VitaminDaily.com's Fashion Editor Alexandra Suhner Isenberg is spending the summer in Europe (ya, we're jealous, too!); herewith, her fieldnotes from Copenhagen.
stay
First hotels Skt. Petri is perfectly located on a quiet street in the middle of downtown Copenhagen. Ask for a South East facing room with a balcony in this modern design hotel, and enjoy a sunny pre-dinner beer overlooking the rooftops. First Hotel Skt. Petri, rooms from 1052DKK, Krystalgade 22, 1172, Copenhagen, +45 33 45 91 00, www.firsthotels.com
eat
Don't be fooled by Höst's three course menu, it's more like five when you include the mini plates and palate cleansers between courses. This modern Nordic fusion food (hake with wild asparagus and smoked cheese to start, duck with green strawberries and fermented garlic as a main), is served in a modern rustic space with walls and furniture made from reclaimed wood. Höst, set menu for 295DKK Norre Farimagsgade 41, Copenhagen 1364, Denmark +45 89 93 84 09, http://cofoco.dk/hoest.php
relax
All the trendy Copenhagen locals hang out on Dronning Louise's bridge on summer evenings. Dubbed the 'hipster bridge', friends bring their own beer, chat, relax, and catch the day's last rays of sun. (And unlike neighbouring Sweden, Denmark allows alcohol - even chilled - to be sold in supermarkets, so don't worry about finding a liquor store.) Dronning Louises Bro, 1371 Copenhagen. (Photo courtesy of Miss Copenhagen.)
shop
Jægersborggade, located in the north of Copenhagen, is a street of independent retailers selling locally or hand made home and fashion goods. We loved My Favourite Things's selection of natural beauty products and pretty leather bags, Vanishing Points's kids sweaters (which are hand knit in Nepal) and leaf quilt blankets, and Gågrøn's eco-friendly kitchen gear. Buy yourself one of its Bambu sporks, a treat from one of the street's many bakeries or wine bars, and walk over to Assistens park (where Hans Christian Andersen and Kirkegaard are buried) for an impromptu picnic lunch.
drink
Mikkeller is a famed neighbourhood brewery known for its small-batch gourmet beers like stouts made with black truffles or gourmet coffee (they claim it is good with breakfast). Its bar in Copenhagen features 20 beers on tap and a small selection of snacks. But you don't really need snacks when your beer is made with cinnamon and apples, right? Mikkeller Bar, Viktoriagade No. 8 B-C, 1655 Copenhagen, http://mikkeller.dk/the-bar