Copenhagen nightlife: Pubs, Wine bars and Clubs

When comparing Copenhagen to other Scandinavian cities, it has quite a bustling nightlife. Of course, as a previously viking country, beer is the center of attention in Danish leisure. However, in the last decade or so, many establishments focusing on wine, cocktails or just plain party have been popping up gradually, making Copenhagen’s nightlife of today very complete. Therefore, I have divided this section depending on what you want to go for:

For beer

Beer is quintessential to Denmark, starting from the empire of Carl Jacobsen, founder of Carlsberg. But with the new nordic avant garde cuisine, there was a need of more complex beer, and the city adapted with a blooming craft beer culture. If you want to know more about the craft beer culture in Denmark, you can have a look at this article from Caña Magazine. Now let’s dive in:

It is hard to talk about beer in Denmark and not mention Mikkeller. This craft beer empire started as a side job for a math & physics teacher and through experimental beer it has become an international success, with bars and restaurants in places like Barcelona, Bangkok or San Diego. There are 15 locations only in Copenhagen, but the original one in Vesterbro has a secured spot in my heart. Other locations such as Mikkeller & Friends or WarPigs are also very enjoyable and a bit more upbeat than the relaxed original one. In these establishments they serve tap beer both from Mikkeller breweries and other breweries around the world. Experiment a bit and ask the staff for recommendations.

The original Mikkeler Bar is a delightful place with delicious beer. Not to miss. Photo credit: Mikkeler

Another popular craft beer brewery is BRUS, which follows a similar concept to Mikkeller. The brewery behind it, To Øl, was founded by students of Mikkel Borg Bjergsø (founder of Mikkeller). In this case, long tables to socialize and a nice Nørrebro terrace for the sunny days gives it a more party-like mood.

The hip Nørrebro brewpub BRUS serves excellent craft beer in a former factory. All very millenial in a good way. Photo credit: Daniel Rasmussen.

If your scene is more relaxed and cozy, I suggest two of the pubs that I’ve frequented more during my time in Copenhagen, both in Nørrebro. Gavlen, a small but warm little café that serves good Danish and imported beer, has been a regular after-work spot for me. Another go-to pub during my years in Copenhagen is Blågårds Apotek (also called Kroteket), a former pharmacy turned into a cozy pub with candlelight, live music and nice beer. Also, it works as a non-profit community center, gathering social discussions and using all the revenue for the improvement of the Blågårdsgade area. In Vesterbro, homey bar Dia’legd offers a wide variety of beers from the island of Funen (Fyn) from the Refsvindinge brewery.

Have some Funen beer in Dia’legd. Photo credit: Dia’legd

Other popular beweries and brewpubs with good beer in the city include Nørrebro Bryghus, Ølbaren, Kølsters Tolv Haner or Ørsted Ølbar.

For wine

Although wine is not necessarily the thing Danes are best at, wine bars have become a great hit in the last decade and the quality of the wine that can be found in Copenhagen has improved a great deal. As in many other things, wine bars in Copenhagen are typically focused on a sense of hygge: coziness and warmth of soul. The perfect example of this is my favourite wine bar Ancestrale, a small cozy place in the heart of Vesterbro (but outside of the tourist-filled area) where three guys have managed to create a wine experience paired with Scandi decor and with delicious small Nordic-inspired tapas. Patrick, Johann and Andreas make the Ancestrale team – and what a team! -. They are helpful, welcoming and, most of all, passionate.

Travel tip: Don’t miss their after-work offer: 3 glasses tasting for 100 DKK (14€) every day from 4 to 6 pm.

Wine is always a surprise at Ancestrale Vinbar. Photo credit: Renner Sistas

If you’re looking for something low-key, I have four suggestions. Vinhanen in Nørrebro has an interesting concept: the wine flows from steel tanks into a tap. This allows for fair prices and, together with the low-key atmosphere of the establishment, makes it a perfect after-work bar. Both Vesterbro Vinstue and Ravnsborg Vinbar, from the same team, are fantastic options for a glass of wine and a cheese platter. The wines in the menus are hand-picked and imported to please all tastes, and the Spanish/Nordic tapasa are always a good match. Falernum has a similar concept, but even more down-to-earth. It is a breakfast and lunch bar that turns into a wine and tapas bar when the evening falls.

