Over the past years I’ve made countless guides for different places around Europe and beyond, but never for my own neighbourhood… Why? I have no clue and it’s silly because I LOVE our neighbourhood!

Because Islands Brygge really is THE best residential neighbourhood (in my opinion of course!). I have always had a good eye to the area and two and a half years ago, we had our dream come true when we purchased our beloved apartment in the heart of the neighborhood. We haven’t regretted it and I honestly can’t see myself living anywhere else in Copenhagen (okay, maybe Christianshavn would do it too). I think the chances we would move abroad are bigger than moving to another area of Copenhagen. But that’s not relevant at the moment ☺

Why Islands Brygge is the best residential neighborhood

1. Islands Brygge is like a little village in the big city. We are 14.000 people living here and we have “natural” borders to the surrounding areas. E.g. The harbour separates us from the city center, the large natural reserve Amager Fællded separates us from the rest of Amager and the rampart separates us from beautiful Christianshavn.
2. There is a certain local feeling to the neighborhood, but we are only 600 away from the City Hall Square and the hustle of the city
3. Beautiful Christianshavn with its many canals and cafes is just a 10 minute walk away (God knows how many times I walked there when I was on maternity leave – love it!)
4. We have the amazing nature reserve Amager Fælled in the back yard
5. The waterfront and public baths are open for swimmers all year
6. Everything you need on a daily basis is just around the corner; grocery shopping, great take-away spots, cafés, a pharmacy, bakeries, a library, a fitness center and a yoga studio. Everything within a radius of one kilometer
7. We host the largest flea market in Copenhagen in the summer months
8. I could continue… This is just THE place ☺ So let’s move on to the recommendations:

My recommendations for Islands Brygge

Breakfast

IL Buco
Inside an old warehouse you’ll find Il Buco, an Italian restaurant and bakery. They serve some killer croissants which should be on everybody’s to do list when in Copenhagen. They are super heavy (literally), crunchy on the outside and soft as butter on the inside. Il Buco also serve other classic breakfast dishes – e.g. eggs, bread with cheese, French toast etc. The space is very charming and rustic and a real favorite.

Café Alma
At Café Alma you can pick and choose between a large selection of small breakfast dishes. They offer a 5 or 7-dish menu for a fixed price. The quality is very good and the restaurant, which is located in a large basement with many rooms and quirky hallways, is very charming and inviting. There’s also some outdoor seating with heat lamps for the winter months.

Wulf & Konstali
Unlike the other restaurants in this popular chain, you cannot get a real brunch here (it’s located just in front of Café Alma so go there instead if you wish the full plate option). However it’s more like a deli where you can buy bread with jam and cheese, chia pudding, fresh pressed juices, coffee and pastries. It’s very hyped at the moment so you’ll most likely never be alone.

Lagkagehuset
Lagkagehuset is a very popular bakery chain located throughout the country. The one at Islands Brygge opened recently and it extremely busy on weekends. They do have some sofas and outdoor seating area, but it’s more a place for take-away. It’s located by the waterfront, so take your breakfast outside to enjoy.

Tobi’s
Tobi’s is a little locals’ favorite with high focus on the commodities. The food is simple, but very good. Breakfast here consists of boiled eggs, bread with cheese, yoghurt and pastries. Also open for lunch and dinner.

Dinner

The Fat Pike
The owner of The Fat Pike was one of the founders of the incredibly popular Danish restaurant chain Cofoco. That’s some years ago now, and he has now opened his own restaurant on Islands Brygge (hurray!). It’s located in an old warehouse (like Il Buco) and has a charming rustic feel. The concept is clear here: Fish is for everyone (fish is quite expensive in Denmark in general), so they serve a delicious 5-couse fish menu for DKK 295,-. We love it!

Il Buco
Il Buco is open all day and you’ll often find people working with a coffee in hand here. For lunch they serve pastas and sandwiches and for dinner they have a quite exquisite menu with organic produce from sustainable farms and suppliers. At night they lit the candles and the local turns into a romantic, yet rustic restaurant. Very recommendable.

Scarpetta
As a part of the concept chain Cofoco, Scarpetta wins on the price-quality ratio. 5-courses for the price of DKK 275 is almost too good to be true in Copenhagen. It’s classic Italian cuisine meeting the modern kitchen and they’ve succeeded every time we have visited.

Café Alma
Like Il Buco this is an all-day local restaurant. One of their signature dishes is Moules Frites and they never disappoint. Neither do the homemade fries and allioli. The food quality is very good, which is why is continues as a local’s favorite year after year.

Take-away

Now to my expertise 😉 We buy take-away once or twice a week. With all the great take-away options in the area, it’s hard to convince myself to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. The time saved is well spend with with my son instead.

Maui Poké
Like the name indicates Maui serves poke bowls. They are delicious, fresh and come in various combinations (tuna, salmon, chicken meatballs or veggie). Delicious and nutritious 🙂

Homemate
Our favorite! We come here quite a lot. At Homemate they make homemade food ready for the oven. The concept is brilliant (for busy people at least): all dishes are raw when you buy them and should only have 15-20 minutes in the oven. They have everything from chicken to lasagna (my son’s favorite) and delicious focaccia bread. It’s the kind of food you could make yourself, but here the grocery shopping is already done and the food has been chopped for you. Wonderful!

Sushi
Sushi is another favorite at home. There are three sushi take-aways in the area, but the best is undoubtledly Sushiya. The place itself is nothing special (located in a little basement), but the sushi is the best! Always fresh and well presented.

Bagdøren at Café Alma
Bagdøren is the take-away section of Café Alma. They are famous for their burgers and fries, which hands down, are both some of the best I have tasted. A bit pricey though, but very good.

Egils Deli
This is a real Italian deli with delicious cheeses, ham and pizza slices. They also have soup or dish of the day as take-away.

Other favorites

Andersen Bakery
The strawberry tart at Andersen Bakery is extremely good! A traditional Danish cake that you must try. All their products are of high quality. Located on Thorshavnsgade 26.

Bravissimo
For icecreams I prefer Bravissimo on Islands Brygge 5. Expecially their mint-chocolate and peach sorbet are very good.

Things to do

Go sailing in the canal with GoBoat. Rent a little boat per hour and go explore!

Visit the monthly fleamarket in summer

Take a run or a walk on Amager Fælled

Take a swim in the public baths in the harbor in summer

If you travel with kids, then there are various playgrounds in the area. The biggest one is on Gunløgsgade