HOW TO SPEND 48 HOURS IN COPENHAGEN | TRAVEL GUIDE

I am so excited to bring to you this travel guide. 
A guide to what to do, where to eat and where to visit whilst in the beautiful city of Copenhagen for 48 hours.
George and I hopped on the short 1.5 hour plane journey to Copenhagen last Wednesday and spent two days getting lost and quite frankly falling hopelessly in love with the Danish city.
As the first Scandinavian city I have ever visited, I had high hopes for Copenhagen. I wanted to eat as the locals do, shop as the locals do and really see Copenhagen for how it is supposed to be seen. And, thanks to the help of you guys and your incredible recommendations I feel that we really got to do just that.

So for the sake of the layout of this post I thought I’d kick things off with that typical Copenhagen postcard scene at Nyhavn.
This was high on my to-do list, purely for the photographic possibilities and of course to tick off the most memorable Copenhagen backdrop from my list.
We actually ended up stumbling past Nyhavn a few times whilst venturing around Copenhagen which was a complete delight as despite it being a complete must see and inevitably a tourist trap, this place wasn’t like any other “tourist attraction” I’ve been to before. There wasn’t anybody trying to sell you things, there was no pushing and shoving as it really wasn’t overly crowded which meant the experience and of course the photo ops were all the more enjoyable indeed. 

It really is as beautiful as it looks in the photographs, a row of beautifully coloured houses with docked boats in the harbour before it. “As pretty as a postcard” I kept saying and that it is. There are benches all along the waterfront which overlook the houses and the boats, which George and I really enjoyed sitting on to take it all in one brightly coloured house at a time. You can even take a boat right down the river, which is something I’d like to do should we return (scratch that, when we return) as it looks to be the most romantic thing EVER, such a shame it was bitterly cold to do so this time around.

FIND IT | ?Nyhavn, København K, Denmark

Coincidentally the outfits I had packed for my trip to Copenhagen happened to match the backdrop of Nyhavn perfectly, which made for ever the more wonderful photo opportunity, gotta think about the ‘gram and all that.
However, as I mentioned at this time of year, Copenhagen is bitterly cold; rather similar to that of England’s weather right now but cooler due to the high winds. It wasn’t what I expected for late April so I didn’t pack all to expertly. Thankfully the shopping in Copenhagen is absolutely awesome, which I’ll divulge you a little later on in this post and I was able to bag the lime/yellow and matching orange jumper from the Acne Archives which allowed me to tackle the weather AND match my surroundings beautifully, double win!?

*WARNING| THE NEXT FEW RECOMMENDATIONS WILL MAKE YOUR TUMMIES RUMBLE*

So we’ve come to the foodie recommendations and when I say that the majority of my hit list revolved around where to eat, well you’d probably believe me wouldn’t you.

I’ve spent way too many trips hangry and therefore running into the nearest tourist trap and paying through the nose for a shoddy plate of so-called food… Not this time! I expertly navigated my way from recommendation to recommendation using Google Maps and the good ole “star” device which I’m honestly not sure how I ever holidayed without before. Do let me know if you’d like me to share how I did this as honestly it’s the best thing I’ve ever discovered for planning a trip.

Being organised in this way meant that we had a pitstop in every destination we were exploring, which was perfect when coffee, food or a wee was needed.

So without further ado, here are some of our faves.

Møller

Our first foodie stop was at Moller, a brunch destination that had been voted the BEST in Copenhagen, so naturally we had to give it a whirl. We arrived and waited a short twenty minutes (this seems to be the norm for table waiting in Copenhagen) for a table to become free, so we just popped a few doors down for a much needed coffee until our beautiful window seat was ready, it’s like they knew I was going to Instagram it…

A cafe unlike I’ve ever been to before.
At Moller each table is given a list of things available for breakfast and you simply tick off those that you desire. A real DIY, tapas style breakfast that I truly think will make it’s way over to us soon, it’s such a great little concept.

Not only was it super fun ticking off what we fancied that morning for breakfast but the food was presented so beautifully rustic, fresh with eggs laid on straw, chive covered scrambled eggs and chilli and cress decorated the avocado, all the while coming in the most beautiful of colourful crockery, it was a site to behold.
Whilst it was the most fun and most beautiful breakfast I’ve ever had it was also the most delicious, the food was simply divine and combined flavours that I’ve never experienced in breakfast favourites before.

We surprisingly ordered just the right amount to set us up for the day, which is unheard of with piglets like me who suffer from the “eyes bigger than belly” condition.

Moller is personally my must visit foodie joint in Copenhagen, I adored it and don’t think anywhere will ever live up to my breakfast needs again. I’ll be heading straight back should I be lucky enough to return to the city.

