Restaurant Guide

Copenhagen is full of great food. Here are a few of our favorite spots.

Close to the Admiral Hotel (≤ 15 minute walk)

Union Kitchen
Relaxed, hip cafe serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Atelier September
Breezy, chic spot for breakfast and lunch. “Beautiful people in a beautiful room eating beautiful avocado toast.” – Bon Appétit

Restaurant Møntergade
The best spot in the city for classic Danish open-faced sandwiches, called smørrebrød.

Restaurant Palægade
Traditional Danish cuisine, including smørrebrød, for lunch and dinner.

Selma
Trendy, relaxed hangout for contemporary smørrebrød and draft beer.

Lumskebugten
A light-filled, elegant waterfront restaurant serving exquisite traditional smørrebrød. This place has come a long way from its roots as an 18th century pub for drunken sailors.

Pluto
Hip, casual restaurant with family style dishes in a vibrant atmosphere.

Restaurant Levi
Italian-Japanese fusion in a stylish, fun setting.

Restaurant Maven
Classic comfort food in Sankt Nikolaj, one of Denmark’s oldest churches, which is also home to a contemporary art center.

POPL Burger
Elevated burger joint created by Noma veterans. Take the pedestrian bridge across the harbor to get there from the Admiral.

Farther Afield (> 15 minute walk)

Juno the Bakery
Bakery from former Noma pastry chef famous for its cardamom bun, though the real gem is the seeded roll (bolle) with Comté.

Kødbyens Fiskebar
Copenhagen’s best fish in a fun, casual atmosphere.

La Banchina
A 14-seat walk-in restaurant and wine bar with an on-site sauna. On a gorgeous day everyone is sunbathing on the docks and swimming.

Reffen Street Food Market
Sprawling waterfront food market in a former industrial site that is newly super hip, now home to Noma and Alchemist. Global street food plus live entertainment and games.

Neighborhood Guide

The King’s Garden
Beautifully manicured park established in 1606 as the private gardens of nearby Rosenborg Castle. Great for picnics and sunbathing.

Amalienborg
Palace home to Denmark’s royal family and a museum about the monarchy. Catch the changing of the guard every day at noon.

Marble Church (also known as Frederik’s Church)
18th century Lutheran church with the largest dome in Scandinavia. You can enter the dome at 1 pm daily for a magnificent view.

Designmuseum Danmark
Museum for Danish design in an 18th century Rococo hospital. Amble through the courtyard garden and don’t miss the fabulous gift shop.

Coffee Collective Bernikow
Great coffee in a cozy atmosphere with a glass roofed courtyard.

Bredgade
The best street in Copenhagen for vintage furniture and antiquing. Provides a great overview of Danish design over the centuries, with a particular focus on Mid-Century Modern.

Klassik
Gorgeous boutique featuring 20th century Scandinavian vintage furniture, lighting, ceramics and art.

Stilleben No. 22
Must-see design shop offering interior design, ceramics, glass, textiles, jewelry and stationery in bold shapes and colors by leading Danish designers.

Tage Andersen
Floral boutique with a courtyard and fountain offering a beautiful selection of flowers and objects.

Lot #29
Boutique carrying renowned Danish and international brands including Cecilie Bahnsen, Missoni and Etro.

Saks Potts
Cult Danish fashion brand housed in Copenhagen’s oldest pharmacy.

Skall
Simple, feminine, conscious fashion using purely sustainable materials like linen and cotton.

Stine Goya
Bold, playful Danish fashion brand celebrating color and pattern.

A Long Weekend

If you’re making it a long weekend, here’s how we would spend it...

Thursday

Get your bearings with a walk around the neighborhood. Turn right out of the Admiral Hotel and stroll through the Amalienborg palace complex, which consists of four Rococo facades set around an octagonal courtyard. If you can, try to catch the changing of the guard at noon.

Continue along Frederiksgade to Bredgade, one of Copenhagen’s best shopping streets for Danish design across the centuries. Peruse Bredgade’s antique shops, vintage furniture stores (Klassik, Room 58 and Dansk Møbelkunst Gallery are exquisite) and art galleries (Galerie Mikael Andersen, Bredgade Kunsthandel or Martin Asbæk Gallery are favorites). If you have time to pop into the Designmuseum Denmark, be sure to take a stroll through the courtyard and visit the gift shop.

For drinks and dinner, find Pluto for elevated shared plates and cocktails in an upbeat setting, Levi for Italian-Japanese fusion in a stylish spot or Restaurant Palægade for classic Danish fare.

Friday

Start your day with a cup of coffee and a pastry at the hotel or at one of the great breakfast or brunch spots in the neighborhood. Our favorites are Union Kitchen and Atelier September. If you’re looking for something on the go, stop into Joe and the Juice on Sankt Annæ Plads or Emmerys on Store Strandstræde. You’ll find Joe and the Juice, Emmerys and Lagkagehuset all over the city, and the latter two are always a good bet for a cinnamon roll (kanelsnegle) or spandauer. If you’re feeling ambitious, join the line at Juno the Bakery for Copenhagen’s best cardamom bun and seeded roll (bolle) with Comté.

