Coffee & tea

Are you hungry for a big, long weekend-brunch? You have found the right place!

In a corner of an old residential house by one of the Copenhagen’s “lakes”, Sortedams sø, a lucky by-passer can find the cozy Cafe 22. It is located at the basement of the building, so keep your eyes open looking for it. The café offers food and beverages for any time of day you might find yourself hungry: from the breakfast and afternoon coffee to dinner, and the menu is extensive, offering something for everybody.

But the main reason I want to share this place with you is their weekend brunch, which I can best describe with one word: Spectacular! For under 100 kroners you get a real feast which with one can easily spend a loooooong, lazy morning with. The brunch is offered from a buffet -table piled up with all the classics of a brunch: Croissants, bacon and eggs in different shapes, pancakes with gorgeous maple syrup, Danish frikadelle, bread, great selection of fresh, sliced fruit and and…..the list goes on and on. Bottom line: it is absolutely impossible to leave the place without having your stomach absolutely stuffed.

So grab you paperback or Sundays newspaper and head to Nørrebro for a delicious brunch! After all the eating the near-by lakes invite for a slow stroll around them. Perfect way to spend a weekend-morning.

Just a 10 minute walk from the main railway station is absolutely the cutest cinema in the city, Vester Vov Vov. At the time the cinema was established (1975), there were plenty of cinemas side by side in the area of Vesterbro, but this one is the only one still standing. Even though they sometimes show some “mainstream” -movies, are they still considered as an art cinema. The movies are chosen with thought and they always have an interesting film to see. And the earlier showing you choose, the cheaper are the tickets.

For me, especially the Vester Vov Vov’s café plays a big role in creating the good, old cinema atmosphere: Cane chairs, big movie posters and checked floor, not forgetting the glass roof. They sell the beverages also to be enjoyed during the show, which I like a lot. And if you are lucky with your timing, during the summer they have outdoors cinema! Just remember to take (a phone with) a radio and headphones, since the voices of the movie are to be heard only that way in order not to disturb the neighbors.

Like they say in Denmark: god fornøjelse!

One cold autumn- evening I was heading out in Nørrebro with two friends of mine, craving a proper, tasty dinner. As we walked to the restaurant choice of the night, we saw that the place was completely packed. Hungry and cold, we took a side street and wound up in front of a tiny basement-restaurant. The sign said Vespro -Italian wine bar and cafe. Like fireflies to light, the colors showing from the windows lured us in.

If I was first sad for having to go find a new restaurant for the evening, all that was forgotten when we stepped in Vespro. Vespro is a little Tuscan wine bar/restaurant by Nørrebroparken, serving Italian cooking and wines. And not just any wines: the family running the place, the Burattelli’s, choose all the wines on their lists very carefully, bringing the tastiest and most characteristic Italian treats to Copenhageners’ reach. They appreciate wines produced ecologically and bio-dynamically by small producers, who make their products to be as traditional and authentic.

The delicious food is simple Italian tastes, cheese, sausages, bruschettas and the meals are often “todays dish” -offers. For dessert I suggest you taste the perfect way to end dinner: Affogato al caffé -vanilla ice cream floating in espresso. All of this, served in warm colors of Tuscany -who could resist!

Nowadays there usually is a chain-coffee shop in every possible corner of Copenhagen. They make ok coffee, and there’s basically nothing wrong with them, but I just tend to think they lack purpose. Café Retro is the exact opposite to those, and there’s the charm to it.

Café Retro (in Knabrostræde in Inner city and Jægersborggade, Nørrebro) is two non-profit cafe’s serving great coffee, beer and beverages, and they even have something little to eat. All the profit goes to India and Africa, where Retro has specific targets they are supporting (read more on their webpage).

The atmosphere in both of the cafes is really relaxed; lean chairs, hammock chairs, old-style wooden furniture and cushions (you get a feeling of a hippie-grandma’s living room), in Nørrebro part of the walls are covered with old Donald Duck-comics and one has a photo exhibition on it.

The city-Retro also has live music Fri – Sun at 21.00. One more great thing about Retro: the prices. Not even the backpacking students can say its too expensive! Seriously the best Chai Latte in the city, and for 30kr!

In spite of the rather wild interior (which puts itself somewhere between beautiful, cozy and über kitsch), this cafe is easily overlooked. I only came across it by chance, because I can’t resist open gates to backyards – I have to peek – and in this case I’m overly happy I did, because in this particular courtyard, in the rear building, lies Øko Café 32.

This isn’t an ordinary restaurant. The Café is connected to The Organic Production School and is run on a daily basis by students from the school, aged between 16 and 24, who want to learn more about operating, servicing and cooking based on an organic perspective (Øko = organic).

The menu is small and changes every day: dish of the day and soup of the day, and the dish of the day always comes in a vegetarian version too. In addition to this you can buy breakfast, sandwiches, cake, coffee, tea and non-alcoholic beverages.

The food isn’t fancy, but it tastes really good, it’s healthy, organic and cheap.

The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly, and it feels a little like eating at home, except that you don’t have to cook or do the dishes. Every Thursday Øko Café 32 and Copenhagen Food Community arranges soup kitchen from 17:30 – 19:00 and everybody is welcome.

Opening times vary, so it is recommended to check their website.