4 places you must visit on Copenhagen’s latest draw: Refshaleøen

It’s no secret Visit Copenhagen have made a great effort in creating a great brand for Copenhagen around the world today. You only have to go 30 years back in time though, then Copenhagen consisted mainly of industry, navy and a few sights to see. Today, Copenhagen is a city transformed: A shining beacon of inspiration for art, design, culture, architecture and food – not only within the inner city, but also in the city’s many booming and developing neighborhoods.

One of the latest draws is without a doubt Refshaleøen with its post-industrial vibe with the many deserted warehouses and factory buildings. Once one of Copenhagen’s, and even Denmark’s, mightiest strongholds for the noble art of building ships in the huge shipyard, has been transformed into an insanely creative environment with respect for the history of the place that is definitely omnipresent in the urban decay and chaos of the entirety of this hip new local hotspot.

Halvandet, Refshalevej 325

At the end of Refshaleøen, on the other side of Reffen, sit down in a beach chair and take in the amazing views of Copenhagen’s city scape from Halvandet – a beach bar serving al fresco dining and cocktails with a relaxing vibe over some chill-out music. During the summer time, feel free to plunge into the water that is so clean you can swim in it in Copenhagen today, or during the winter settle in at CopenHot in their outdoor jacuzzis and saunas with your own preferred bottle of rosé wine while you enjoy Copenhagen’s striking sunset with the bubbles tingling.

Alchemist, Refshalevej 173C

One of the world’s most anticipated restaurants have just opened in Copenhagen on Refshaleøen – it’s named Alchemist. The only 28-year-old chef, Rasmus Munk, and his business partner have invested around $15.000.000 USD in this 2.200 square meter beast of a restaurant. It’s located within an old shipyard building with more than 22 meter to the ceiling, which is necessary as the restaurant has a wine cellar with more than 10.000 bottles. The restaurant hopes to be able to set an agenda by combining gastronomy and art, where the diners will be taken through different worlds in a sheer 50 course spectacle created by a wide array of fields ranging from art directors, 3D specialists, actors to storytellers and of course chefs.

Empirical Spirits, Refshalevej 175B

Within one of the former abandoned warehouses, Empirical Spirits, or the Noma of booze as they have also been called, is located. In here, former chefs from the world-acclaimed restaurant have set up shop and want to bring a new flavor to alcoholic drinks. When you enter Lars and Mark’s laboratory, nothing is taken for granted and they experiment with everything ranging from koji, Douglas fir wood and mould spores to mugwort, wild beach roses or even roast chicken skin with some surprisingly tasty results. The best thing about the place is you can take a tour and get to taste their current offerings, it’s definitely an eye-opening experience.

Lille Bakery, Refshalevej 213A

The crowd pleaser, Lille Bakery, started on Kickstarter and have a philosophy of when you’re little everything matter. As a result, this artisan bakery really cares about every single piece that go into their organic baked goods from suppliers, to how it’s made and how it’s presented to those who is going to enjoy it. From the moment you enter the bakery, you feel instantaneously welcomed into a homely feeling that closely resemble the hygge we Danes experience with our family every weekend in the mornings. It’s addictive and we never though bread could taste this good!