A Taste of Europe: Copenhagen, Denmark

Hubby and I recently returned from a two week trip to Europe to celebrate our first year of marriage. Of course, we sampled as much of the local cuisine as we could get our hands on! In general we learned that Europe doesn’t really do breakfast – instead it likes to offer coffee and croissants starting no earlier than about 10 am; most of the locals don’t snack but just have espresso, cigarettes, and a beer sometime in the afternoon; and dinners don’t start until about 9 pm and are very leisurely.

Our first stop was Copenhagen, Denmark. We ventured out on a Sunday morning, feeling like we got a late start (8:30?) and had the hardest time finding somewhere for breakfast. Eventually we stumbled across a place on the Nyhavn. Hubby ordered Danish pancakes, which were essentially crepes served with ice cream, and I got a “traditional” Danish breakfast, which consisted of an egg, bacon, assorted meats and cheeses and bread. And of course coffee. Here’s a few snaps of the rest of the food from the day:

Danish breakfast

Hiding from the rain with coffee and biscotti.

Giant beers…or so I thought at the time.

Giant beers…or so I thought at the time.

Mussels! Always a favorite. And amazing french fries and aioli.

A traditional Danish sandwich with chicken salad.

Copenhagen was also the last day of our trip, and by then we learned to sleep in, have breakfast at 11 am, lunch at 2:30 pm, and made dinner reservations for 9 pm. We treated ourselves to an anniversary four-course chef’s dinner at trendy, highly rated Oliver and the Black Circus. It did not disappoint! We opted for the wine pairings as well and enjoyed every bite. We started with rice paper chips dusted with seaweed, and served with a wasabi dipping sauce. First course was a salmon tartare with crispy carrots. Second course was the best shrimp tempura I have ever had, so light and crispy. Third course was an asian marinated steak that was actually our least favorite (still good! But just didn’t compare to the other amazing dishes). Dessert was a berry sorbet with chocolate graham cracker crumbles and fresh berries. So delicious, and at least a two hour meal.

Rice paper chips dusted with seaweed and served with a wasabi dipping sauce.

Salmon tartare with crispy carrots and watercress.

The BEST shrimp tempura over crispy rice noodles.

Asian marinaded steak, carrot puree, and braised cabbage.

Berry sorbet with fresh berries and chocolate graham cracker crumbles.

Awesome decor, including quotes written all over the ceiling.

Overall, loved it! Didn’t get a chance to try any pickled herring, which is supposedly very popular here, but hey – there’s always next time!

Next up: Southern France