Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

My Copenhagen

As communications manager for Nordic luxury licensee company Group 88, Robert Meeder manages activity for luxury brands like Gucci, Burberry and D&G. He shows us round his town – a city of food, fashion and hygge

Photography Øystein Haugerud

Though Monocle magazine has rated Copenhagen as the second most livable city in the world, its real charm is a bit of an insider’s secret. For many tourists, the first things that come to mind are quaint cobbled streets, the Little Mermaid and architectural design – but this city has much more to offer.

Boasting more Michelin-star restaurants per capita then any other European city, Copenhagen certainly leads the way for fine dining, but eating out doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. As a Copenhagener, I often simply gather with friends and enjoy hygge, a Danish word meaning ‘friendly cosiness’. This is why you’ll find most locals indoors during the winter months.

Day One

8:00 In Copenhagen, the early bird catches not the worm but a table at Nimb (5 Bernstorffsgade, tel. , www.nimb.dk), which serves the best breakfast and brunch in the city. Reservations are a must to ensure you get to enjoy this culinary fairy-tale of breakfast delights. It will ease you into the perfect state of mind for the day ahead.

10:00 Burn off those breakfast calories with a walk along the city lakes on your way to Roxy Klassik (4 Fælledvej, www.roxyklassik.dk), the place to get your original Danish furniture fix at half the usual cost.

11:00 Just around the corner, you’ll find the Laundromat Café (15 Elmegade), best described as an urban-cool laundromat that’s also a café. With a wide selection of local and international beer, never mind if you don’t have anything to wash – it’s a great place to hang out and watch the locals do their laundry.

12:00 Head back to the city centre to see the Queen – or as close as you can get at the Amalienborg Palace (Amalienborgs Slotsplads), the Danish royal family’s winter residence. You can see the changing of the guards around noon if Her Majesty is at home. On your way to the palace, you’ll pass the Marmorkirken, or marble church (4 Frederiksgade), which has the third largest dome in Europe.

13:30 A Danish pastry is a must-eat when in the capital city of these delights; choose one as part of a lunch-on-the-go from the huge selection at Lagkagehuset (6 Frederiksborggade), one of the city’s most tempting bakeries.

14:00 The Louisiana Museum of Modern Art (13 Gl Strandvej, Humlebæk), a 30-minute train ride from Copenhagen, is well worth a visit. The architect behind this famous museum was Jørn Utzon, known the world over for designing the Sydney Opera House. At the Louisiana Museum, you can experience first-hand the greats of Danish architectural design, art and interiors; in January, look out for an exhibition of New York-born artist Walton Ford alongside the permanent collection.

17:00 On your way back to the centre, alight at Nørreport Station to swing by Café Bankeråt (29 Ahlefeldtsgade). The interior is slightly morbid for some tastes – you’ll either love it or hate it – but it’s the ideal place to reflect on your day’s exploration before a night out.

19:00 For a dose of local culture, the Det Ny Teater (29 Gammel Kongevej) not only boasts the best shows in town, but is also a gem to visit, being one of Denmark’s oldest theatres.

22:00 Café Apropos (12 Halmtorvet, tel. ) will cater for all appetites, with a wide selection of modern tapas and wine – the perfect way to end your day.

Day Two

9:00 Start the day at café Granola (5 Værnedamsvej, tel. ), a cosy-chic place whose interior transports you back to Copenhagen in the 1930s. The most popular item on the menu is the zingy ginger shot, and yoghurt with muesli and fruit. Get your coffee fix served with some very Danish homemade butter-cookies.

10:00 Take a walk along beautiful Frederiksberg Allé to the Frederiksberg Have, which resembles the city during the Golden Age. This garden was once the place where the upper classes met to faire une promenade. Today, you can go ice-skating on a rink at the main entrance, and enjoy a warming hot chocolate afterwards.

12:00 Head back to the city centre via Istedgade, which is lined with a wide selection of local fashion designers and brands. Make sure to drop by über-cool store DANSK (64 Istedgade) for the trendiest cuts of Danish attire.

13:00 At the Copenhagen City Museum (59 Vesterbrogade, www.copenhagen.dk), you can admire a miniature version of old Copenhagen in its glory – this is the closest thing you’ll get to an adult version of Legoland.

14:00 If it’s rainy and/or cold and you’re in need of a break, drop into quaint arthouse cinema Vester Vov Vov (5 Absalonsgade, www.vestervovvov.dk). Decked out with old airline chairs, this movie house shows all the best underground flicks that other places won’t dare to screen – and it’s the perfect place to spend a cosy afternoon.

15:00 For a late lunch or snack, visit the Royal Café (6 Amagertorv, www.theroyalcafe.dk), in a courtyard sandwiched between the Royal Copenhagen and Georg Jensen stores. Here you’ll find the original ‘smushi’ – a traditional Danish smørrebrød with a contemporary Japanese twist.

16:00 It’s January, which means January sales, and there’s nowhere better to get everything you need under one roof than the Illum department store (52 Østergade, www.illum.dk). On the first floor of this beautiful listed building you’ll find upscale menswear, with brands such as D&G, Armani Collezioni, Filippa K and Burberry. If the sun is shining, head to the café on the fourth floor, which offers great views of the city. And if you still have the legs for retail after Illum, don’t miss the high-end shopping on pedestrianised Strøget, where you’ll find Gucci, Chanel, Mulberry, Hermès and the multi-brand store Birger Christensen.

