Copenhagen.

a love letter city guide

To know me is to indulge my tender & true reverence for all things Danish. I fell hard & fast for Copenhagen the day I moved there to dance at the sparkly-eyed age of 18.

Over four, fairytale years performing with the Royal Danish Ballet, I learned the art & science of layered lighting, functional design, and ritualizing ambience (hygge).

It’s been 12 years but a chunk of my heart lives on there… nestled between the rainbow row houses of Nyhavn are memories that dared and defined me. Kahlil Gibran said it best: “…not without a wound in the spirit shall I leave this city.” This is a wound I cherish.

Last week I had the honor of returning to celebrate the career of a dear friend. Naturally, stage retirements surface my rawest emotions—grief, a reminder of the depth of our love, as they say. Blinking through tears in a theatre I once called home, I sat balancing the impossible weight of taking a final bow with the levity of closure. Martha Graham famously said: "A dancer dies twice—once when they stop dancing, and this first death is the more painful.” This reads dramatic but I’d argue it’s an understatement. Identity-driven careers are a velvet handcuff… transitions beyond them are uniquely humbling.

Strolling cobblestoned streets between coffee dates and reunion dinners I thought about nostalgia, what a fickle friend. I’ve heard it defined as memory without anxiety and doesn’t that slap? A charm-filter afforded by distance and perspective. Simply put, some life chapters cut deeper than others. On rare occasion, we get to flip back to favorite pages and reread old stories with new eyes.

To me, Copenhagen smells of backstage and a bicycle basket of fresh herbs. It sounds like Chopin and audiences stomping in unison… tastes of cardamom buns and costume fittings… feels like home and homesickness. And may that always and forever be the case.

Separate/related… I bring you a 🧈 Guide to Copenhagen—brimful with years of heart-mind-belly research by yours truly.

Copenhagen City Guide linked on Google Maps

Eat.

• Beau Marché Café à Vins: where Paris meets Copenhagen—aka: my happiest place. Go for candle-lit Chèvre Chaud (French hygge) & browse the home goods

• La Vecchia Signora: best. lasagna. ever. Divine date night spot.

• Holberg no.19: simple menu, well-worn banquettes, Danish charm… spent many a Sunday here writing a little ol’ blog called Tutus & Tea ;)

• Les Voyageurs: sister spot to Beau Marché bc I can’t get enough, it’s perfect.

• Paté Paté: for delicious small plates & global wines by the glass, adore it.

• MOTHER: organic sourdough pizza I dream about.

• Bæst: giving Danish Italian — finer dining, highly rec

• Kalaset: one of my absolute favorite brunch platters of all time, casual & cozy

• Cafe Europa: this brunch platter can come too… sit outdoors if it’s sunny

• Grød: if you think you’ve had oatmeal… think again

• Smag: take any colorful side salad to a park/canal for quality picnic fare

• Halifax: a casual but decadent burger option

• POPL: a not casual but decadent burger option (former NOMA chef)

• The Laundromat Café: a go-to casual brunch option with/without dirty clothes :)

Sip:

• Ved Stranden 10: Danes do wine bars well… we used to go here after shows, it’s aged as well as its selection

• Hotel Sanders: great for lunch/din but a divine drinks-at-the-bar option… just across from the Royal Theatre if you decide to catch a performance

• Den Vandrette: if I ever open a natural wine bar it shall closely resemble this coziest spot… don’t skimp on the snacks

See.

• Ordrupgaard: this museum epitomizes Danish design—worth going for the building alone (🧈 tip: don’t miss the Finn Juhl House included in your ticket)

• Louisiana Museum of Modern Art—worth the hike… famous for its dreamy forest setting, architecture, lighting, café, collection, I could go on….

• Det Kongelige Teater ‘Gamle Scene’: the “Old Stage” is home to the the Royal Danish Ballet, Opera, and Orchestra. Catch a performance or take a tour, this jewel box is my favorite theatre in the world and I’ve done my research ;)

• Det Kongelige Teater Operaen: the newer opera house is a harbor-front feat of architecture—more pomp, less charm, still exquisite

• Kongens Have “The King’s Garden”: tree-lined paths & pavilions, home to Rosenborg Castle… a perfect post-brunch stroll or summer picnic option—don’t miss the Botanical Garden

• The Little Mermaid: she’s stunning… from Nyhavn, stroll through Amalienborg Palace and along the harbor towards Kastellet to catch a glimpse

• Christianshavns Kanal: on sunny days, do like the Danes & have a beer along this colorful canal… perhaps a stroll through “freetown” Christiania

Savor.

• Lagkagehuset: dreamy Danish bakery in/around Copenhagen—known in NY as Ole & Steen—I can vouch for anything with cinnamon, cardamom, and poppy seeds. 🧈 tip: they have an airport outpost, stock up on your way out!

• Conditori La Glace: a Danish pastry shop dating from 1870—famous for cakes & otherwise time-tested delectable treats

• Juno the Bakery: newish hipster bakery, classic pastries 10/10

• Torvehallerne: an aesthetic food market—go for a tasting stroll through outposts of hard-to-get tables around Copenhagen

Shop:

• Rue Verte: dream house furniture lives here… go for inspiration

• Strøget: this pedestrian shopping street cuts straight through city center.. you’ll find the usual shops but stop for these:

  • Illums Bolighus: for quintessential Danish design gifts & goodies…

  • Royal Copenhagen: for hand-painted white & blue china you’ve seen on Pinterest

  • Georg Jensen: a heritage silversmith brand—pairs well with Royal Copenhagen ;)

• Magasin du Nord: not your average department store located in the beating heart of Copenhagen city center. 🧈 tip: artisanal foodie market on the bottom floor!

• Østerlandsk Thehus: a charming tea house straight out of a storybook—stock up, great gift

For kids!

• Tivoli Gardens: the theme park that inspired Walt Disney—a charming, fairytale expression of Danish culture… decorations rotate seasonally, catch a show at the Pantomime Theatre, it’s precious

• SMK: Statens Museum for Kunst: the Danish National Gallery often hosts live performances & offers sweet children activities amidst fine art. I performed Flower Festival in Genzano here once upon a time….

• Frederiksberg Gardens & Copenhagen Zoo: this wonderland of a park includes canals & lakes on the grounds of an 18th-century palace. The Danish zoo is ever aesthetic, naturally.

• Experimentarium: an immersive science museum outfitted for the kiddos
  

🧈 Tips 🧈

• Download DOT Tickets app to easily navigate the metro & regional trains… they’re clean, fast, & cheap (15min to/from airport to city center)

• Rent a bike, wear a helmet! CPH is a biking city… do like the Danes.

• If you visit during the winter, you MUST try the dreamy combination that is Æbleskiver and Gløgg. Report back.

I saved all these tried & true must see, sip, savor spots right here on Google Maps.