I love nordic cuisine. That's probably not a sentence you've heard very often, but it should be because every single meal we ate in Copenhagen was a bite of heaven! From traditional fare to the farm-to-table delicacies to the fresh veggies at the market, every morsel was delicious. Here are a few food pics to get your mouth watering:

After some long (and heated) deliberation Ryan and I narrowed down our Copenhagen food and drink favorites to our 8 favorite spots. These are must-trys in our book: 

Café lillebror - One of the best meals of my life...no, probably the best. By day this simple café serves good coffee and amazing bread, and by night it is transformed into an amazing nordic farm-to-table restaurant. The head chefs were formerly part of the world-renowned team at Noma and have since left to make their own mark on the city. They own a higher-end restaurant, Brør, just steps from the café. The result is fresh, sustainable cooking at an approachable price point. It didn't break the bank but it did break hearts because we only managed to eat there once. The menu changes regularly, but they do accommodate food restrictions.

Mikkeller- A world-class gypsy brewer, Mikkeller has built his empire with bohemian gusto and a knack for wild fermentation. Hailing from Copenhagen, he's set down some roots in the city with 2 bars, a bottle shop, and 2 restaurants spread between the hottest neighborhoods in the city. We of course made our way to every one and you should too! It's a great way to see the city and enjoy a delicious pint or two of incredible beer.

 Øl & Brød- Our favorite of Mikkeller's Copenhagen haunts was his avent-garde smørrebrød (open-face sandwiches) restaurant. We ate our fair share of this traditional Danish dish and these were by far the most interesting flavor combos, made with the freshest ingredients. The herbs still had dew on them (I'm sure of it). Ask the waiter to recommend beer for each dish, the pairings made the meal that much more mouth-watering.

Restaurant Puk- For the quintessential Danish smørrebrød experience, you can't go wrong with Puk.The pub like ambience alone makes the trip worth it. We had their small platter, which consisted of pickled herring, smoked salmon, pork with cracklings, and assorted Danish cheeses with all the fixings, and it was more than enough to fill us both up. They also serve a special beer that is locally brewed especially for them. It was simple and refreshing. My uncle recommended this spot to us and he was spot on- thanks Uncle John!

Paté Paté- Delicious small plates that take your mouth around the world in a single meal. The food is influenced by so many different cuisines it's hard to pin point an exact influence, but I think I read they're mediterranean sort of. It's best to share, and with so many amazing options to choose from, why wouldn't you? Known for their extensive wine list, we opted for cocktails instead. We're not much for the vino ourselves. A friend from work recommended this spot and now it gets my recommendation too.

Deb Økologiske Pølsemand (aka DØP)- Not your average hotdog stand, DØP is 100% organic and topped with the most delectable condiment combinations you'll find anywhere. From pork to goat to chicken, as long as you eat some kind of meat they have a dog for you. I was partial to the homemade pickles and onion straws myself. They're situated right next to the Ründetaarn, a must see anyway, so grab a link and sit on the nearby benches to enjoy.

Torvehallerne- Gourmet food market heaven. With two indoor sections, and thriving outdoor produce stalls this sprawling city farmers market has absolutely everything you could want or need from the furthest reaches of Denmark. After sipping lattes from Coffee Collective and eating freshly baked Danish pastries for breakfast, we went back for b
àhn mi at lunch. Oh and do pick up something fresh like strawberries or radishes for later, you'll regret it otherwise.

Coffee Collective- Infamous in Copenhagen, this minimalistic coffee shop was a friendly spot to pop into at both their namesake cafe in the Nørrebro neighborhood and their kiosk in Torvehallerne. Ryan got deep into conversation with one of the baristas about some espresso we tried, it went way over my head but the conclusion was that Ryan loved it.

Den Plettede Gris - Situated at the entrance to Paper Island, a hipster lunch hotspot famous for it's Copenhagen Street Food hall, this hole-in-wall coffee shop is the perfect place to grab a cuppa joe in the morning. The staff was beyond sweet and they didn't bat an eyelash as we butchered the Danish language in an attempt to look cool and culturally adept. The coffee was delicious too.

