Weekends - gotta love them

We decided to start our weekend early. It was freezing (for a change) on Friday, so we wrapped ourselves up in plenty of wool before driving up to Jægersborg Dyrehave for a walk. When we arrived at the Raadvad gate it was already dusk and the icy wind was blowing in from the nearby coastline. (Okay, it's Denmark, the coastline is always near by.) It would just have to be a short walk, we decided, and at a brisk pace.

It was worth it. The forest rangers had spread out winter feed along the road, and some hundred deer were in the middle of dinner when we interrupted them. The red deer are so big they don't much care about a couple of curious two-legged observers, but the fallow deer moved away and the little sika deer of course sprinted off (only to stop 15 metres away and wait for us to leave).

We drove home and thawed out with some hot lasagna.

On Saturday we went out for brunch at Toldboden restaurant. Wauw. We thought the menu looked good on paper, but it was so much better in real life. And expansive, to say the least! Hot dishes on the counter included traditional Danish liver paté, tiny fish cakes, sausages, spare ribs, vegetable pie and French toast with homemade syrup. The juice bar offered 3 different kinds of juice, I don't even know how many kinds of tea and coffee they had - I just ordered my much needed caffè latte and explored the rest of the brunch menu.

4 different kinds of bread, 6 types of cake and pastries, 5 kinds of homemade jam and apple butter. 7 organic Danish cheeses, 4 types of salad (one of which was seafood), and of course yoghurt with muesli and more of that homemade apple syrup that was also offered for the French toast. If this reads like "The Twelve Days of Christmas" to you, you're not far off. I felt like humming "and a partridge in a pear tree" to myself as we helped ourselves to a little bit of everything. I'm sure I forgot something. It was all delicious.

Toldboden is climate friendly and uses local produce - no need to import ham from Parma and syrup from Canada when you can get something just as delicious right here. I say again: Wauw. We will be coming back.

After that strenuous ordeal we walked through the city to Kongens Have. The park is charming even when there's not a single leaf on the trees. We found our way to Latinerkvarteret and a second-hand record shop, then to Vesterbro and a tea salon that sells great homeroasted coffee beans.

Oh, and what do you know, then we were right next to a Paradis ice cream shop and we just had room for a little free ice cream. Again: Wauw. We had actually forgotten how amazing their ice cream is. The mint-lime sorbet is a new favourite, it was an explosion of taste. Good thing the ice cream season is now kicked off!

I love weekends.

Free ice cream!

In keeping with tradition, ice cream producer ParadIs is kicking off the 2011 season on Saturday 26 February with free ice cream.

Read more about the deliciouis ice cream here (English), and find your nearest ice cream shop on the map/list here (Danish).

Please note that a handful of shops are not opening on 26 February, in Copenhagen it is the shops on Nørre Voldgade and Store Kongensgade.

Sct Peders Bageri

The specialty at Sct Peders Bageri is the "onsdagssnegl"; Wednesday cinnamon roll. It's about as big as your face, comes sugar-dusted or with icing, and costs DKK 12. They sell around 4,000 of them every Wednesday.

In addition to this little mid-week snack, the bakery of course sells various types of bread and cake, sandwiches around lunch time (they'll be happy to warm them for you if you like your brie melted), and a small selection of drinks. A good place to enjoy an affordable breakfast before exploring Latinerkvarteret.

29 Sankt Peders Stræde, København K

Open: Mon-Fri 7-17:30, Sat 7-16.

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Taste

Right around the corner from Marmorkirken, you will find Taste. A very ambitious French shop/cafe, comprising both patisserie, boulangerie, sandwicherie and confiturier - everything is homemade; the bread, the soup, the cakes, even the pickles in your quite reasonably priced sandwich (DKK 55 as takeaway, 78 to stay).

Outdoor serving in summer, cushioned leather furniture inside where you can enjoy a cup of Valhrona chocolate or afternoon tea with a madeleine or sablé.

80-82 Store Kongensgade, 1264 København K
Tel.: 3393 7797
Email: info@tastedeli.eu
Open: Mon-Fri 9:30-18, Sat+Sun 10-17

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A.C. Perch

A.C. Perch, ye olde tea shoppe (since 1835). Tiny, smells fantastic, sells quality tea and select cakes and sweets. Been coming here with my grandmother since I was five and too short to see over the counter.

The staff is extremely knowledgable and service-minded, they will help you find whatever you're looking for.

If you could do with a cuppa and maybe a scone, Perch has a 'Tea Room' on the 1^st floor. The entrance is a few steps further down the street from the tea shop, in through a doorway and up some stairs. Classy, tasty and pricey. 

A pot of tea + 2 scones for DKK 98. The 'Grand Ceremony', which also includes finger sandwiches and a glass of Cremént for the cakes, is DKK 195.

A.C. Perch's tea shop

5 Kronprinsensgade, 1114 København K

Tel.: 3315 3562

Email: perchs@perchs.dk

Online shop

Open: Mon-Thur 9-17:30, Fri 9-16, Sat 9:30-16

Perch's tea room

5 Kronprinsensgade, 1^st floor, 1114 København K

Tel.: 3315 3577

Email: tearoom@perchstearoom.dk

Online booking

Open: Mon-Fri 11-17:30, Sat 10-17

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Summerbird chocolate

Summerbird is a Danish chocolate producer famous for their delicate and elegant products, all of the highest quality.

