Having been to Copenhagen twice within a few months, once in winter and second in the spring, I have a newfound perspective on the delights this charming city has to offer. Here's the ultimate HeyKatBabe guide on where to eat, drink, and play in the city. Get your scrolling finger ready, it's a long one folks!

Where to Visit

Tivoli Gardens:

A must visit for any tourist, theme park enthusiasts or Disneyland fanatics! Tivoli Gardens is the second-oldest operating amusement park in the world, filled with rides, shows, eateries and amazing Irish coffees, this park has something for everyone! I mention Disneyland fans coming here because Walt Disney himself made a trip to Tivoli, which initially inspired his own theme park creation. Cool fact, right?!

When to Visit

Spring: Having visited Tivoli twice, I was able to experience the parks offerings in both the Spring and Winter season. Spring time offered beautiful views of flowers in bloom, warm weather and a magical evening when the lights come on. There are lots of restaurants to choose from which provide outside seating and views of the park. Watching the rides twirling around with a smørrebrød (Danish open face sandwich) and a beer in one hand makes for a pleasant afternoon.

Winter: Tivoli's Christmas Market opens up November 17th - December 31st so mark your calendars and be sure to make a trip for this magical winter retreat. Every corner of the park is decorated head to toe in lights, ornaments, and over the top Christmas decor. Hot chocolate and Irish Coffee's were a must have beverage for the freezing cold temperatures at night. One of the most remarkable places I've ever visited, Christmas in Copenhagen is a real life visit to Santa's workshop.

Freetown Christiania:

An abandoned military base turned hippie commune and anarchist community, Christiania was founded in 1971 by squatters and artists as a "social experiment". The small self-governing town is full of vibrant graffiti art, home to an all women's welding community, art galleries, music venues and much more! You'll notice no political, commercial or big corperation advertisements allowed on premise. The streets are car free and home to "Pusher Street", Christiania's infamous green light district. To learn more about Christiania's offerings and colorful backstory click HERE.

Louisiana Museum of Modern Art:

Art lovers rejoice, this place is for you! The Louisiana Museum of Modern Art is an hour train ride outside the city but so worth it for the paintings, sculptures, and scenic ocean views. My favorite part was walking into the Yayoi Kusama exhibit which had no line and you could stand inside the light exhibition for as long as your heart desired. Read more about my review on the LA Yayoi Kusama exhibit HERE.

Torvehallerne:

A foodie lover's dream, Torvehallerne is popular food hall packed with dozens of little restaurants, bars, fish stands, butcher stalls, vegetable markets and one of the most beautiful flower markets I've ever seen. Come hungry and get ready to sample a little taste of everything!

Rosenborg Castle:

Beautiful gardens surround this renaissance style castle. Originally built as a country summerhouse in 1606, Rosenborg Castle is an example of Christian IV's many architectural projects. You can tour the inside of the castle for a small fee, where you'll find lavish decor, learn about the cultural history of Denmark and admire the crown jewels. If castles aren't your thing take a walk through the Kings Gardens and admire the flowers in bloom.

Nyhavn:

One of the most iconic places in Copenhagen, Nyhavn is the perfect picture taking spot known for its colorful houses which line the canal. It's a popular tourist destination so get here early in the morning to beat the crowds. If you have time, I suggest taking one of the canal tours which shows you some of Copenhagen's architectural delights and sights of the city.

Copenhagen Free Walking Tours:

Such a great and affordable walking tour. I went both times during my visit to Copenhagen and could not recommend it more! Educational, enjoyable and easy to comprehend, Copenhagen Free Walking Tours are a great way to meet friends and learn about the city. The company offers three different tours, a morning tour (3 Hrs) which is the grand tour of Copenhagen, afternoon tour (1.5 Hrs) which takes you to Christianhavn and Christiania, and finally a night time pub crawl tour. The pub crawl costs 150 DKK ($24.00) and takes you to four different bars with drinks included. I highly recommend all three tours! If you get a chance, join James's group tour for the morning/afternoon hours, he was funny and gave lots of great information.

Where to Eat & Drink

Noma:

Four-time winner of the title of World's Best Restaurant, if you can afford the luxury price-tag and book a table far in advanced then it's an experience worth every penny. Chef René Redzepi is pioneering the way for new Nordic cuisine and every bite of his 19 course meal is a journey of its own. You can find out more about this delectable meal from my previous blog post HERE or you can watch the meal in motion on my YouTube channel.

