18 Best Bars in Copenhagen for 2024, By a Local Bartender (original) (raw)

Paloma

Photograph: Paloma

The 18 best bars in Copenhagen right now

From riverside sipping to arcade game nostalgia, the best bars in Copenhagen will see you through the night

Thursday 5 September 2024

I’m a writer based in Copenhagen, but I’m also a former professional bartender – which basically means I’ve sipped my way through some of Europe’s biggest cocktail capitals, and I’m continuously baffled by how many cool, independently owned and genuinely brilliant bars this small city has to offer.

Luckily, with fairly lenient alcohol rules and good support for entrepreneurship, more are popping up all the time, from cocktails to craft beer and natural wine. Copenhagen can be expensive, owing to the high tax rate, but it all gets fed back into society, so the quality of life (and drinks) stays high. The venues on this list are bars I keep returning to – some have inspired me to think differently as a bartender, others have helped me beat midnight deadlines, and more than a few have welcomed me as a regular. Here are the best bars in Copenhagen right now.

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Miriam Gradel is a journalist and bartender based in Copenhagen. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

1. Jojo

Best for: affordable, quality cocktails and chill vibes

Cocktails on tap may sound rugged, but drinks at this modern, minimalist cocktail bar are every bit as elegant as a classic stirred-up Martini. Not only does the method result in less wasted produce, it also frees up important time for the staff during service hours. At Jojo, all cocktails are created and prepared on-site in their own kitchen and served fresh from the tap at the bar. But don’t expect pint-size negronis – each served is exactly as refined as one would expect from more traditional cocktail bars.

And if you were wondering, yes, the advantage is that what’s on offer here is much more affordable than your typical Copenhagen cocktail. And if that’s not your thing, Jojo’s got a ton of local craft beers, natural wines and good softies too. Jojo is becoming very popular with Vesterbro’s local crowd of students, artists, and creatives for this reason.

2. Bird

Best for: late-night drinks and vinyl

After many years of contributing to the expansion of cocktail culture in Copenhagen, Peter Altenburg decided to close his establishment GILT in Nørrebro and embark on a new endeavour in Frederiksberg. This became Bird, a bar centred around live DJs spinning vinyl, where the first thing you’ll notice when you enter is the DJ stand leaning against an in-house library of old and new records. The entire venue is constructed to maximise the musical experience, from soundproofing the walls to hand-building the speakers. In fact – get this – they take sound so seriously that the cocktails are crafted to be easily poured (rather than shaken with ice) to eliminate noise from the bar.

The menu changes regularly, featuring cocktails full of flavour, depth and complexity, but a staple is the sweet and spicy Bonfire Manhattan, with Danish whisky, mezcal, amaro and coffee vermouth. And sure, it feels sophisticated in there, but don't sweat: there is no dress code, and the bartenders still wear t-shirts. Our top tip? Bird actually has another much more intimate bar hidden away in the back, but it’s only open on weekends.

3. Bar Poldo

Best for: wine explorations and food pairings

After years of catering to thirsty crowds at Danish and UK establishments, Marco and Davide made a bold move and opened their own wine bar right in the middle of a global pandemic. Within a short time, Denmark’s most notorious food critic, journalist Søren Frank, had visited the place and fallen madly in love. Bar Poldo wins on its high level of professional but friendly service and a well-curated selection of wines from Italy, France, Greece and beyond.

These guys know their wine and have even started importing it themselves. And if all that drinking makes you hungry, don’t fret: Poldo’s seasonal bar menu ranges from light snacks and charcuterie to upscaled small plates, like Danish foraged asparagus or handmade arancini. Being a small space, Poldo can get rammed, so book ahead or show up before 6pm (when most Danes go for dinner) to secure yourself a spot at the bar.

4. Rosforth & Rosforth

Best for: a glass of chilled orange in the sunshine

One of the most enjoyable experiences one can have in Copenhagen on a sunny day is sipping a glass of natural wine by the canal. Luckily, under the Knibbelsbro bridge that connects Inner City Copenhagen with Christianshavn lies Rosforth & Rosforth, where you can do just that. Rosforth & Rosforth is a blissful kind of place, where you can choose from a glorious selection of wine, sake, and more and drink it right by the canal side before heading in for a swim. Most of the collection comes from the Loire Valley in France, but these guys were also one of the first to bring organic and natural wines to the Denmark drinking scene.

They really know their stuff, and are happy to talk and taste you through what’s on offer before you buy. At least 12 different kinds of white, red, orange, rosé or sparkling wines are kept cool for serving Monday to Saturday. If you want to have the best day ever, the harbour ferry stops right outside, which will take you to Copenhagen’s Little Mermaid statue in 20 minutes.

5. Cafe Intime

Best for: live music and true hygge

What the pub is to Britons, the bodega is to the Danes. What precisely a bodega entails and how Danes enjoy hygge (a feeling of cosiness, comfort and conviviality) over drinks can be experienced at Cafe Intime (Cafe Intimate) in Frederiksberg. From students and expats to locals and pensioners, Cafe Intime has been welcoming everyone to their small, intimate space for close to 100 years. When jazz singer Monika Pallesen took ownership of the venue in the late 80s, Cafe Intime got a more bohemian, jazz-centric vibe, and to this day, you can find live music there most nights in the week.

