Copenhagen’s most famous shopping destination is Strøget – a string of five linked pedestrian streets that runs through the city centre from Rådhuspladsen in the west to Kongens Nytorv in the east, getting progressively more upmarket along the way. The big designer names and international brands are all here, but you’ll find more interesting shopping if you head off into the side streets (especially around Ny Østergade and its cross streets) or venture a little further afield to areas like Vesterbro and Nørrebro, where there’s always some cool new independent boutique to discover.
From shops filled with chic Nordic homewares to vintage clothing stores and more, Telegraph Travel Expert Suzanne King chooses some top places to pick up souvenirs.
City centre
Rains
££ | rains.com
“Do one thing and do it well,” they say. It’s a philosophy that worked well for Rains over the years, as the company established a reputation for high quality outerwear. Now the sleek waterproof jackets, coats and accessories have been joined by a new range of homewares, which, with their minimal design and practical durability, fit in perfectly with the overall brand ethos. Head to the flagship store, on Amagertorv, to find everything showcased in immaculately styled surroundings.
Louise Roe
££-£££ | louise-roe.com
Walking down the quiet street of Vognmagergade, this chic concept store is easy to find – it’s right beneath the two-storey glass bridge that spans the street and carries the landmark Egmont Clock. Inside, everything is faultlessly stylish and minimal, with elegant furniture, glossy coffee table books and uncluttered white shelves that showcase the designer’s contemporary ceramics and glassware in graphic monochrome or muted earthy shades. At one end of the room the recently revamped Roe Bar is a smart spot for breakfast, light lunches and cakes.
Time’s Up Vintage and O-S-V Secondhand
££-£££ | timesupshop.com; osvsecondhand.com
It’s not just the current crop of Danish designers who are helping to make Copenhagen a fashion crowd favourite: the city is also a great place to pick up vintage pieces, both local and international There’s a cluster of second-hand clothes shops around Studiestræde in the Latin Quarter but head a few blocks northeast to Krystalgade, to find two of the best, just round the corner from each other. Both are at the quality end of things, with carefully curated collections rather than endless rails to browse through. Time’s Up is particularly strong on familiar designer names, with retro pieces from the likes of Chanel, Comme des Garçons, Versace et al; O-S-V hosts regular pop-up events with other local and sustainable initiatives, and has its own in-store coffee shop.
Studio Arhoj
££ | arhoj.com
You’ll find two Studio Arhoj stores in the city centre, one near the Round Tower, the other opposite the cathedral. Both sell the company’s full range of ceramics and glassware (plus assorted other homewares and lifestyle accessories), all hand-thrown or -blown and individually glazed and decorated, so there’s no two exactly alike. Their character figurines, though massively popular, are a bit too twee for me; I prefer their simpler vases and bowls, and I love the fact that if you visit on a weekday, you can see the creators at work. Last time I went in, I watched, fascinated, as they blew glass vases in the centre of the store.
Holmen
Ferm Living
££-£££ | fermliving.com
Cross the Inner Harbour Bridge (Inderhavnsbroen) from Nyhavn and it’s just a few minutes’ walk to Kuglegården, a listed 18th-century property that was once home to the naval arsenal and is now turning into a bit of a design hub. In 2020, Copenhagen interiors brand ferm Living opened its first store here, with lofty beamed ceilings and huge arched windows creating an impressive backdrop for furnishings and home accessories that add a contemporary edge to classic Scandi style. Across the courtyard, you can also check out new Scandinavian design at Bolia or browse the light fittings at Louis Poulsen, who’ve made this historic building their HQ.
Vesterbro
Hats, Boots & Bourbon
££-£££ | hatsbootsbourbon.com
Just when you thought Vesterbro couldn’t get any more hipster, up popped this menswear shop-cum-bar towards the station end of trendy Istedgade. It was the brainchild of former bartender Erik Persson, and while he’s now moved on, it’s his love of the prohibition era that still shines through in the styling, with bare brick walls, a montage of black-and-white gangster movie stills, and American spirits behind the little counter at the back. Browse the shelves for shirts, headgear, accessories and grooming products, then lounge back on one of the brown leather Chesterfields to peruse your purchases over a bourbon-based cocktail.
Anker Chokolade
This basement shop is hidden away at the end of a residential street and is so tiny, there’s barely room to swing a Kit-Kat. Or, for that matter, a candied ginger and passionfruit-flavoured marzipan bar, encased in white chocolate – which is much more their cup of cocoa. Chef Mikkel Anker previously worked in Michelin-starred restaurants Kiin Kiin and Søllerød Kro and brings that level of quality to his seasonal collections of interestingly flavoured pralines and truffles, which are all handmade on the premises from Fair Trade chocolate. This is the original shop; there is also a branch in Nørrebro.
Nørrebro
Res-Res
££ | res-res.com
The name is short for Respect Resources – and sure enough, the focus of this Nørrebro boutique is firmly on conscious consumption. All the items on the shelves and rails have been selected because they come from ethical and sustainably minded producers. Alongside cool clothing from independent brands, the shop stocks homewares, accessories and toiletries. There’s also an in-house repair studio that will adjust hems and replace zips as well as fixing damaged garments.
Keramiker Inge Vincents
££-£££ | vincents.dk
There’s always something new to check out on Jægersborggade, the hip Nørrebro street that’s lined with independent boutiques and restaurants – but don’t neglect this long-standing favourite. Behind its bright red front door, all is light and serene, the wooden shelves and windowsills displaying pure white porcelain pieces, hand-made here by the artist, who’s usually on hand to chat (the space serves as studio as well as shop). All her ceramics are curvily organic in form, sometimes ridged or rippled, usually artfully crumpled and always incredibly thin. Vases, mugs and tealight holders are popular buys and fragile though they look, they’ll be robustly wrapped to ensure you get them back home in one piece.
Østerbro
Olufs Is
£ | olufs.dk
At this cool little Østerbro ice cream shop (open late March to late September), the freezer cabinet is filled with neat ranks of homemade (and highly photogenic) ice cream and sorbet popsicles. There’s usually a new flavour or two to taste, and they’re not afraid to take risks when it comes to trying out unlikely combinations – but there is always a delicious staple for the less adventurous too, such as hazelnut gelato dipped in milk chocolate and sprinkled with nut brittle. Ice cream in hand, take a wander down the street (Olufsvej), an Instagram-friendly stretch of prettily-painted houses with hollyhocks and roses growing by the doors.
Frederiksberg
Prik
£-££ | instagram.com/prikuniverse
Gammel Kongensvej, which runs between central Copenhagen and central Frederiksberg, makes a great shopping destination, lined as it is with interesting independent boutiques. Among them, you’ll find this well-stocked toy store, where the shelves are crammed full of playthings, both retro and modern. Dolls’ clothes, flying dinosaurs, cute little knitted elephants, hobby horses, toy cars, fun hair slides, fancy dress outfits – there’s a lot to discover. A great place to pick up gifts for children back home or stock up on stocking fillers for Christmas.
How we choose
Every shop, market and venue in this curated list has been chosen by our destination expert, to provide you with their insider perspective. We cover a range of budgets and styles – to best suit every type of traveller. We update this list regularly to keep up with the latest openings and provide up to date recommendations.