FIND IT | ?Nørrebrogade 160, 2200 København N, Denmark

ATELIER SEPTEMBER

Next up we have Atelier September, the must visit cafe on every bloggers list and we could totally see why. I even starred this cafe as “Instagrammable cafe” which isn’t like me at all, as I prefer to come across my content more naturally, but the food reviews were enough to sway me and we headed here for brunch on our second day in the city.

Huge tables littered the room with a free-for-all seating plan which felt totally homely and rustic indeed. Atelier September had the most beautiful Scandinavian decor, a minimalists dream to say the least with crisp white walls and pale pink and blue accents throughout. The paintings were beautiful and in a somewhat Mattisse style which really added some personality to the oh-so minimal room.

Offering just a few dishes that are expertly cooked in front of you from the teeny, tiny exposed kitchen it really did feel like being at someones house for brunch.
George and I eyed up the other diners plates before deciding upon the Avocado Mad dish with a danish pastry on the side for George and a boiled egg pour moi.
It was seriously oh so fresh, it felt like a mouthful of health I must say and I’m still savouring that feeling as it’s not something I encounter all that often.
The Avocado was presented so beautifully with a drizzle of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and sprinkled with fresh chilli flakes and chives, truly divine and something George has already tried to recreate at home, and with huge success I must say.
The coffee here is also extraordinary so it’s definitely worth a visit for either brunch or as a quick pitstop between shopping as it’s in the heart of some of the best shops… But more on that to come.

FIND IT | ?Gothersgade 30, 1123 København K, Denmark

COFFEE COLLECTIVE

If it’s coffee you’re after look no further than the seriously cute yet oh so Scandi Coffee Collective. A really small coffee shop making the most delicious fresh coffee around. George and I sheltered here from the drizzle outside and it was such a relaxing place to take 5 from a day of exploring. The coffee was great and the vibe was perfect so if it’s cosy, coffee you’re after than this is you bag.
It’s also on a really great street for independent boutiques too so this area in general is for sure worth a visit.

FIND IT | ?Jægersborggade 10, 2200 København, Denmark

DUCK & COVER

After our pizza we headed out on a voyage for cocktails, my map showed that we were just a 10 minute walk away from one I’d starred (again Google Maps coming up trumps) so we headed for Duck and Cover.
I have to say, we almost missed it. We walked straight passed it as it is really tucked away, which is exactly why I adored this place so much.
It was possibly the darkest bar I have EVER been in before and completely lit by candlelight which made for the most awesome of drinking experiences. We cuddled up together on the leather sofas and tucked into some delicious cocktails. Once again it felt like we were sat in someones living room but the music was awesome, the mixologists were so lovely and helpful and the vibe was just right!

FIND IT | ?Dannebrogsgade 6, 1660 København V, Denmark

ROYAL CAFE SMUSHI

Above you can see the most beautiful restaurant that ever walked the land… If cafe’s could walk that is. This is The Royal Cafe Smushi, a name I can’t say without putting on a baby voice “Smuuuushi”… GO on try it.
Anyway, this place is simply stunning, a pale pink restaurant littered with the most weird and wonderful ornaments, illustrations, wall hangings and more, it was truly beautiful and like walking into a fairytale.
At this point I wasn’t too hungry, so opted for what they’re known for the Smushi’s. Similar to sushi (duh) but on a tiny slice of rye bread instead. I selected a salmon Smushi and a prawn and boiled egg Smushi and they were seriously delicious to say the least, I could have eaten around 6 more! So fresh, tasty and oh so photogenic (shame I didn’t have my camera on the right setting hey?!) I’ll be back in a heart beat Smushi.

FIND IT | ?Amagertorv 6, 1160 København K, Denmark

SHOPPING

Now for a spot of shopping.
I was really rather impressed with the shopping in Copenhagen I have to say. If it’s your everyday favourite high street and luxury stores then be sure to head to Strøget and Købmagergade where you’ll  be greeted by the most beautiful stores including Gucci, Prada, Stella McCartney and luxury designer department store Illum or high street stores such as COS, H&M, Monki and Topshop.
This area isn’t far from The Royal Cafe Smushi so be sure to combine the two, along with Cafe Norden for the perfect place for people watching with a delicious coffee on the square.

But I was on the hunt for those independent stores. I wanted the ultimate Scandinavian experience and I have to say I found it on Jægersborggade, a street filled with independent boutiques and cafe’s (including Coffee Collective above) along with a liquid nitrogen ice cream joint (a place I wish we’d tried out but the weather man, SO COLD)

I spent around an hour going in and out of every store on the strip but truly fell in love with Vanishing Point, a beautiful home and giftware store that positively had the most gorgeous of pieces within it.
There were SO many prints that I wish I’d have brought back with me for the flat, along with handmade knitwear, hand-painted crockery and the worlds most beautiful stationary, had we not been hand luggage only it would have all come home with us.

FIND IT | ?Jægersborggade, 45, 2200 København N, Denmark