Eat the Neighbourhood in Nørrebro, Copenhagen

If there’s a fine line between a neighbourhood that’s trendy and up and coming or slightly dodgy and worth keeping your wits about you, then Nørrebro in Copenhagen must be treading that line. But if you’re a gourmet at heart then this area of the Danish capital is worth exploring, with a number of great food destinations that I discovered when I was there last spring.

In Copenhagen, Coffee Collective is synonymous with a passion for coffee. Although their coffee beans are sold all around Copenhagen, there’s only one small shop with a few ouside tables where they brew the coffee and that shop is in Nørrebro. Apparently, the queues sometimes stretch right down the street as Copenhageners who care about great coffee come to get their coffee fix. The owners use a Direct Trade model, working with farmers in Brazil, Guatamala, Kenya and Panama to pay the best prices for the best quality coffee. Coffee Collective has won numerous awards for their coffee – it’s fair to say that they live and breathe coffee!  However long the line, their baristas will always take care to make you a great cup of coffee.

Coffee Collective, Jægersborggade 10, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark

To enjoy with your coffee you might want to pop across the road to the Claus Meyer Bakery where you can buy one of  their fruit slices as well as the rustic Danish bread – these guys are passionate about their sourdough.  I visited the Claus Meyer factory on a previous visit to Copenhagen for TBEX – where we saw the sourdough breads being made and then followed on with a tour of the Meyer Vinegar Brewery for a tasting of everything from blackcurrent flavour to a syrupy aged balsamic. The bakery is owned by top Danish chef Claus Meyer who’s  a gastronomic entrepreneur and leading light in the Nordic cuisine movement to bring back seasonal Scandinavian produce, as well as co-founder of Noma, known as ‘The Best restaurant in the world” Phew with such a culinary pedigree one would hope that the bread would be a cut above.

Claus Meyer Bakery, Jægersborggade 10, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark

For top food at affordable (for Copenhagen) prices try Relae restaurant – a brasserie where the style is simple and stylish, with no frills in the decor and service but it’s all about the food. The head chef and co-owner Christian F. Puglisi has worked at Michelin star restaurants such as El Bulli and Noma, but the atmosphere here is much more laid back. Although I didn’t eat here, I did pop in to take a look and I hear the food is something special, with an inventive set menu that offers good vegetarian options.

Relae, Jægersborggade 41, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark

Complete your food tour of Nørrebro with a special evening at Michelin star Thai restaurant Kiin Kiin. When I met the owner Henrik Yde-Andersen he told me that when they first opened, the area had a rather dodgy reputation so they took something of a risk in opening such a classy restaurant. Henrik worked for several years as a chef in Thailand and brought his passion for the cuisine back to his homeland – his signature dish is frozen red curry with lobster salad and unusually for Asian food he uses his training as a sommelier to marry great wines with the Thai dishes. If your budget can’t stretch to Michelin star prices, don’t worry as right next door there’s his neighbourhood Thai curry cafe, Aroidee,  which is always packed with locals. The cafe started because Henrik hated any food going to waste and used to sell inexpensive take away curries from the kitchen door, but when the queues started stetching down the road, it was time to open Aroidee. You can read my interview with Henrik Yde Andersen and hear the interview as part of my Copenhagen podcast

Kiin Kiin and Aroidee, Guldbergsgade 21, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark

More things to enjoy in Copenhagen

Bike + Train = Adventure in Copenhagen 
17 Podcast – Our long weekend in Copenhagen
In search of the perfect Smørrebrød – in Copenhagen

Resources for visiting Copenhagen

• You’ll find plenty of information about places to eat and things to see on the Visit Copenhagen website
• There is a free Visit Copenhagen Mobile phone app available for iPhone, Android and other smartphones
• If you plan to do a lot of sightseeing then check out the Copenhagen Card for free entry to 65 museums and attractions as well as free public transport around the city
• We stayed at the modern, stylish Ibsens Hotel, set in the arty and up and coming Nansensgarde neighbourhood near the Copenhagen lakes.

Thanks to Wonderful Copenhagen for sponsoring our weekend in Copenhagen.

www.flickr.com heatheronhertravels’ Copenhagen – Food & Drink photoset

 

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A day and night out in Cardiff – Wales

When you start a holiday, you’re always eager to see as many sights as you can, but if you get too excited, you end up seeing them all, and if you’re holidaying over the course of a week or fortnight, you find yourself bored with a few days still to go. Fortunately, when visiting Cardiff, you won’t have that problem.

Many people don’t have the time to go on a week-long break, but day and night breaks can be just as relaxing. You can take in plenty of sights, with time left to have a meal at one of the Welsh capital’s outstanding restaurants before retreating to one of those comfortable, welcoming Cardiff hotels for a great night’s sleep.

As you would expect from a capital city, Cardiff is jam packed with attractions. It has numerous parks, sporting and cultural venues, historical sites, top-class shops and eateries, all of which make the city a fantastic place to spend a weekend in.

The Millenium Stadium, the home of the Welsh national rugby union team, is one of Europe’s largest purpose-built sporting venues. As well as hosting top-class sporting events, the stadium also hosts concerts for rock and pop groups, plus the amazing Welsh National Opera.

Cardiff plays host to Wales’ National Museum and Art Gallery, which puts on various exhibitions with relevance to both the local area and the wider world. Admission is free, so if you’re holidaying with children, this is an ideal place for the whole family to visit.

Parks are plentiful in Cardiff, and if you’re looking for a peaceful weekend, then a stroll through Bute Park on the edge of the city centre, or Roath Park, which lies within its leafy suburbs could be the answer. Cardiff has more parkland per capita than any other major city in the UK, so you’re spoilt for choice.