On the far right behind the counter you can see the steel tanks holding the tap wine at Vinhanen. Photo credit: Vinhanen

If you’re looking for something a bit more luxurious but not necessarily with a posh atmosphere, I suggest you go to Manfreds, a young sibling of Michelin-starred Relæ with a fantastic wine menu (specializing in natural wines). Also, they serve a biodynamic vegetable-based menu that is to die for (and they’re beef tartare is fantastic). Another option is The Corner 108, the coffee and wine bar of the 108 restaurant (Noma’s little brother). The wine list is never ending and they serve snacks to share that are very unusual and make a fantastic evening.

Manfreds is an organic plant-based restaurant with an excellent selection of wine. Photo credit: P A Jørgensen

For cocktails

The cocktail scene in Copenhagen is realy good. The city has many cocktail bars with passion and creativity for mixing drinks and the world is starting to notice! My favourite spot for delicious cocktails in the city is Lidkoeb, the smashing success cocktail bar by couple Adelina and Rasmus Shepherd-Lomborg. This food-for-the-soul establishment is located in a beautiful old Vesterbro building and distributed along three beautifully decorated  floors and a courtyard. Most importantly, the cocktail list is creative and playful, mixing a variety of flavours. Ruby, the mother establishment to Lidkoeb, has become over the years the crown jewel of Copenhagen’s cocktail scene – being named one of the world’s best 50 cocktail bars -.

Lidkoeb is beautifully decorated over three floors and has live fire to warm up any cocktail evening. Photo credit: Neel Munthe Bruun

If you are a gin lover, your spot is The Bird & the Churchkey. It has a very simple menu comprising beer (57 varieties) and, more importnantly, gin (102 varieties). The atmosphere is very Shoreditch, and they are simple but creative with their gin & tonic mixing. Try their “Perfect Serving G&Ts” or, if you are not sure what to choose, go for their “GT of the month”! If what moves you is Mezcal, visit The Barking Dog, a Nørrebro establishment that has the laid-back spirit of a pub but the cocktails of a fancy mixologist, with a whole section for Mezcal, but all of their cocktails are really thought through and taste fantastic, so you can’t go wrong here. Also, the ambiance is really welcoming.

Have a great cocktail at The Barking Dog. Photo credit: Rasmus Himmelstrup

If you are nostalgic of old times, I have two great spots for you. Starting with one of my personal favourites, Curfew is the most imperfect speak-easy, in the best way possible. Let me explain: it has, as its name suggests, the atmosphere of extravagance and guilty pleasure of the prohibition of the 1920s, but they shout it out loud. They want people to know about it. They want you to come in. The decoration also gives it an extra touch because it feels very personal, as if you were seeing the object and trinket recollection of a lifetime. Duck & Cover is old-timey as well, with a focus on the Denmark of the 1950s and 60s, the golden age of Danish design. You are seriously gonna want some of the furniture for your own apartment. Putting that aside, the service is excellent, starting by the fact that you get seated (very rare in modern day bars). The menu is a complex combination of old-time classics and exotic modern twists. Their forte? Akvavit, the Danish distilled drink by default.

The speak-easy decoration of Curfew is stirred, not shaken, with the Portuguese heritage of its owner Humberto Marques. Photo credit: Curfew

On a similar fashion, owners of Ruby and Lidkoeb created Brønnum, a cocktail bar in a beautiful location: a baroque building, wood carvings from an old pharmacy in Sevilla… The bar starts in a circular lounge room with sky oils on the walls and the inner part feels naughty, personal and right; a guilty pleasure in every corner. The building has 125 years of history being a café for the bohemian in Copenhagen (including H. C. Andersen), and with the new bar in this location

One of the trademarks of this establishment is the “cocktails to share” for groups of friends, as well as the “3 martini lunch” which takes you through the history of this drink accompanied with a few snacks.

Brønnum is dark and seductive, and so are its cocktails. Photo credit: Rasmus Palmqvist

If you have to keep it budget-friendly, one option is Kassen, a low-key cocktail bar with many options at a decent price, especially during Happy Hour, which takes place every day from 5 to 11 pm (WHAAAT?). The deal is 2 cocktails for 1 (which makes it roughly 6€ per drink. My favourite is the Espresso Martini, but the menu varies so just ask what’s good that day to the friendly waiters.

