Food doesn't get better! 

Canal Tour: We kicked off our trip with a canal tour and it was a fantastic way to get oriented to the city.  Highly recommend! 

Tivoli Garden: This spot inspired Walt Disney to create DisneyWorld and when you visit, you'll understand why.  It's full of stunning gardens, peacocks, and every detail is thought through perfectly.  We spent several hours here and also got a chance to hop on the roller coaster which was great fun! 

Design Museum:  This was a beautiful walk through all the amazing Danish design - both their furniture, industrial, graphic, and fashion design.  Great walk through this museum - especially if you're into mid-century furniture 

Christiansborg Palace: This reminded me of either Buckingham Palace or the White House - in the sense that this is still where major official functions are held by the Danish Royal family.  Beautifully decorated in the rococo style...my favorite room was the tapestry room that had these incredibly huge, modern tapestries in the brightest of colors.  Highly recommend! 

Malmo Sweden: I had to work on Monday afternoon so P took the train to Malmo Sweden for the afternoon.  He enjoyed his time - he rented a bike and saw the architecture (and got a new stamp in his passport!) Malmo is less than an hour away.