Copenhagen & Amsterdam: Recs

 

ABOUT

In summer 2023 we spent 5 nights in Copenhagen and 4 nights in Amsterdam. In both cities we were lucky to spend our days exploring with friends who lived there.

The best time to visit Copenhagen and Amsterdam is late spring through summer: long light days and warm weather. If you want to see the tulips in bloom, visit mid-April to early May. Holland is famous for its tulip fields, and Keukenhof is only open mid-March to mid-May.

The following recommendations are from both cities.

COPENHAGEN

We stayed at Coco Hotel. Very cute, danish design, wine happy hours, and a lovely inner court yard. Cafe Coco provided easy breakfast before heading out each day.

NeighborHoods & Walks:

  • Nyhavn canal: the city’s signature colorful houses along the water.

  • Indre By: city-center exploring and shopping.

  • Magstræde and Snaregade: historic streets; go early before crowds.

  • Stroget Street: main shopping/walking street.

  • Ofelia Plads: a big waterfront square on the harbor by the Playhouse, with summer events and a view of the Opera House.

  • Kastellet: a star-shaped fortress from the 1600s with a park-like walking path along the ramparts (the Little Mermaid statue is just outside).

  • Freetown Christiania: a self-governing, car-free commune founded in the 70s; colorful, artsy just to quickly walk through.

  • Frederiksberg: upscale neighborhood with shops and cafes along Gammel Kongevej.

ACTIVITES:

  • La Banchina: walk-in only, breakfast/lunch/wine on a dock, swim in the harbor, and sauna. Lille Bakery is right next door.

  • Louisiana Museum: best day trip; take the DSB coastal train to Humlebæk (about 35 minutes from Copenhagen's Central Station), then a 10-minute walk to the museum + Louisiana Cafe: Do the nicer sit-down museum lunch, not the casual park cafe option.

  • CopenHot: outdoor hot tubs and bar with a view of the city

  • Rosenborg Gardens: the King’s Garden, Copenhagen’s oldest park for an easy, free stroll.

  • Rosenborg Castle: a 1600s Renaissance castle that houses the crown jewels; view from outside or enter if time.

  • Church of Our Savior: famous for its corkscrew spire with an outdoor staircase you climb for city views if the weather is good.

  • DIY boating: take little electric boats through the harbor and canals. No license needed; you’ll get a quick lesson at the dock. Reserve ahead on sunny days. We went with FriendShips; GoBoat is the other top rated option.

  • Swim at Nordhavn (Badezone Sandkaj): rent bikes and check out the swimming area.

Cafes, Bakeries & Brunch:

  • Hart Bakery: for coffee and pastries (get the cardamom bun of course).

  • Juno: also amazing cardamom bun, top-notch toasted roll with butter and cheese. Known as the best bakery in CPH.

  • Lille Bakery: bakery right next door to La Banchina, highly recommend

  • Atelier September / Apotek 57: lunch and brunch, no reservations.

  • Studio x Kitchen: known for their soft scrambled eggs (more classic Danish menu).

  • Sonny: another good casual brunch reservation spot (we went to the RÃ¥dhusstræde location).

  • Wulff & Konstali: a local brunch institution where you build your own plate by picking small dishes (the Nørrebro location).

Restaurants:

  • Høst: nordic menus, amazing dinner, book ahead.

  • Noma: well regarded as one of the best restaurants in the world. Reserve on their site; they release tables in seasonal drops and there’s a waitlist option if you can’t get one.

  • Delphine: mediterranean sharing plates in a pretty space, right across the street from Coco Hotel.

  • ESMÉE: french-Mediterranean brasserie.

  • Restaurant Barr: modern takes on Danish classics in the former Noma space on the waterfront (the schnitzel is famous).

  • Bæst: excellent charcuterie and sourdough pizza, book ahead for dinner.

  • Vækst: a gorgeous greenhouse-style spot for a Nordic dinner, book ahead.

  • Schønnemann: the classic smørrebrød institution (around since 1877), traditional Danish lunch, book ahead.

  • Iluka: refined seafood from an ex-Noma chef, excellent and lower-key.

  • Hija de Sanchez: top-tier tacos from an ex-Noma chef, casual (Kødbyen location is a 6 min walk from the hotel).

  • Reffen: a big street food market on the harbor with trucks and bars, good casual lunch option.

DRINKS:

  • Beau Marché Café à Vins: no reservations, french café with sandwiches and salads for brunch/lunch and a cute store.

  • Balderdash: fun and experimental cocktails in a cozy space.

  • Ruby: classic cocktails in a beautiful old townhome.

  • Pompette Wine Bar: post-dinner wine, no reservations. We loved the vibes here.

  • Bird: late-night cocktails, vinyl, vibey. Also great vibes.

  • Ved Stranden 10: the classic canal side wine bar with seats right on the water.

  • Den Vandrette: harborside wine bar with a big terrace right by Nyhavn.

  • Lille Bla Wine Bar: colorful little natural wine bar.

  • Mikkeller: beer; there are several locations and they’re all good.

Shopping & Thrifting:

HOME GOODS & DECOR:

AMSTERDAM

We stayed with our friend at his apartment and he lent us bikes so we were able to bike everywhere. Definitely hop on a bike to get around. Learn the rules of the road first, the Dutch are very serious about their biking road rules.

Neighborhoods & Walks:

  • De Pijp: cute lush neighborhood to walk around.

  • Jordaan and the Nine Streets: wander (stop at Boekie Woekie art bookshop).

  • Bloemenmarkt: flower market.

  • Damrak: houses on the water, even though it's touristy.

  • Vondelpark + Erasmuspark: the famous central park and a quieter locals' park; walk around.

  • Noord: creative warehouse district across the IJ (free ferry behind Centraal), NDSM, Noorderpark.

Parks & Swimming:

  • Westerpark: big neighborhood park next to Westergas, the former gasworks turned culture hub.

  • Sloterpas: the big city lake with a beach.

  • Amsterdamse Bos: huge planted forest with a rowing lake and swim spots.

  • Buitenzwembad Marineterrein: former navy docks turned inner-city swim spot.

Museums & Activities:

Coffee & Breakfast:

Cafes on the Water:

Restaurants:

  • Restaurant De Kas: dinner in a greenhouse; it was high end and absolutely stunning.

  • SkateCafe: dinner; stay for the music after.

  • Jansz: pretty, classic bistro dinner in the Nine Streets.

  • Kartika: classic Indonesian rijsttafel.

  • Fenan Klein: our friend's favorite neighborhood joint; Ethiopian food, great vibes.

  • Brasserie De Luwte: for the aperol spritz tower (gotta be basic sometimes).

  • Cafe de Ceuvel: eco-cafe built from upcycled houseboats; lunch in Noord.

Bars & Going Out:

✨