For clubbing

I don’t know about you, but when I first landed in Copenhagen I did not expect the nightlife I found. Danes know how to work hard, but they sure know how to party hard. The party in Copenhagen has three clear locations based on the style of the clubs and crowds. The city center has more of both upscale clubs as well as “trashy” clubs (sorry for using this word). Nørrebro is more underground. Vesterbro is more hipster and laid-back. My favourite is by far the latter, with the epicenter of party that is the Meatpacking District (Kødbyen).

In the city center you can find the most extreme clubs. From cheap clubs clearly aimed at Erasmus students and tourists, such as Australian Bar, Penthouse, The Drunken Flamingo and Kulør Bar to posh clubs for the fancy people like ARCH and Chateau Motel. Although this is not really my style, some of the clubs in the center are nice, like The Jane with a nice MadMen decor in a beautiful location in Gråbrøbretorv. The center is also home of the LGBT area of the city. Focused mainly around Studiestraede with bars and clubs like Never Mind, G*A*Y Bar and Masken (all quite small but lively). Also in the center you can find Centralhjørnet, the oldest gay club in town.

Chateau Motel is Copenhagen’s only 4 story nightclub. Photo credit: Chateau Motel/Victor Jones

In Nørrebro things get a bit more edgy and underground. The most iconic club of the neighborhood is Rust, covered in grafitti and with several stages playing indie rock, hip hop, dubstep and electronica. If you’re looking for a live music concert place, Spillestedet Stengade is your spot. This concert house aims at every music style, so it is likely to please your musical taste. If you’re not looking for dancing the night away, try Dupong, a social ping-pong bar with affordable beer. It is a great place to meet locals. In Kassen (I mentioned it in the cocktail section), when the night falls they turn the music up and the party starts. It’s a great place to start the night.

One of our happy hour sessions at Kassen… we were 3 people.

In Vesterbro, the nightlife is mostly pubs and bars, but there is a section of the neighborhood designed for party. I am talking about the Meatpacking District (Kødbyen). It used to be that, meat market/slaughterhouse/related industries. With time, the area has been changing into a nightlife epicenter, with restaurants, bars, galleries and clubs. Some of the most popular establishments include Jolene, a bar with beer by the bottle, DJ’s and some live rock bands and LGBT events; Bakken, a bar/club also serving beer by the can, with laid-back atmosphere and a nice patio; and WarPigs by the Mikkeler firm together with American brewery 3 Floyds. It’s a brewpub with 22 taps of craft beer.

Jolene has become a must in Copenhagen’s nightlife for both locals and tourists. Photo credit: Tuala Hjarnø

22 taps will make sure you stay hydrated in WarPigs. Photo credit: Mikkeler

Still in Vesterbro but outside of the Meatpacking District you can find VEGA, one of Denmark’s most important music and party venues, organizing over 250 concerts a year; as well as Ideal Bar, VEGA’s own bar. Bremen is the option for those who prefer the traditional club scene, with louder music and a bustling dancefloor.

If you’re looking for live concerts, VEGA is your spot. Photo credit: Kristian Gade

Closing statement

I think with this list I made my point. Copenhagen is not dead at night! Although it is true that most of the nightlife is focused on the weekends, weekdays have plenty of options to choose from.

Make sure you have a look at Feast of Travel’s other top picks for places to eat and drink in Copenhagen. You can also browse by category:

→ Where to eat in Copenhagen: Traditional Danish food

→ Where to eat in Copenhagen: New Nordic cuisine

→ Where to eat in Copenhagen: International food

→ Where to eat in Copenhagen: Breakfast and Brunch

→ Where to drink the best coffee in Copenhagen, Denmark

Copenhagen has a lot to offer in the kitchen, but also much more! Have a look at our guide of Copenhagen and the day trips you can take while staying in the city:

→ Top 15 things to do in Copenhagen, Denmark

→ Day trips from Copenhagen: Top 9 excursions

If you’re interested in Copenhagen, you’ll probably like this one too:

→ North Jutland: a beginner’s guide to the North of Denmark

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