Distortion in København
May 30th, 2016
To make full use of the last May bank holiday and with festival season just around the corner, my housemate and I decided it was the best time to get out of London. A few of our friends had recently gone to Copenhagen and with the Distortion festival happening at the same time we were too quick to book our flights to Denmark.
We had booked a cute little apartment right in the centre of Frederiksberg. This was the perfect location as it was just under 20 minutes on the metro from the main airport and also 15 minutes’ walk from the festival. Copenhagen however is so small that it’s easy to get around anywhere- especially if you’re on bikes.
We landed at around 5pm and decided to stay around Frederiksberg on our first night for dinner. We went to Sidecar, which is famous for its Asian baos but they had recently introduced a new American style menu. The vibe was super chilled with the choice of indoor and outdoor seating.
For starters, we ordered the shaved asparagus with cherries and lamb prosciutto slaw. This was coated in a delicious sour cream and harissa salad dressing.
For starters, we ordered the shaved asparagus with cherries and lamb prosciutto slaw. This was coated in a delicious sour cream and harissa salad dressing.
Then for mains, we shared the fried chicken in a biscuit sandwich with the combination of a homemade dill pickle and mustard sauce and spicy honey. We also ordered the BBQ dry rubbed ribs covered in a homemade peach BBQ sauce with a fresh watermelon salad on the side.
After dinner we strolled around the area and stumbled across this cute little bar called Kølsters Tolv Haner. Even on a Monday night there were groups of people all chilling outside on the benches. There was a real romantic vibe inside with candles lit everywhere, we sat and chatted with our homemade fruity ciders.
Copenhagen is known as the best city for cyclists, so on the second day we rented out bikes to get a true feel for the Danish culture. Whenever I go abroad I use ‘Here maps’ app to get around offline. With the app you can download maps of any country in the world and the GPS will find your location allowing you to navigate easily without Wi-Fi.
We cycled to this breakfast place in Nørrebro which is famous for its healthy porridges. Being a natural health fanatic we were so excited to try GRØD. Oatmeal is really popular in Denmark and the Scandinavians are considered to be some of the healthiest people in the world.
I ordered the chia seed oatmeal with almond milk and berries whilst my friend had the oatmeal with Dulce de Lech, peanut butter, strawberry slices and roasted almonds (definitely going to steal this recipe).
All fuelled up, we got back on our bikes and headed to Christianshavn. This area was created, under orders from King Christian IV, as a commercial centre and as a buffer zone. We’d heard a lot about the town and wanted to see it for ourselves.
About a 20 minute bike ride from Frederiksberg, we finally reached the free state of Christiana (within Christianshavn). The city of Christiania is the ‘hippy state’ across the water from Copenhagen’s main centre. Despite its dubious image, the free state has some very good eateries and sceneries. We sat by the river soaking up the sun and wandered through the pretty greenery which was one of the most peaceful places I’ve ever been to. It was really interesting to see an alternative way of living.
Spire of Vor Frelsers
For lunch we went to Restaurant LêLê, which is a street kitchen specialising in Vietnamese food. This was located on the main road nearby Christianshavn town. Relatively cheap and super tasty-definitely recommend.
On our second night we decided to venture out into the town. Upon recommendation, we took an Uber to Francis Pony bar which was meant to be one of the most popular bars in Copenhagen. This place was super tiny (kind of like a small pub) but great cocktails nonetheless.
To be honest it was pretty quiet as it was a Tuesday night and everyone was preparing themselves for the Distortion festival the next day. However, if you are to visit Copenhagen I would still try out the Francis Pony and also LA Bar.
The next morning we sat outside for brunch in Café Taenk in Frederiksberg (next door to Kølsters Tolv Haner). Simple but sweet, the customised breakfast menu allows you to choose what you want for brunch. I had the croque monsieur style toast with a side of avocado and fruit along with an iced latte served in a cute little jam jar.
It was our third day in Copenhagen and we were super excited for day one of the festival. DISTORTION is one of the biggest festivals in Copenhagen held each year. Essentially a free street party lasting for four days. Located in the centre of Nørrebro, there were numerous DJ booths set up in different streets and alleys. Ranging from house to reggae to hip hop (and Danish Rap) there is something for everyone. The weather was beautiful, with the sun shining at 26 degrees, I definitely came home with tan lines!
The after party was held at Culture box –a nightclub located in Nørrebro. With some of the most famous electronic DJ’s including Steffi playing from Berghain (Berlin) this club is definitely worth a visit if you’re looking for a heavy night.
On our last day we decided to go back to Sidecar to try the baos as these are only served between Wednesdays to Sunday. And boy was that a great decision…
We shared the Mapo pork and fried chicken baos, along with the chicken gyozas, chilli wontons and spicy dan dan noodles.
Short but sweet, our trip to Copen had come to an end. As we visited for the festival, this took up most of our time out there, but if you do get the chance to go I would definitely recommend going to the Tivoli Gardens (a famous amusement park near Christianshavn) and also going on the walking tour. Don’t visit the famous mermaid statue as we were told it was really small and not worth the trek.
Cost wise-I didn’t think Copenhagen was as bad as everyone makes it out to be, but then again I’m from London. We went around the end of May/beginning of June and it was beautiful weather so I definitely recommend going around that time as it gets uber cold during the winter.
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