Hi there!

How great! Copenhagen is a wonderful town and a fantastic place for foodies. Not only does it have the world’s best restaurant (the vaunted Noma), but it’s possible to eat very well at the lower end of the price spectrum, too.

Fiskebaren, in Copenhagen’s meatpacking district, reigns as the favorite among Traveler staffers for its quirky takes on classic Danish dishes (definitely try the “fish & chips”—smoked trout with potatoes, served in a newspaper cone). And don’t shy away from smorrebrod, an open-faced sandwich (often with very unusual toppings), ubiquitous in the town’s more traditional restaurants. The best I found were a rustic rendition at Teglkroen, on Teglgårdsstræde, and a more upscale interpretation at Café Kejzer, in Christianshavn.

Copenhagen is also home to a serious cocktail scene. The best of the speakeasy-style bars is Ruby, tucked away behind a minimally marked door at Nybrogade 10; ask for Nicolas, who’ll whip you up some truly fabulous cocktails. My friend and fellow travel writer Paul Brady recommends the bar at the Nimb Hotel, which he says “has a weird vibe because it’s in this giant room that reminds me of an imagined but terrifying scene in a Kubrick film. The drinks are fantastic.” If you’re in more of a microbrew mood, hit up Nørrebro Bryghus, a brewery that also serves surprisingly good bar nosh.

Though Copenhagen itself has so much to offer—you can easily spend entire days exploring the vintage and design stores lining the side streets of the old town—there are many great sights just a quick train trip from the city. Don’t miss the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, in an amazing building with a stunning seaside setting; on Friday nights the museum stays open late, with bands playing in the café. Also worth a day trip is Frederiksborg Castle, in Hillerod, which now houses the Museum of National History. And definitely take a day, or at least an afternoon, for a modern architecture walking tour within the city itself to see the Opera House, the Tivoli Concert Hall, and the Royal Library’s “Black Diamond,” just for starters.

Enjoy the city, and let us know what great discoveries you make there!

—KM

Have any other travel questions, comments, and/or gripes for our Senior Assistant Editor, Kathryn Maier? Ask, ask, ask.