Denmark 2025
Table of Contents
Margarida and I spent a week in Copenhagen this August. Part work trip, part vacation, all hygge. We stayed at Tivoli Hotel in Vesterbro.
Day 1 - Arrival
We flew in on Thursday the 14th. After landing we didn’t waste much time before finding a tap room at the airport and immediately going for a nice cold Mikkeller. Margarida had been waiting years for this.
Day 2 - Museum Day
We started Friday with a swim in the hotel pool and a session in the sauna, really enjoying ourselves before heading out.
The rest of the day was dedicated to museums. We started with Nationalmuseet, where we wandered through everything from Viking-era wooden carvings and medieval gilded altarpieces to African sculptures, Japanese samurai helmets, and ornate Renaissance interiors. There was also this massive sculpted face that was striking. Between museums we stopped at Pods of Beans, a highly rated organic cacao and chocolate spot nearby. Margarida had a coffee, I had a Naturfrisk Solbær, and we shared some date balls.
After that we walked over to Krigsmuseet (the War Museum). They had a “Droner i Krig” (Drones at War) exhibit alongside the permanent WWII occupation collection - resistance radio equipment, code sheets, uniforms, weapons. There was a particularly interesting section about the Denmark-Sweden wars of the 1560s and how it ended in status quo despite enormous casualties on both sides.
For lunch we went to Husmanns Vinstue, a proper old-school Danish place. I decided to be brave and ordered leverpostej - served with crispy bacon, rugbrød, and pickled cucumber, washed down with a Jacobsen beer. I’m not a frequent consumer of liver, but this was honestly the best dish I’ve ever had with liver in it. One extra point for Denmark.
That night we ate at Warpigs - brisket, mac’n’cheese, and a good set of Mikkeller beers, of course.
Day 3 - Parents, Frikadeller & Is Med Guf
Saturday was special. Earlier in the day we walked along the waterfront boardwalk out to Den Lille Havfrue (The Little Mermaid). My parents traveled to København just to see us, and we met up with them. Just getting to talk with them was the highlight of the whole trip. After spending time together we grabbed is med guf - ice cream with “guf”, which is this uniquely Danish thing where they top your cone with a fluffy, marshmallow-like foam made from whipped egg whites and sugar, usually pink and strawberry-flavored. Think of the inside of a flødebolle scooped out and plopped on top of your ice cream. It’s one of those things that only exists in Denmark and you just have to try it.
For lunch I got to try danske frikadeller for the first time. They were delicious - served with potatoes, beetroot, and parsley sauce on these beautiful old-fashioned patterned plates.
That evening I had a steak with fries, broccolini and pepper sauce. Later we went to the Mikkeller bar on Viktoriagade - the original one - to round off the night.
Day 4 - Walking the City
Sunday was a walking day. Started with a fruit bowl at a cafe, then out exploring. We walked along the waterfront past the Tycho Brahe Planetarium. Right around there, a younger guy called out to us from the side of the street. We decided to humour him and looked over. He excused himself profusely and explained that he was the bartender at the bar nearby and had accidentally locked himself out - he was stuck in the locked-off garden area. We had to go into the bar and follow his voice until we could let him back in. That doesn’t happen every day.
We ducked into Vor Frue Kirke to see the neoclassical interior, browsed a board game shop, found an incredible comic book store, and stopped by Duck Haven on Strøget (the rubber duck store, naturally).
Lunch was biksemad - the classic Danish hash with a fried egg, beetroot, and rugbrød, paired with a Brooklyn Brewery beer. Walked past the Christian X equestrian statue at Kongens Nytorv, popped into a Nordic Health shop, and just kept going until our legs gave out.
Dinner was burgers and fries at a spot with Jagger and Kølster drinks. Sometimes you just need a cheeseburger.
Day 5 - Work + Team Dinner
Monday was partly a work day. Quick lunch - a baguette with arugula and a Faxe Kondi.
The evening was the real treat: dinner with the entire Nordhealth BU Marketing team. Lena, Helena, Camilla, Trine, Claire, and Candice were all there - everybody but David. Margarida got invited by Lena, and I’m so grateful to have her as my manager. We had green soup with basil and croutons, grilled eggplant with sesame on hummus and naan. Good food, better company.
Day 6 - Heading Home
Tuesday was departure day. Margarida picked up a couple of Mikkeller Space Race cans at the airport, because of course she did. Mikkeller has been her absolute favorite ever since she first tried their gluten-free beer at Mellbygatans in Lidköping years ago.
The Unfinished Gauntlet
We made a “Danish food and culture gauntlet” list before the trip - things we wanted to eat and do while we were there. We didn’t finish it. We never got to try koldskål, the classic Danish summer treat - cold buttermilk with kammerjunker biscuits and fresh berries. It’s seasonal and we just ran out of days. We also missed æbleskiver, but those are really a winter thing so we’ll save that for another time.
Either way, with Margarida’s re-ignited desire for Mikkeller, I know it won’t be too long before we visit you again, København.