But mark my words, the best nights are Tuesdays and Wednesdays for the open mic. The bread and butter of Cafe Intime, regulars belt out tunes, and locals try their hand at performing, all with live piano. If you’re lucky, you might catch a performance from the one of the Royal Opera Ensemble on their night off. This is a fun, inclusive space with decently priced drinks and lots of nice touches (namely, sparkling wines served in a champagne coupe, so you can feel like something out of 'The Great Gatsby'). Cafe Intime is a magical place in a fairytale kingdom and a must-see in the city.

6. Gensyn

Best for: chilled vibes, quality drinks and pool

As a bartender working in the upcoming cocktail scene of Copenhagen, Terkel Kleist almost always ended his shift by kicking it back with a beer at a bodega. While rough around the edges, bodega culture is very hygge, and that’s what Kleist wanted to bring to Copenhagen with his bar Gensyn in 2017. There’s a second location in Amager, but this is the OG spot for a Tommy’s Marg on a Sunday, with outdoor seating, good vibes and a pool table.

In Danish, ‘på gensyn’ roughly translates to ‘see you again soon’, and for several years, the venue has given both locals and visitors plenty of reasons to come back for seconds. Serving arguably some of the city’s most well-balanced cocktails to what seems to be a never-ending and diverse list of smashing tunes, Gensyn is a place well worth starting, ending, or, you know, spending your whole night in. While you enjoy a game of pool and make new friends with the neighbouring table, make sure to try out the award-winning walnut brown cocktail; roasted rye bread infused in Bourbon and balanced with Drambuie and coffee bitterness.

7. Bip Bip Bar

Best for: beers and retro games on a Sunday

Fans of pre-internet retro gaming will love Bip Bip Bar. Its founder, Christian, spent many years tracking down and repairing old video games before he opened this ode to big pixels and arcade nostalgia. But even if gaming ain’t your thing, Bip Bip is a good time, with two stories of arcade games, great drinks and weekly events to get stuck into.

All machines are cash-free, so buy a 5DKK (50p) ‘playcard’, add credits and choose your favourite game, or opt for a three-hour ticket. There are decent cocktails and a ton of beers, which are divided into levels one, two and three, depending on price and how experimental you’re feeling (from classic Tuborg and G&T to local craft brews and Punch-out Coladas!). While you won’t have many snack options to choose from (literally just nuts and popcorn), the liquorice-heavy shots list will make you forget all about it.

8. Balderdash

Best for: seriously showstopper drinks

If a chef and bartender had a lovechild, it would be Balderdash. Taking a culinary approach to cocktails, owner Geoffrey Canilao and his team seem to abide by the mantra ‘if it tastes good as food it must taste good in a drink’. Using slow infusion — where ingredients are steeped in liquid and heated slowly over a long period of time — Balderdash has managed to incorporate everything from deer heart to baklava into their drinks, as well as making a pizza spray from basil and tomato aromas.

On the side of the bar, you’ll find the most hardworking team member, the slushie machine, turning espresso martinis and more into seriously fun slushies. The team here like to put on a bit of a show (yes, they will occasionally set your drinks on fire), and there’s a tucked-away backroom and extra downstairs seating for more chilled-out drinking. But if you ask me, a seat at the bar is a must — the bartenders are a laugh, and they might just make your night.

9. Duck and Cover

Best for: wild cocktails and Danish spirits

If you think beetroot is a bad idea in cocktails, you haven’t been to Duck and Cover. Loved and respected by industry peers, the venue just entered its tenth year of cocktail shenanigans and creativity. Inspired by his grandfather’s living room, owner Kasper Riewe-Høgh chose to fill the venue with Danish design furniture - and the results are true hygge. The cocktails are centred around local and seasonal ingredients, and you’ll be shocked to discover how good celeriac root can taste in a drink. Yes, really.

The menu caters to all needs, and there is never an off-balance drink to be had. Duck and Cover also played a central role in promoting aquavit (a Scandinavian grain spirit similar to gin but distilled with cumin or dill), which is the true spirit of the Nordics, but once regarded as a lukewarm shot at lunch. This is one of the best spots to give aquavit a go in the city, either as an A&T (aquavit and tonic) or mixed in a drink. The business is also set to expand next door with an additional venue and production site for naturally fermented canned drinks, but when it will happen and what it will look like is yet to be known.

10. Paloma

Best for: family fun, daytime drinking and tapas

Inspired by the cafes and laid-back lifestyle of the Mediterranean, Paloma aims to be open to locals first and foremost. In fact, this was the main criteria by the former owner when he decided to sell the space, which was then a butcher shop. The current owners turned the site into a daytime cafe and kept their promise. Now, it’s a well-loved, children-friendly Vermouth bar with a high focus on everything low and no-ABV from mainly local and independent breweries. But don’t fret; there’s plenty of tequila and mezcal if you’re looking for something stronger.

The menu changes monthly with various local craft producers coming and going, but what remains a staple is Paloma’s own house vermouths, infused with things like toasted coconut and coffee. Slightly secluded, Paloma has the vibe of a chilled-out residential space with a pretty international clientele. On any given day, it is not unusual to see local parents sitting with a beer and a stroller while older kids tuck into a basket of popcorn. Paloma also stores a changing table with wipes and female sanitary items inside, which is a nice touch and still pretty rare in Copenhagen. The food menu is decadent but affordable, with things like local sourdough, seafood tins, homemade pickles and hummus. A perfect spot for Sunday Palomas, weekday drinks or afternoon coffee in the sun.

Been there, done that? Think again, my friend.

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