Copenhagen: Pt.2

     With a happy stomach, I decided to end my walk and head back to my hotel for the now open check-in. I relaxed at the hotel for a bit, and around 10 thought I’d head to a nearby area of hip bar/restaurants for some snacks and drinks. Unfortunately, Copenhagen is the city that does sleep, and all of my impressive food options were closed, and many of the drinks were too. I managed to stumble two places only open for drinks, and had an expensive, but delicious cocktail at each. This concluded Copenhagen’s nightlife, and I went home to my forced bedtime. The next morning I got up, prepared for a shopping tour of the city. I started off with a sampling of the local sandwiches, or Smorrebrod, at one of Copenhagen’s most frequented shops. The place was packed with young clientele, most likely meaning I was near a student area. I decided on one tuna sandwich and one salmon sandwich, keeping in mind Denmark’s reputation for fish. Both ended up being delicious, but surprisingly I liked the tuna much more. With a good start to my day, it was time to shop. I made my way from shop to shop, many planned, but also with the occasional random find. I visited local brands such as Han Kjøbenhavn and Norse Projects, along with cool boutiques like Storm. I really enjoyed much of what Copenhagen had to offer for shopping, but still unfortunately didn’t find anything worth buying besides some sunglasses out of my price range. After my day of shopping, I wanted to experience some of the finer contemporary dining that Copenhagen has become known for. After a little research, I decided on Cofoco, which ended up being conveniently located nearby. The tasting menu was very reasonably priced, by Copenhagen’s standards, so my decision was easy. The 4 courses came out slowly, each one unique and delicious. First was the salted scallops, then mussel soup, followed by rib-eye, then finished off with raspberry sorbet. The meal was wonderful, and left me craving more so I ordered a second dessert of strawberries and elderflower. 

     The next morning I woke up, and headed out for a relaxing day around town. There were a few more stores I hoped to visit, so I planned some exploring around those. I started off with another, and more traditional, take on Smorrebrod. I ordered two, the salted cod and the beef tartare, along with a delicious mint and blueberry lemonade. After breakfast, I made my way to some remaining sites and stores. A couple of really interesting contemporary architecture stood out, and I really enjoyed some of the older copper structures which have now oxidized. I even found the coolest playground I’ve ever seen, which included a full racetrack and old wartime bomber plane-turned play place. However, to avoid any potential charges, I stayed on the outside of the fence and only snapped one quick picture. By this time it was around 5 pm, and I was nearing my reservation at Relae. I had been looking forward to the meal all trip, since it was recently rated in the top 50 restaurants in the world, and 2nd in Copenhagen. With a little time to kill, I bought some wine and had a much needed break in a nearby park. Before I knew it, it was time and I made my way to Relae. The interior was modern, but not uncomfortable, and I was excited to get a table in the kitchen. I watched as they prepared each course, and excitedly devoured each as they came out. The highlights ended up being the venison tartare with peas, the mozzarella ice cream dessert with strawberry and basil, and roughly 7 large slices of the greatest bread of my life. Happily full, I shelled out the hefty price of the check, and made my way back towards the hotel. Copenhagen proved to be interesting and charming, even though in the end I realized it’s much too quaint to consider living there long term.