Schønnemann:

This incredible locals spot features traditional Danish cooking, open face sandwiches (smørrebrød) alongside a variety of snaps and beer. Only open for lunch, come here early because seating fills up fast! Schønnemann is a fan favorite of Noma's revered chef René Redzepi, you can even try the smørrebrød named after him (I did and it was delicious!): smoked halibut with creamed cucumber, radishes and chives on caraway bread. The fish was so fresh and pure tasting, I highly recommend visiting this spot.

Manfreds:

Located in Copenhagen's trendy hipster district Nørrebro, the area alone is worth the visit. According to its website Manfreds "- (probably) the world's only veggie-focused restaurant famous for its raw meat)" rings true to its catch phrase. As a beef tartare aficionado, I knew I had to come here to try a taste! Every patron in this small cozy restaurant was ordering the famous beef tartare and it looked incredible. Upon first bite the meat was perfectly salted, firm and very tender. The dish is finished off with their signature "egg cream" which I couldn't really distinguish but was still very tasty. I really enjoyed the crumbled rye-bread crumbs on top that gave it a nice spicy bite. We also ordered the couscous which was a nice palette cleanser from the meaty beef tartare dish.

Grød:

Right next door to Manfreds this Copenhagen porridge shop was like a food lovers dream come true. Featuring several different types of porridges and bowls, I decided to get a small to-go cup of the risotto. The Carrot Risotto was by far one of the best first bites of food I've ever eaten. If I ever visited Copenhagen again, Grød would be the #1 spot I'd visit over and over again!

Stefanos Pizzabar:

After a quick savory porridge meal from Grød head over to Stefans Pizzabar right around the corner to grab yourself a pizza pie from this cute local eatery. A hotspot for outdoor dining, this restaurant offers views of the park across the street and a good slice.

Café Du Nord:

Located in the Axel Guldsmeden Hotel, this beautifully decorated restaurant and bar features an aquatic theme fit for the little mermaid. Café Du Nord offers a french inspired menu which you can view HERE. My family and I shared the croque madame and chicken breast which came with some of the fluffiest mashed potatoes I've ever eat. Delicious!

Bistro Royal:

A favorite of my Mother's, we stumbled upon this high end eatery right down the street from the colorful houses in Nyhavn. We highly recommend getting the "Biksemad" Royal Stew, served only at lunchtime, every mouthful of this savory dish was incredible! I had the beef tartare, which was ok but Manfreds was better and my sister enjoyed her Bæuf (Steak Dish) with red wine sauce which was quite lovely.

Sankt Peders Bageri:

A small cozy bakery founded in 1652 and the oldest in the city, Sankt Peders Bageri offers fresh made pastries every morning and a warm place to hole up during the cold winter months. They offer everything from buttery kringle to bread and sticky cinnamon rolls. Wednesday's is its most popular day known as "onsdagssnegle" ( Wednesday snails/cinnamon roll), which is not to be missed! Their large cinnamon rolls are such a popular pastry that the bakery sells no less than 4000 of them every Wednesday.

Mikkeller Bar:

Mikkeller first started off as a hobby for two home brewers who in a few years went from hobby brewing in the kitchen to international recognition. Mikkeller's craft beer selection is impressive, consisting of local offerings with a few others from around Europe & the United States. They also offer a great liquor list and the original location is located just a few blocks from Warpigs, another popular brewpub.

Cheap Eats

Danish Hot Dog Stand:

A local favorite and now mine too, Danish Hot Dogs (Pølse) stands are conveniently located throughout the city and offer a budget friendly meal. Try one of the traditional boiled red hot dogs with all the trimmings; mustard, ketchup, remoulade, pickled cucumbers, both raw and crispy-fried onions. The perfect meal for on the go eating or after a long night of drinking.

KFC:

I'm a sucker for American comfort food what can I say? Nothing intrigues me more than trying out well known fast food chains in other countries because no one place is ever the same. I'm so glad I stumbled upon this fried chicken joint late one night because the food was fantastic and decently priced. The chicken meat tasted so fresh and greaseless, I almost forgot I was eating at KFC for a second.

Mcdonald's:

An American fast food chain I cannot live without trying in every city I visit is McDonald's. Another thing that shocked me was how fresh, greaseless and well seasoned all of the menu items were. Although both fast food chains (KFC and McDonald's) have menu items which are significantly more expensive in price from their American counterpart, you can really taste the difference and I guess that's just the price you pay for better quality food.

Like what you read? See it all in action and be sure to watch my Copenhagen Vlog and Copenhagen Vlog II for all my favorite highlights abroad.

My guide on where to stay in the city at every budget is coming very soon! If you happen to visit Copenhagen and try out any of my recommendations please leave a comment below or use the #heykatbabe in your posts. Enjoy!