Other attractions of note include St. David’s Hall, which is one of the country’s best concert halls, the magnificent Cardiff Castle and the inspiring St. David’s Cathedral. Shopping in Cardiff is a joy, particularly around precincts such as St. David’s, Royal Arcade and the Capitol Centre.

Once you’ve taken in all the sights, then why not cap off your day by having a meal at one of the many top-class restaurants in the breathtakingly modern Cardiff Bay area. Eateries such as Signor Valentino’s, Bosphorus Turkish Restaurant and Miller and Carter Restaurant and Bar offer flavours from South Wales and beyond, and are guaranteed to re-energise you after taking in all the sights of this wonderful, underrated city.

When you’ve finished your meal, then you’re able to retreat to a quality hotel such as the Ibis Hotel Cardiff Gate and sleep soundly in a freshly-made bed knowing that you’ve had the best day break imaginable, and if there’s anywhere you didn’t see, you can always come back for another trip.

Photo Credits: All photos by cardiffandco

More Things to see in Wales

Walking In Wales – 10 Easy And Inspirational Day Walks
Camping in sunshine and showers – on the Gower in Wales
A snowy break at Laswern Fawr holiday in the Brecon Beacons, Wales – video

My thanks for this sponsored post to Eurobookings.com, the European booking specialist

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

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Getting to and from the airport in Gothenburg (and what to do while you’re there)

If you’re flying into Gothenburg you’ll probably land at Landvetter airport if you’re flying with Scandinavian Airlines or British Airways and at the City Airport if you’re flying with Ryanair. Neither airport is very far from the city centre and although you can easily get a taxi, the cheap and efficient way to get into the centre is with the Flygbussarna coach service.

Flygbussarna service from Gothenburg Landvetter Airport

• 3 departures per hour every 20 minutes
• The journey takes 25-30 minutes
• The bus stops at Korsvagen (near Liseburg Amusement Park), Park Avenue (On the Avenue near the Museum of Art), Kungsportsplaten (by the canal and main tram stop), Nils Ericson terminalen (near the main train station)
• You can pick up a handy leaflet at the airport with a map of all the stops or check the Google maps on the Flybussarna website
• The costs is 80SEK (€9, $12, £7.50)  one way, 150SEK return (€17, $22, £14)
• You can book in advance or pay on the bus. I probably wouldn’t book the journey from the airport but I might book the return journey just in case the bus was full.
• The bus does not take cash but takes major credit cards
• More information on the Flybussarna website

For the Flygbussarna service from Gothenburg City Airport

We flew to Gothenburg with SAS who have a couple of flights a day to Gothenburg from London Heathrow which is ideal if you’re planning a short break as we were. Of course getting to and from the airport is only a means to an end and if you want some ideas on what to enjoy in Gothenburg why not;

• Explore the Gothenburg Christmas markets and shop for unusual food and design gifts – we especially enjoyed the Haga market, but Liseburg is the biggest and most sparkling.
• Watch the Christmas Julfilm projected on the facade of the Gothenburg Museum of Art and if you’re lucky you might get to hear the singing Christmas tree choir in Bältesspännarparken (sadly we missed it due to the windy weather)
• Visit the Feskekörka (Fish Church ) where you can admire all the fresh fish and buy tasty deli dishes as well as trying the seafood in one of the two restaurants – we loved Restaurant Gabriel where the owner Johan Malm introduced us to the delights of West Swedish oysters.
• Try the fried herringwith mashed potato and lingonberry sauce – the classic Swedish combination at the Strömmingsluckan herring cart in Magasinskarten
• Enjoy a Fika break with a steaming mug of coffee and enormous cinnamon bun in one of the cosy coffee shops around town.
• Treat yourself to a gourmet blow-out at one of the five Michelin star restaurants in Gothenburg – we loved our meal at Basement where I interviewed the head chef Camilla Parkner.
• If you’re there at Christmas, enjoy an extended Christmas buffet or Julbord at one of the many restaurants and hotels, such as Elite Plaza where we stayed, that serve all the traditional Christmas dishes throughout December
• Warm yourself with a hot chocolate with chili at Cafe Kanold and stock up on Gothenburg truffles topped with sea salt at their shop nearby on Viktoriapassagen
• In summer visit the Maritiman Maritime Museum in the port area and wander around the courtyard of the Kronhuset nearby – an old artillery store that’s one of the oldest buildings in Gothenburg
• Pop into the Gothenburg City Museum or Stadsmuseum to learn all about Viking history and see the remains of an old Viking longboat – the museum shop has some pretty gifts too.

More Visitor Information for Gothenburg or Göteborg

• The local tourism site Göteborg.com is full of information on the best things to see and do
• For information on West Sweden visit the West Sweden Tourism site or follow them on Twitter @WestSwedenTB or on their Facebook page and you will find their blog at ExploreWestSweden.com
• Another useful site for all things Gothenburg is I Love Göteborg
• If you plan to do a lot of sightseeing it’s worth getting the Gothenburg City Card which will allow you entrance to all the major attractions as well as public transport. Look out for the deals that some hotels offer that include a Gothenburg Card with the hotel booking.
• We stayed at the classic 5 star hotel, Elite Plaza Hotel which is in the Inom Vallgraven district and walking distance from most of the sightes of Gothenburg.
• We took flights to Gothenburg from London Heathrow with Scandinavian Airlines who have 2 flights a day to Gothenburg’s Landvetter airport, a 30 minute taxi or bus ride from the city.
• If you’d like to use a guidebook during your visit to Gothenburg I’d recommend the conveniently sized Thomas Cook Gothenburg Pocket Guide which we used.
• Visit the Flybussarna website for more information on getting to and from the airport

www.flickr.com heatheronhertravels’ Sweden – Gothenburg photoset

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

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