If we’re lucky enough to have a beautiful day, enjoy it in the The King’s Garden, an idyllic park established in 1606 as the private gardens of the nearby Rosenberg Castle. Make your way from the Admiral to Kongens Nytorv, a bustling square, and take Gothersgade to the park, stopping into boutiques along the way like florist Tage Andersen, vintage store Lot #29 and fashion brand Stine Goya. Once in the park, stroll the two lime tree avenues known as the Knight’s Path and the Lady’s Path and admire Rosenborg Castle, complete with moat. If you decide to visit the Castle, don’t miss the Danish crown jewels in the basement. For lunch we recommend classic Danish open-faced sandwiches, called smørrebrød, at Møntergade (rumored to have the city’s best) or Selma (for a contemporary spin).

Take a moment back at the hotel to recharge and rest your feet before meeting us just in front of the Admiral, at Ofelia Plads, at 4:15 pm for our canal tour. The best way to see Copenhagen is from the water, especially over champagne! At 6 pm we will dock at Apollo Bar on Nyhavn for welcome cocktails and casual fare.

Saturday

Up for a bit more exploring before the wedding?

Visit Slotsholmen, a small island that has served as Denmark’s center of government since 1167, when Copenhagen’s first castle was built there by the city’s founder, Bishop Absalon. The island is dominated by the vast Christiansborg Palace (“Borgen”), home to Denmark’s Parliament, Supreme Court and Prime Minister’s Office and setting of the eponymous TV series. Stroll around the grounds of Christiansborg, climb the tower for a stunning view and take respite in the peaceful Garden of the Royal Library. Cross Højbro bridge to walk Denmark’s oldest and most charming streets––Gammel Strand, Snaregade and Magstræde––and to pop into Royal Copenhagen’s flagship store. For those craving a Danish interior design shopping fix, check out Illums Bolighus, Georg Jensen and HAY House, all right next door. Refuel with lunch at Maven, which features classic comfort food and outdoor seating in one of Denmark’s oldest churches.

Or get your kicks at Tivoli Gardens, the world’s second oldest (and most charming?) amusement park. Established in 1843, Tivoli inspired Hans Christian Andersen and Walt Disney and, in addition to its rides, boasts beautiful gardens, historic architecture and great food. Seek a thrill on the iconic Roller Coaster, one of the world’s oldest wooden roller coasters that dates to 1914, enjoy incredible views of Copenhagen from the Star Flyer, one of Europe’s highest carousels or, for a slower pace, steer your own Dragon Boat on Tivoli Lake. Head to Grøften for a classic, cozy Danish lunch with outdoor seating.

We’ll see you in your best at 3:30 pm in the lobby of the Admiral Hotel, where we’ll board buses to Sølyst!

An Extended Stay

And if you’re planning a longer trip…

Make your way to the western side of Copenhagen to explore Vesterbro, formerly the city’s red-light district and now one of its hippest neighborhoods. Visit Værnedamsvej, one of Copenhagen’s loveliest streets, known as "Little Paris" for its cozy cafes and wine bars. Granola has an excellent breakfast and there are great specialty shops on this block, including cheesemonger Helges Ost. Stroll Istedgade, Vesterbro’s main shopping street, for trendy vintage shops and stop for a coffee at Sort Kaffe og Vinyl, a record shop and espresso bar. On a beautiful day, Sønder Boulevard is a great place for lounging and picnics. For drinks and dinner head to Kødbyen, Copenhagen’s meatpacking district, a revitalized industrial area brimming with restaurants, art galleries, bars and trendy nightlife spots. Go to Kødbyens Fiskebar for Copenhagen’s best fish or sample beers at brewpub War Pigs.

Get out of the city and spend a few hours at the idyllic Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, located on the coast 25 miles north of Copenhagen and offering dreamy views of Sweden across Øresund Sound. The museum, a milestone of modern Danish architecture located on the grounds of an old villa, is as much a celebration of the outdoors as the art inside. The Sculpture Park is spectacular, featuring works by Richard Serra, Alexander Calder and George Trakas beautifully intertwining with nature. Don’t miss the panoramic views from the cafe or the gift shop, an excellent ode to Scandinavian design. To get there, take a DBS (Danish State Railways) regional train 40 minutes from Copenhagen Central Station to Humlebæk Station and then walk 10 minutes.

A bit further northeast along the coast is Kronborg Castle, immortalized as Elsinore in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Originally a medieval fortress that was transformed into one of the most important Renaissance castles in northern Europe, Kronborg juts out into the narrowest point of the Øresund Sound and features soaring towers, a huge ballroom and catacombs surrounded by a series of gates and moats. To get there, take a DBS (Danish State Railways) regional train 45 minutes from Copenhagen Central Station to Helsingør Station and then walk 10 minutes along the harbor.