The insiders' guide to Copenhagen, Europe's capital of cool

The food, the culture, the next-level style – Copenhagen wins every time for a chic city holiday. Especially when you've got these insider secrets to guide you.

The Danish capital has a population barely bigger than Adelaide, yet it has more style cred, creative cuisine and cultural cachet in its tiny footprint than almost anywhere.

The three Michelin-starred Noma is a world-beater, topping the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list a staggering five times. The Danes also pioneered the concept of clean, minimalist “uniform” dressing – a look I try to achieve most days (it would probably help if I were a 190cm, flaxen-haired Scandinavian).

There are dreamy palaces to tour overflowing with opulence and history (and of course one Tasmanian-born queen). I have plans to visit in June, so I shook down a few Copenhagen experts for the city’s most chic, most stylish, and most delicious insider secrets.

BEST RESTAURANTS

Copenhagen is home to some of the world’s most-celebrated fine-dining restaurants: Noma, of course, but also Geranium, Koan and Alchemist. But even if you have three Michelin-star tastes but a Bib Gourmand budget, the city is still full of exceptional places to get a bite.

Kenneth Nars is an academy chair of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants as well as the creative director and co-founder of the World of Mouth restaurant guide, which amalgamates recommendations from leading food experts around the world.

One of the first things a new arrival should do, he says, is try a traditional Danish smørrebrød – or open-faced sandwich. For that he recommends Schønnemann, which has been making sandwiches with classic toppings like pickled herring, shrimp mayo and potato and chives since 1877. “It’s got old-school hygge (more on that below), wooden furniture, waiters in white shirts and you must order a battery of aquavit (a bracing Scandinavian spirit),” he says.

Schønnemann restaurant's smørrebrød with smoked cheese, cucumber, radishes, chives and curd.

Danes also love to eat market-hall style, and for this he recommends Torvehallerne in the heart of the city. Omegn & Venner is his top pick for “the perfect counter lunch or early dinner with fresh produce and nice wines”. As for Nordic comfort food, it has to be Barr, right on the harbour on the site of Noma’s previous location before it moved in 2017. “Next-level schnitzel, seafood and plenty of wine, beer and aquavit,” says Nars.

Then he suggests you take a bit of a swerve into one of the city’s cleverest cultural mash-ups. At Jatak, chef Jonathan Tam combines Nordic ingredients with references from his own Chinese heritage. “Think seasonal Danish vegetables, raw Norwegian scallops, char siu pork and wobbly egg tarts,” Nars says. “Creative, delicious and fun.” It’s definitely one to book ahead as tables fill fast.

Alchemist is one of Copenhagen's top fine dining restaurants. Picture: Soren Gammelmark

BEST BAKERIES

Ben Liebmann, the Sydney-based founder of Understory, a global advisory and media company, lived in Copenhagen for six years working with Noma. In that time he learned a thing or two about cardamom and morning buns, and he returns annually for a fix of schnitzel, natural wines and all things pickled and fermented.

His first bakery stop is always the acclaimed Hart Bageri, which recently had a pop-up at the 2025 Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. “The morning bun with cheese – a sourdough bun with sesame seeds, whipped butter and cheese – is a thing of wonder,” he says, adding you should also bag their rye bread, spandauer (a Danish custard tart) and tebirkes (pastry with poppy seeds and marzipan).

For the ultimate cardamom bun – and during the Christmas season, a saffron bun – he sends visitors to Juno the Bakery. Yes, it’s a bit out of town and yes, there’ll be a queue. It’s absolutely worth it, Liebmann insists.

Lille Bakery – also recommended by Kenneth Nars – is a little out of the way, too, but its bread and pastries deserve a trek. “If the sun is shining, grab a deck chair outside,” Liebmann recommends.

And if you like your pastries with a side of ice-cream, head to Alice. “Alongside scoops of sea buckthorn, koldskal (Danish buttermilk) and other seasonal flavours, you’ll find equally delicious pastries.” Get both, Liebmann says. “Nobody will judge.”

Lille Bakery is recommended for its bread and pastries.

BEST ART AND MUSEUMS

Danes seem to have an innate knack for style and design: clean, cool, cerebral. If you’re keen to take home your own bit of Nordic art, the neighbourhoods of Vesterbro and Nørrebro are packed with creative stores selling unique curiosities, artworks and souvenirs.