The selection includes almonds which are dipped in nougat and chocolate, and then dusted with a powder of e.g. freeze-dried raspberry, lemon, cocoa or liqourice. Summerbird are also known for their luxury versions of the Danish specialty 'flødeboller'. I should warn you: It's all highly addictive.

Summerbird has several shops in Copenhagen, and also a confectionery. You will always find product samples on the counter, go on and indulge yourself.

My personal favourites are: The white Grand Cru flødeboller and both the cocoa- and raspberry-dusted almonds.

11 Kronprinsensgade, 1114 København K
Tel.: 3393 8040
Email: kronprinsensgade@summerbird.com
Open: Mon-Fri 11-18, Sat 10-16
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Kronprinsensgade

9 Værnedamsvej, 1819 Frederiksberg C
Tel.: 3325 2550
Email: vaernedamsvej@summerbird.com
Open: Mon-Fri 11-18, Sat 10-15
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13 Kongens Nytorv, 1095 København K (Bottom floor of Magasin department store)
Tel.: 3318 2016
Email: kongensnytorv@summerbird.com
Open: (see Magasin's website)
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Summerbird Pure (confectionery)
9 Ny Østergade, 1101 København K
Tel.: 3313 1902
Email: pure@summerbird.com
Open: Mon-Fri 10-18, Sat 10-16
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Hazelnuts dipped in espresso-nougat and dusted with blue chocolate powder, and almonds dipped in white chocolate with lemon and dusted with liqourice

Almonds dusted with raspberry, liqourice and lemon

Chocolate-marzipan eggs with passionfruit, lime, blackcurrant and blueberry

Luxury white 'flødebolle' - sweet, tangy and with a hint of liqourice

Toldboden restaurant

Toldboden is located at Nordre Toldbod with a great view of the harbour.

The building doesn't look like much on the outside, but the room inside is light and airy. The location right by the water means that the place is particularly charming during daylight hours when sky and sea both light up the room.

If it's sunny, find a table outside and watch the lively harbour traffic. You might see the royal yacht Dannebrog anchored there, as Nordre Toldbod is where the royal family embarks/disembarks the ship.
The restaurant is climate friendly. When the building was restored, a lot of thought went into making it energy efficient. You will notice that the lights in the bathroom only turn on when you enter and the furniture is made from reused materials. The kitchen uses local produce of the highest quality.

The brunch menu offered on weekends is not the cheapest in town (DKK 198), but comprehensive and appetising: Sausages, eggs, ham, cheeses, vegetable pie, spareribs, traditional Danish liver paté, fish cakes, salad, seafood salad,  whole grain salad, yoghurt with syrup and muesli, freshly baked bread, cake and pastries, homemade jam, coffee, tea, smoothies and juice.

Toldboden "Havnegrill" serves fresh-made Danish seafood every day of the week at prices from DKK 50.

Toldboden also has a small ice cream shop just on the corner of the building.
24 Nordre Toldbod, 1259 København K
Tel.: 3393 0760
Email: mail@restaurantjulian.com
Online booking
Open: Mon-Fri "Havnegrill" 11-22, Sat+Sun brunch 10-14 and "Havnegrill" 14-22
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Agnes Cupcakes

Agnes Cupcakes - the name says it all.

This bakery specialises in cupcakes. On the wall you will find a list of all the flavours and on which weekdays they are available. You can get a cup of coffee or bottle of juice with your cupcake - and that's it. No need for a menu as long as your arm; this place is dedicated to the one thing they do extremely well.

Everything is delicious - from the stunning frosting and decoration of each cake, and the light and airy shop/cafe, to the sleek gift boxes.

The place can be quite noisy when it's busy, and Agnes seems to be one of those places where someone behind the counter thinks that the solution is to turn up the music - which in turn makes guests talk louder. But you can always take your cupcake with you in a fancy box.

1 cupcake DKK 30, 4/110, 6/165, 12/300

2 Sværtegade, 1118 København K
Tel.: 3120 6000
Email: get@agnescupcakes.com
Open: Mon-Fri 10-19, Sat 10-17, first Sunday of the month 12-17

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Gryberg

Gryberg Copenhagen is a slice of cake and confectionary heaven, to go or to stay. Bread, cakes, pies, cupcakes, handmade chocolate, hot chocolate etc.

The cakes taste just as delicious as they look, the trouble is choosing what to try! Luckily the dear people behind the counter understand your plight and now serve 'cake tapas' - 6 kinds of cake + coffee/tea for DKK 65.

24 Lille Strandstræde, 1254 København K
Tel.: 7027 3161
Email: info@gryberg.dk
Open: Mon-Fri 12-17, Sat 10-15

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'Cake tapas'

Hot chocolate, you say? Sure, would you like the 65% with whipped cream, or perhaps the strawberry flavoured with ice cream?

Blackcurrant truffle