The editors’ selection

Esmée is former Hotel d’Angleterre chef Andreas Bagh’s project in busy Kongens Nytorv. Design agency Space Copenhagen created a relaxed, French-inspired brasserie overlooking an open kitchen and the planting by French firm Studio Oliver Gustav lends a Mediterranean feel. The terrace is busy with Danish and international patrons tucking into fresh asparagus or turbot roasted on the bone. “I wanted to create a restaurant where we used our fine-dining experience to create a relaxed environment,” says Bagh. “A place I would love to eat every day.”

Vipp Pencil Case is a generously sized apartment within a former 1930s Viking pencil factory in the centre of Copenhagen. “Vipp Pencil Case is not your average hotel room,” says Julie Cloos Mølsgaard, the interior designer who led the project. “It’s more like a studio or atelier. It evokes an artistic ambience.” Danish fixtures are also incorporated into the apartment, including Dinesen flooring and Kvadrat curtains. Slots typically book up quickly, so get in fast and make your reservation.

Initially a pop-up restaurant from chef René Redzepi, Popl now has permanent digs in the city’s Christianshavn. This new neighbourhood wine-and-burger bar draws inspiration from the izakaya, Japan’s informal drinking establishments, in both furnishings and atmosphere.

It feels a world away from the foams and emulsions of its fancy forebear, Redzepi’s fêted Noma. The interiors here are sparse but never austere and provide a great backdrop for bubbly conversation and peerlessly good patties.

In 2020, Danish furniture brand Frama opened a restaurant in the same well-preserved Copenhagen pharmacy – dating back to 1878 – that hosts its fêted shop and studio. Apotek 57’s menu features seasonal foods by chef Chiara Barla and coffee from Aarhus-based roaster La Cabra. House-made jams, preserves and fermented drinks are all produced on-site. It’s a quaint spot to grab a bite to eat or a seasonal holiday treat, before perusing the brand’s smart, modern wares.

This old boathouse-turned-restaurant and wine bar is the perfect place for a sundowner. Monocle recommends finding a spot on the deck, ordering a tipple and taking a dip in between sips of rosé. If you’re hungry, the farm-to-table fare of fish and seasonal vegetables can be enjoyed while watching locals plunge into the water. The restaurant even boasts its own sauna that you can book before an icy bath. Cycle into the neighbourhood to get a good look at the houseboats, Bjarke Ingels-designed floating flats and start-ups that make up this tranquil harbourside.