Bo-Bi Bar

The first time I was ever at Bo-Bi Bar me and a friend ended up in a conversation with two old dudes about politics and ethnic policies. Very intellectual until a very drunk guy came over to out table and – with drool coming steadily out of his mouth – told us we were boring and that he wanted us to change the conversation. We didn’t pay much attention, so he slammed his fist down at the table and started to mumble about Marxism while still drooling by the side of his mouth.

Now, I don’t know about you, but for me that’s part of the charm of Bo-Bi Bar. It can be whatever you want it to be. With its red light and décor it can be the romantic end of a date. With its cheap beer it can be the haunt of drunks. And with its central location it can be the usual place for colleagues to gather after work. The truth is that Bo-Bi Bar is all of those things. Expect anything when you enter the door. Expect old communists. Expect Swedish tourists. Expect pretty blond girls. Expect drunks. Expect intellectuals. Expect everyone because they will be there. Now, I could explain to you why I love Bo-Bi Bar so much but that would only be a waste of letters. What would not be a waste of letters is simply showing you the pictures. This is one cozy, cozy dive.

Laundromat Cafe

Laundromat Cafe on Copenhagen’s Elmegade might be one of my favorite spots in the city. It’s perfect for quite about everything. For meeting old friends, meeting new ones, working, studying, reading a book and for breathing. They have free wi-fi (a rarity around here), the most delish food and drinks, international and friendly staff, trashy books lined up in a color system and a laundromat. For if you need to wash clothes while you eat, of course! It’s a brilliant hipster central in the middle of one of the coolest neighborhoods of the city. But how can I explain to you much I love the Laundromat? I love it for the clearly stated identity it has. Even though it sells both beers and lattes, it’s never unsure about who it is. I love it because of its policy about hiring people from all over the world, so that the eclecticism never stops. And I love it because it is simply good. Everything that comes out of that kitchen is terrific. Everything that you drink here is filled with soul. So is this place. It’s an amazing cafe and there has never been a time when I’ve visited Copenhagen where I haven’t been around here.

And speaking of great things: have you guys ever read Alaa Al Aswany’s Chicago? I’m willing to bet that most of you have, since this is one of the great bestsellers of the 2000’s, but I haven’t come around to doing it since now. And am I happy to having begun it! Despite the somewhat praising of religions I have fallen in love with it immensely. The only thing I haven’t fallen in love with is the phrase “shower with kisses”. Hands up, whom of the people who’ve read it, is sick of that phrase. I bet Alaa could’ve come up with some other words for the exact same thing if he tried a little. But let that not ruin a good book! If that’s my only complaint then it’s a recommendable one.

Væksthuset

By the noble and very decent Frederiksberg in Copenhagen there is a café that goes by the name of Væksthuset. It is a most honorable place with a bartender/barista that wears a t-shirt that says “I heart life” and a flower garden outside. I don’t know…it’s almost too pretty for me, but somehow I believe that it would grow on me if I decided to come there some more. Let me say it this way: Væksthuset is like Azure Ray when all I really want to hear is Arctic Monkeys.

It's

Yesterday I took a stroll on Gothersgade, one of my favorite streets in daytime Copenhagen (at night it turns rather uncharming) and ended up in a magic place called, simply, It’s. Oh my! It was filled with dreamlike things that I will never afford, shoes I will never learn how to wear, but nevermind. It didn’t make it any less amazing. Here are some examples to make you dream away, and love it as much as I did.

Urban Beach

Out by the old Carlsberg area there’s a tiny, tiny beach called Urban Beach. It’s very urban indeed: placed right between a parking lot and the passing by of trains. Somehow that makes it oddly cozy. Danish summer (that isn’t really like summer at all), a bar and chairs for comfortably chill, this is the very own, private beach of the Vesterbro area.

Kudos to my friend Agnete, who showed it to me. Without her I would’ve never known about something crazy like a beach in the middle of the Copenhagen concrete.

The Living Room

The Living Room in Copenhagen’s Latin Quarter is a coffee shop made for delicate flirting and quiet whispering in the corners of the room. Its vague lighting and old chairs are part of the beauty of the space. Don’t go here to read or work. It’s not that kind of place. Oh no, this is a place for friends to inaudibly reconnect and strangers to bite their lower lips by the sight of each other. Get it? This is a special residence of dwelling, but be aware: the coffee is really, really expensive (but worth it). Try the one with the scoop of ice cream. Delish!

Haven

When in Copenhagen one is bound to enjoy a lovely slice of smørrebrød, the traditional Danish lunch dish. There are many great places for that in the city, but do any of them have a pool table inside? And which one of them are in the area where they used to make good ol' Carlsberg? The answer: Haven! It means The Garden in the lovely language of English, but there is no garden to be enjoyed here. Only the beauty of smørrebrød and beer on a summer day.