On a grander scale, the city is full of gallery spaces that showcase new and established artists. For first-timers to the city, art experts and creative couple Staffan Sunström and Linn Henrichson say the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humlebæk, 30 minutes north of the city by train, is an absolute must. “Beautiful garden, great kids’ playroom,” the couple say. “The sculpture garden on its own is worth a visit; you can see Sweden from there. We recommend visiting during the Louisiana Literature Festival (in August), which usually has gigantic names attending like (authors and poets) Rachel Cusk, Anne Carson and Ocean Vuong.”

The V1 Gallery, which recently opened a new space in Copenhagen’s Meatpacking District (Kødbyen), focuses mostly on young Danish and international artists. “It’s one of our go-tos on Friday opening nights, and no invitations are needed.”

On Friday nights, the couple recommends SMK, the National Gallery of Denmark. On SMK Fridays the museum opens for free, complete with bars, guided tours, workshops, performances and DJs.

Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humlebæk, just outside Copenhagen.

BEST SHOPPING

“When it comes to fashion, I’m big on buying my clothing second-hand and Copenhagen is the best city for that. There are so many cool curated vintage shops and markets,” says the effortlessly chic Claudia Bhimra, who documents her own pared-back Scandi style on her Instagram account @claudiabhimra. She recommends fashion fossickers begin their hunt at Wilén Store – there’s one location in the centre of the city and another in the hip Nørrebro neighbourhood – and Chamoi, which curates everything from upcycled fashion to rare classic jewellery and sunglasses.

Bhimra recommends Beau Marché if you want to Dane-ify your home: it’s full of vintage posters, cookware, furniture and trinkets. “I love browsing there, and it has a really nice café as well,” she says.

As for markets, the city is spoiled for choice; there are plenty held all over the city in spring and summer. “Copenhagen is big on flea markets, and The Green Flea Market – or in Danish ‘Det Grønne Loppemarked’ – is the best one for fashion, in my opinion,” Bhimra says.

Market shopping is a popular pastime in Copenhagen.

HOW TO FIND HYGGE

Hygge (pronounced hyoo-guh) is a uniquely Danish concept, meaning a sense of cosiness and contentment. Tour guides from Copenhagen by Mie, not only visit landmarks such as the Little Mermaid and Rosenborg Castle, but owner Mie Thoning Dybro has created specialised hygge excursions, too.

If you’re not joining one of her tours, you can DIY your hygge with a coffee and a board game at Bastard Café. It’s close to the colourful Magstræde and also Christiansborg Palace, and a visit here is a great way to engage with locals. “The café’s board game rules aren’t just about winning or losing – they encourage you to share laughs, strategise and savour each moment,” Thoning Dybro says. “That perfectly embodies the hyggelig spirit.”

Afterwards, get some air into your lungs at Søerne – a row of three picturesque rectangular lakes that hug the western side of the city. “As you sit by the water, take time to people-watch and observe local birds. It’s a serene moment that connects you to both nature and the local community.”

Keep the communal spirit going with a shared dinner at Absalon in Vesterbro, a former church turned community centre known for its warm gatherings, before heading to a traditional “brown pub” – old-school, no-frills pubs beloved by Copenhageners. “The relaxed, unpretentious setting is perfect for letting go of the day’s worries and absorbing the Danish art of living well,” says Thoning Dybro.

Absalon, a community centre set in a former church. Picture: Visit Copenhagen

HOW TO DRESS LIKE A DANE

Sleek, minimalist and always with a little touch of something playful, Scandinavian style is imitated globally.

Coco Hotel in the fashion-forward neighbourhood of Vesterbro has become a favourite of the Copenhagen Fashion Week crowd since opening in 2023, and its concierge, Steffen Brøns-Poulsen, knows the local shopping landscape better than most.

To find the very best luxury Scandinavian designers under one roof – like Toteme, Acne and Cala Jade – he points guests to the five-storey Illum department store.

For the ultimate in Danish style, he recommends Kamo, a Copenhagen brand founded in 2020. “Kamo is a favourite – great sunglasses, wardrobe essentials and denim,” he says.

For high-quality, organic Danish-made skincare and haircare he recommends Baleine, which is right near the hotel and is also the name behind Coco’s in-house amenities.

Originally published as The insiders' guide to Copenhagen, Europe's capital of cool