Tamara Thiessen offers some wallet-friendly choices in the pricey Danish capital.
Hotels
Clarion Collection - Hotel Mayfair
With its white façade, club-style décor, antiques and library lounge, this Danish take on a British townhouse hotel is excellent value. Located between Central station and the main commercial zone, service is meticulous with small touches that set it apart from other three-star business hotels. Included in the room rate are an organic buffet breakfast, tea and coffee, a light evening buffet (available 6pm-9pm), wifi and newspapers. The 105 bedrooms are freshly painted and well lit, with sophisticated fabrics and furnishings and whimsical, colourful details. The hotel caters for small meetings of up to 18 delegates and is non-smoking. Helgolandsgade 3; tel +45 7012 1700; choicehotels.no Rooms from 895 kr (£104)Axel Hotel Guldsmeden
In the heart of the trendily transformed red light and working class district of Vesterbro, it is an easy walk from this hotel to Central station and Tivoli Gardens, and a quick metro, bus or bike ride to the city centre. Balinese furniture, parquet floors and a garden courtyard make this 129-room property far from the typical business hotel. It has a relaxed atmosphere and a strong ecological bent – the restaurant, drinks, lunch packs and minibars are all organic. Service is efficient and for the same price as other four-stars, there are added benefits such as a welcome glass of wine and a spa. The cosy rooms have feather duvets, Persian rugs, flatscreen TVs and wired internet access (20 kr/£2.50 for 24 hours – wifi is free in the public areas), and there are also meeting facilities. Helgolandsgade 11; tel +45 3331 3266; hotelguldsmeden.dk Rooms from 695 kr (£80)Copenhagen Strand
The best-value business offering by the waterfront, this three-star hotel is located in a 19th-century warehouse and has brick interiors and a distinct maritime feel. Minutes from Nyhavn port and Kongens Nytorv metro station, its 174 rooms have quality carpeting, cosy beds and chairs, a desk and free wired internet access (wifi is available in the lobby). The rooms are spread across six floors, both smoking and non-smoking. A high-tech meeting room holds up to ten delegates and there are good packages for business guests. Like other properties in the local Arp-Hansen hotel group, it meets the Green Key environmental standards. Havnegade 37; tel +45 3348 9900; copenhagenstrand.com Rooms from 700 kr (£81)DGI-Byens Hotel
Sleek and functional with a couple of major frills, this three-star has something of a YMCA feel, mainly because of the sparse wood and metallic furnishings, airy public spaces and adjoining sports centre. The hotel has a good central location and is non-smoking with a strong focus on health, operating a swimming complex, gym, spa, bowling alley and low-fat restaurant under the same roof. Guests have free entry to the pool and gym, and discounted access to the spa (100 kr/£11.50). Breakfast is included, and there’s free wired internet access. Some of the 104 rooms overlook Central station, so it’s worth asking for a rear room if you are concerned about noise. The company runs a major off-site exhibition venue, while small meetings are possible in the spa lounge. Tietgensgade 65; tel +45 3329 8050; dgi-byen.com Rooms from 1,050 kr (£122)The Square Copenhagen
Mid-sized meeting facilities, stunning streamlined design and a bustling location on City Hall Square are the clinchers for this 267-room property. The three-star hotel offers free wired internet access (wifi is available in the lobby and breakfast area) along with a bar and lobby on a par with many four-star properties. Design furniture is used throughout and the sixth-floor breakfast restaurant and Executive rooms have views over the city. Standard rooms have minimalist, practical fixtures and are decorated with splashes of red and chocolate tones. The hotel has a calm atmosphere and is located next to shops, cafés, Central station and the Stroget shopping area. Radhuspladsen 14; tel +45 3338 1200; thesquarecopenhagen.com Rooms from 725 kr (£84)Restaurants
