Copenhagen in wintertime

 

Naomi Gelman is mede-oprichter van de Deense lifestyle en travel blog Luvaville en woont met haar man en 2 kinderen in Kopenhagen. Luvaville werkt samen met een aantal Insiders waaronder Family Travel Delights in Amsterdam. Zo mag Luvaville o.a. ook de CEO van Mr. & Mrs Smith - een van de betere travel companies waar je wereldwijd mooie en tegelijkertijd kindvriendelijke hotels en vakantiehuizen vindt- tot haar Insiders rekenen.

Kopenhagen werd dit jaar door Monocle verkozen tot de meest ´liveable city of the world´. De hoogste tijd voor de meest smaakvolle, mooie en bijzondere adressen in Kopenhagen. 

Kopenhagen Winterwondeland .... met dank aan Naomi.

 

 

 1. What hotel do you recommend to friends?

I have two hotels that I usually recommend to friends: Hotel Alexandra and Avenue Hotel. Hotel Alexandra for designlovers who have a weak spot for Danish Classic Furniture and Avenue Hotel for a chic and stylish stay in a kid friendly environment.

Hotel Alexandra

2. And what restaurant?

For Danish traditional food with a modern twist you should definately try Aamanns Etablissement, who serve Smørrebrød (open sandwiches) amongst others, made with quality ingredients, honest craftsmanship and gastonomic focus. They actually opened a restaurant in New York last year (Aamanns Copenhagen). I guess Danish Gourmet Food is still very scandi coolJ

 

 

3. What is your favorite place for a…

date: my husband and I have a thing for a the restaurant Umami  who combines japanese and classic french cuisine.  But if you are up for Italian Era Ora is truly excellent.

 

Era Ora

Umami

 

dinner with friends:

I love the vibe at the Winebar/Restaurant Pate Pate in the Meatpacking District. The tasty menu is  made of local, fresh ingredients  with Spanish, French and Moroccan influences and the atmospehere is relaxed but cool.  I love the fact that you will find both hipsters and elegant mid aged couples amongst the crowd.

 

girls date:

For dining out with the girls I like Madklubben. I actually recently went there with my girl friends to celebrate my birthday.  Madklubben has several locations in Copenhagen each one with its specific touch. Common for them all is their manifest which, in short,  means that they wishes to serv unpretentious food of high quality to reasonable prizes.  You will not find the most attentive waiters here and you might have to serv your self at the table – but thats how it is. It has its own charmJ I prefer Madklubben at Vesterbro where the ambiance is hip and warm and never dissapoints.

 

4. Best spot for a day of pampering?

I have been a fan of the exquisite, Danish beauty products Amazing-Space for a while. Amzing Space is also a spa and they have recently  relocated into the Hotel d’Angleterre which is THE most classic and elegant hotel in Copenhagen. The hotel has just been through a total makeover and I’m very curious to see the new amazing space location. It s supposed to be amazing J

 

 

5. Best spot for a hot chocolat?

Both chocolatier Peter Beier and Hotel-Chocolat serve a delicious hot chocolate but the seatings in the two shops are limited, so I would recommend a visit to the classic pastry shop La Glace…Nice, warm  and cozy.

 

6. Where do you go for some Christmas shopping?

I absolutely love Stilleben Shop – I would probably buy every single piece they sell, if I could J Stilleben sells interior, ceramics, textiles, acceessories, jewelry and graphic prints by Danish and international designers and the selective range covers simple basics and unique exclusive products.  The sense of style is fabuolus.

For the kids I love to browse at Astas which is situated at Nikolaj Plads where you also find a small playground for the little ones. The owner of Astas is so sweet and helpfull and her taste in quality and sence of finding original, charming and nostalgic products is impressive.

 

 

7. Where to go to see winter wonderland?

During christmas many farms outside Cph arrange Christmas Markets, which is a nice and fun way to spend a weekend day during december.  I recommend a visit to the organic farm, Fuglebjerggaard, which is located 55 km North of Copenhagen. It is owned by cook book author and food book writer Camilla Plum. Fuglebjerggaard is a diverse organic farm and gardens and you can acutally but all their delicious products which are sold through the farm shop.  During december the Farm is beautifully decorated, you can enjoy great food in the café, buy christmas decorations and food in the shop, you can pet the animals, you can learn how they mix spices, enjoy a cup of spicy chai and visit the bakery (and buy the bakings made of their own flour). If there is snow it is just perfect!

 

8. Favorite museum?

 My favorite museum is no doubt the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art which is located in Northern Zeeland with a panoramic view across the Øresund. Even though its not situated in Copenhagen you must not miss out on this one. It only takes aproximately 40 minuntes from Cph.  The Museum frames the beautiful sculpture parc facing the sea and the interaction between art, nature and the Museum architecture is quite unique. Furthermore the Childrens’s wing  is absolutely worth visiting whils there – there are plenty of ateliers and activites – both indoor and outdoor. Finally the Museum Café and the Museum Shop are both great.  We love it !

 

9. How do you get around the city with your children?

We either drive or take the metro. If I’m just in the company of one of the kids, I might take the bike.  But that rarely happens  - we have been talking about purchasing a family bike for a while now, not beeing able to decide on which brand to go for.  A family bike really is a must in Copenhagen so we have to begin to look into that – as soon as the winter is overJ

10. What is one touristy spot in Copenhagen you still love visiting?

I never get tired of visiting the beautiful Tivoli Gardens.  Both during Summer, Halloween and Christmas. The entire family love taking a stroll here.  During december the Tivoli Gardens is transformed into a truly christmas wonderland full of beautiful lights and amazing decorations and its simply the best way to enjoy the christmas spirit.

 

11. Describe your ideal weekend day around Christmas time in Copenhagen with your family?

The receipe of the ideal weekend day around Christmas time isn’t much different from any other ideal weekend day – except of that certain christmast touchJ

We like to start our mornings in a down beat tempo – just until the yougest member of the family gets HUNGRY and we all get together at the table.

During the weekends we really like to be active: going out, going to the theater and inviting friends and family over for a nice afternoon or evening. During december we love to visit one of the Christmas Markets at the Farms outside of Copenhagen. We buy homemade delies, pet the animals and go for a walk in the beautiful surrondings.

Culture wise, this year we have booked two plays during december. One is the Nut Cracker Ballet at the Royal Theater and the other one is a christmas show Rosas Julebal at Nørrebro Teater which feature a popular character from Danish Childrens Television.

In our house it’s me who cook. I really enjoy that especially during the weekends since we have more time. I absolutely love to pamper my family. During december I like to cook warm, simmering slow food and make sweet christmas treats using lots of spices such as cinnamon, safran, ginger etc.