I think that about sums up our culinary experiences in Copenhagen. Who knew Danish cuisine was so modern? If you go and try any of our recommendations I'd love to hear what you think! There were so many places we heard were out-of-this-world but never made it to so I'd love to hear of other spots to try next time. There will be a next time. - b.

See more of our time in Copenhagen on Instagram, #rbvacay. Read the other posts: part 1 | part 2 | part 4 (coming soon) | part 5 (coming soon)

Christianhavn became our home away from home while in Copenhagen. The idyllic streets, lined with ancient buildings, surrounded picturesque canals reminiscent of Amsterdam, the exact city they were modeled after. The neighborhood was once the warehouse district for the city and home to the Royal Navy, but nowadays it's a sought after place to live for people from all walks of life. I was immediately taken with the place and started imagining my ex-pat life there, painting cityscapes for tourists and buying fresh flowers from the market each Saturday. While on vacation one must dream.

We stayed in a charming Scandinavian apartment filled with modern furniture, books and art. The owner, Gitte, is an art teacher and her perfect apartment suited us to a tee. We stayed for 8 wonderful days and it served as the perfect jumping off point for all the city had to offer. You can book her apartment for your Copenhagen stay on Airbnb, you won't regret it.

Here's a bit more on the Christianhavn neighborhood:

Christianhavn was literally born from the sea in the 17th century when King Christian IV wanted to build a canal island after a trip to Amsterdam. Part of its creation was to also increase the fortification of the city something it successfully did for many years. Now abandoned, the southern fortifications have become a lush green park called the Chritianhavn Volt. Ryan and I spent most evenings wandering the walking paths of the Volt, its entrance just steps away from our apartment. We loved watching the swans traverse the waterways and the swaying branches of the bloom heavy trees. The only thing keeping this location from absolute perfection was the lack of one key feature, our pup Nellie. She would have loved every second as much as we did. - b.

See more of our time in Copenhagen on Instagram, #rbvacay. Read the other posts: part 1 | part 3 | part 4 (coming soon) | part 5 (coming soon)

It feels like a million years ago that Ryan and I boarded a jet bound for Copenhagen, Denmark but at last I am ready to share our adventures with you, a little bit at a time. Writing down everything that we saw, did and experienced is definitely the hardest part so bear with me as I ramble through my newest favorite city on earth. 

We started our trip like any good tourist, with lots and lots of sightseeing. An easy thing to do in Copenhagen as there are SO many sights to see. The weather was a mixed bag of perfectly pleasant and torrential downpour which made planning our excursions in the city as challenging as they were fun. We downloaded this amazing app by Triposo that made it easy to create tailored walking routes, ensuring we maximized our time in each section of the city. If you're planning a trip to Denmark I highly recommend doing this, and no they're not paying me to say so.

Here are some highlights:

The main attractions we hit during those first few days included: Indre By, Nyhavn, Kastellet, the Little Mermaid Statue, the Ny Carlsberg Glypotek Museum, a Canal Tour, the Church of Our Savior, and the Ründetaarn. I'll talk more about how we did all this on a small budget in an upcoming post (stay tuned).

Though it was amazing to see so many of the sights throughout the city there were two that definitely stood out for both of us: Climbing the giant, spiraling tower of the Church of Our Savior during our first hours in the city and seeing all of the neighborhoods that surround Copenhagen (pictured above). As well as walking up the gentle slope of the Ründetaarn and looking out of the observation deck of the oldest european astronomical conservatory. A mouth-full that was well worth it. Unfortunately we don't have any pictures from this excursion, except on Instagram here. 

Our senses were overloaded with pastel colored houses around every corner, sweet natured Danes who thought we were locals, bicycles filling every square inch of street and sidewalk, and most of all a beautiful city that was only beginning to show us its truly wonderful nature. Next week I'll share a little bit about the area we stayed in, and the food & drink we consumed in obscene quantities. - b.