Famo
Copenhagen’s restaurants don’t come cheap, but Famo, in Vesterbro, is a good value option. Locals attest to how laekker (delicious) the food is at this delightful modern trattoria, which features wooden seats and art-covered walls. The daily set menu comprises four courses of classical Italian fare – prosciutto, pasta, fish and pannacotta – with a commendable accompanying wine selection. The atmosphere, like the mix of glass tumblers and chandeliers, is smart, arty and casual. Saxogade 3; tel +45 3323 2250; famo.dk Open daily 6pm-midnight (kitchen closes at 10pm) Four-course set menu: 350 kr (£40)Khun Juk Oriental
Danish minimalism and Thai tastes harmonise beautifully in this little restaurant. Located in an 18th-century baron’s house in a leafy cobblestoned courtyard in the royal neighbourhood, the service and atmosphere are fittingly refined and will suit those looking for a discreet dining place, some business calm or smart solo dining. The décor features apricot- and yellow-coloured stone walls and dark woodwork, while the dishes are delicately flavoured and presented – spicy sour shrimp soup, steamed mussels, pomelo salad with shrimps, fish in banana leaves, roast duck and wild boar with yellow curry. In fine weather there’s seating outdoors, but it’s still best to book ahead. Store Kongensgade 9; tel +45 3332 3050; khunjuk.dk Open Mon-Sat 5pm-midnight (kitchen closes 10pm) A la carte dishes from 89 kr (£10); four-course set menu 339 kr (£39)Le Sommelier
A French restaurant and wine bar, this is very good value and has a lovely atmosphere. White tablecloths, cream walls, wooden floors, chic glassware and subtle lighting combine with a classic bistro menu of mussels, goat’s cheese salads, terrines, beef, lamb and fish dishes, crème brulee and soufflés. The impressive wines, many of which are served by the glass, attract many people here for a few drinks, while the function rooms cater well for small to medium-sized groups. Bredgade 63-65; tel +45 3311 4515; lesommelier.dk Open Mon-Fri 12-2pm, 6-10pm (Fri 11pm); Sat 6-11pm; Sun 6-10pm Starters from 85 kr (£10), mains from 195 kr (£22). Two-course lunch set menu 270 kr (£31), three-course evening set menu 395 kr (£45).Les Trois Cochons
Seasonal Danish produce is served up with a French twist in this chic brasserie housed in an old store near the leafy inner suburb of Frederiksberg. Light streams through the white wooden façades to the main dining room, which is decked out with long wooden tables, dark leather chairs, chequered floor tiles and glass-fronted cabinets stacked with wine. The somewhat limited menu emphasises quality ingredients – rustic dishes of asparagus, lamb cutlets, entrecôtes and fruit tarts. Simple culinary pleasures at decent prices can also be found at the eatery’s sister restaurants, Cofoco in Vesterbro and Vespa, an Italian café-restaurant filled with vintage photos in the royal quarter. Vaernedamsvej 10, tel +45 3331 7055; cofoco.dk Open 12-2.30pm, 5.30pm-midnight (Sundays evening only) A two-course lunch costs from 150 kr (£17); the three-course evening set menu costs 275 kr (£31).Madklubben
Under the banner “bistro de luxe”, this cheeky venture into low-cost gastro chic is attracting Copenhagen’s trendsetters to the downtown business district. The owners of Madklubben – the cooking club – have set out to bring “neo-Nordic” cuisine to the people, inspired by Danish peasant cooking and traditional ingredients. The innovative menus brim with choice and include new takes on Danish staples – salmon, asparagus, beef fillet, lamb shanks and many vegetable dishes – all served up in a modern, energetic atmosphere. Earlier this year the company launched a sister restaurant called Den Anden (which means, quite literally, “the other”). Store Kongensgade 66; tel +45 3332 3234; madklubben.info Open Mon-Sat 5.30pm-midnight One course 100 kr (£11), two courses 150 kr (£17), three courses 200 kr (£23), four courses 250 kr (£29).