17:00 No shopping trip is complete without a reviving sugar fix. Copenhagen’s original and only cupcake shop, Agnes Cupcakes (2 Sværtegade), has 15 varieties to choose from – the selection depends on what day of the week you drop in.

20:00 Any local foodie will tell you that Victor (8 Ny Østergade, tel. ) is a dining institution. In this hip bistro you’ll find royalty and celebs dining with locals; try the organic smoked salmon with herb cream, baked tomato and citron zest.

FR Mon parcours de Copenhague

Robert Meeder directeur de la communication de la compagnie de licences de produits de luxe pour le Nord de l’Europe, Group 88, nous fait découvrir les multiples facettes de sa ville : gastronomie, mode et « hygge » (culture danoise)

Jour 1 8:00 Nimb (5 Bernstorffsgade, tél. ) sert le meilleur petit-déjeuner en ville… 10:00 Au Roxy Klassik (4 Fælledvej) le mobilier danois est à prix réduits… 12:00 L’Amalienborg Palace (Amalienborgs Slotsplads) est la résidence d’hiver de la famille royale… 13:30 Savourez une pâtisserie danoise au Lagkagehuset (6 Frederiksborggade)… 14:00 Conçu par Jørn Utzon, le Musée d’Art Moderne Louisiana (13 Gl Strandvej) se trouve à 30 minutes de train, mais cela vaut le déplacement… 17:00 De retour dans le centre, méditez sur vos explorations au Café Bankeråt (29 Ahlefeldtsgade)… 19:00 Un des plus anciens théâtres du Danemark, le Det Ny Teater (29 Gammel Kongevej) programme de super shows… 22:00 Le Café Apropos (12 Halmtorvet, tél. ) offre une large sélection de tapas modernes et de vins.

Jour 2 9:00 Démarrez en pleine forme avec un verre de jus de gingembre au Granola (5 Værnedamsvej, tél. )… 10:00 Préparez-vous à patiner sur glace dans les jardins de Frederiksberg Have… 12:00 Dans Istedgade s’alignent les magasins de stylistes locaux comme DANSK (64 Istedgade)… 13:00 Le Musée de la Ville de Copenhague (59 Vesterbrogade) abrite une maquette de l’ancien Copenhague… 14:00 Le cinéma d’art et d’essai Vester Vov Vov (5 Absalonsgade) est un endroit délicieux pour passer l’après-midi… 15:00 Visitez le Royal Café (6 Amagertorv) pour un ‘smushi’ – un smorrebrod danois avec une touche contemporaine… 16:00 Foncez sur les soldes à Illum (52 Østergade) et dans les boutiques branchées de Strøget… 17:00 Absorbez votre dose de sucre chez Agnes Cupcakes (2 Sværtegade)… 20:00 Allez dîner chez Victor (8 Ny Østergade, tél. ), une véritable institution.

NL Mijn Kopenhagen

Robert Meeder, communicatiemanager voor het Scandinavische luxe licentiebedrijf Group 88, leidt ons rond in zijn stad

Dag 1 8:00 Nimb (5 Bernstorffsgade) serveert het beste ontbijt… 10:00 Ga bij Roxy Klassik (4 Fælledvej) op zoek naar voordelig geprijsd Deens meubilair… 12:00 Het Amalienborg Palace (Amalienborgs Slotsplads) is het winterverblijf van de Koninklijke familie… 13:30 Proef een Deens pasteitje van Lagkagehuset (6 Frederiksborggade)… 14:00 Het Louisiana Museum of Modern Art (13 Gl Strandvej) werd ontworpen door Jørn Utzon en ligt op 30 minuten rijden maar is de moeite waard… 17:00 Rust terug in het centrum even uit van je bezoekje in Café Bankeråt (29 Ahlefeldtsgade)… 19:00 Det Ny Teater (29 Gammel Kongevej), een van de oudste theaterzalen van Denemarken, heeft een uitstekend programma… 22:00 In Café Apropos (12 Halmtorvet) staat een uitgebreide selectie van moderne tapas op het menu.

Dag 2 9:00 Begin de dag goed bij Granola (5 Værnedamsvej)… 10:00 Ga schaatsen in de Frederiksberg Have tuinen… 12:00 In Istedgade zijn tal van lokale modeontwerper gevestigd, waaronder DANSK (64 Istedgade)… 13:00 Het Stadsmuseum van Kopenhagen (59 Vesterbrogade) stelt een miniatuurversie van het oude Kopenhagen tentoon… 14:00 De kunstbioscoop Vester Vov Vov (5 Absalonsgade) is de ideale plek voor een gezellige namiddag… 15:00 Bestel in het Royal Café (6 Amagertorv) een ‘smushi’ – Deens smørrebrød met een eigentijdse twist… 16:00 Ga op koopjesjacht in Illum (52 Østergade) en de chique boetieks van Strøget… 17:00 Pauzeer voor een lekkere suikerboost bij Agnes Cupcakes (2 Sværtegade)… 20:00 Victor (8 Ny Østergade) is een ware aanrader voor je afscheidsdiner.

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