a perfect day in… Copenhagen

With Nikolaj Brøndsted – bar manager at Umami

11AM – Getting out of bed after a long night behind the bar, I crave coffee and breakfast. My first stop is Verdens Mindste Kaffebar (which means “the smallest coffee shop in the world”) for its coffee, croissants and soft Cuban music.

1PM – I grab my bike and head for the centre of town. I like to browse in the Fantask bookstore, or look through the sweaters in Invasion Clothing. Then it’s time for lunch or perhaps another coffee. I pass Roberts Coffee, but the comfy, secondhand sofas there are usually completely packed.

2PM – I look at the newest speciality beers from around the globe at Barley Wine, then make my way down towards Vesterbro. At the far end of Istedgade, Bang & Jensen offers simple, very well-made café food. I like the tomato, chilli and coriander soup with a loaf of good bread, washed down with elderflower and soda. The place is very Vesterbro – more casual and relaxed than the rest of the city.

6PM – Time to meet up with friends for drinks at Bar Rouge, part of the chic Hotel Skt. Petri. The staff here usually test a couple of new inventions on us. The manager, who judges flair bartending contests, chats about new drinks he’s making from ingredients including liquid nitrogen and tangerines.

8PM – The Fox Kitchen & Bar is full as usual, with a mixed crowd savouring the extraordinary food and drinks. Fortunately, we have a reservation. We go for the four-course cocktail menu – each dish is paired with a cocktail that complements and enhances the food. The manager, whose business card reads ‘Boozehead PhD’, is one of the driving forces in the Danish bar scene.

11PM – The trophies on the bar at “K” Bar are from cocktail-making competitions and are all fully deserved. Kirsten, the owner, won most of them herself. As we freshen up with espressos, she makes us a round of divine Old Fashioneds.

1AM – Time to go to Oak Room, my favourite pre-clubbing bar and one of the busiest in Copenhagen, with fair prices and a vibrant atmosphere. Although busy, the bartenders serve us promptly, and we have beers while we wait for our cocktails.

2AM – We leave Oak Room as it closes, slightly sloshed. My friends want to go to Rust, the nightclub around the block. Normally I would join them, but I’m having lunch with my family tomorrow. I take a cab home, at the end of a rare and enjoyable day.

Meet Nikolaj at…
Umami, a Japanese-French fusion restaurant and bar where he mixes exotic flavours such as ginger, yuzu, lime leaves and shiso. Store Kongensgade 59, +45 3338 7500, www.umami-restaurant.dk