may-2012

WORDS LUKE WATERSON | PHOTOS © WONDERFULCOPENHAGEN.DK
THE BUZZ | CAFÉ CULTURE
Brewing a
Revolution
Nørrebro, in Denmark’s capital, was once a
run-down district known for riots. Now it’s
experiencing a more palatable kind of uprising
COPENHAGEN
“This,” Klaus Thomsen indicates a freshly
made espresso with reverence, “is God
in a cup.” The former World Barista
Champion isn’t exaggerating. The coff ee
he’s just prepared, using beans from
Panama’s Hacienda La Esmeralda, once
prompted a customer to exclaim he’d
seen the almighty’s face in the brew.
The Copenhagen café he part-owns,
Coff ee Collective (coff eecollective.dk),
prides itself on only using responsibly
sourced beans and, since its opening
in 2008, Thomsen has travelled to
plantations around the world, buying
the beans direct from the growers. “It’s a
pleasure to put names and faces to the
world’s best coff ee” he says. “Giving this
recognition to the producers is crucial to
the whole idea of fairtrade.”
The café also has a mission to educate
customers about where their coff ee
comes from and how it’s made. It even
off ers barista classes and courses to its
caring, sharing public.
This intelligent approach to food
and drink is typical of Nørrebro,
the north-western inner suburb
of Copenhagen that is garnering
a reputation for simple culinary
authenticity. Jægersborggade in
particular – the hip street where
Thomsen and co grind their wares –
is now the place to eat, drink and be
merry in the Danish capital, thanks
to its underground wine bars, artisan
chocolatiers and right-on vegetarian
delis. This is no small achievement in a
city that is – per the latest numbers – as
Michelin-star-spangled as Milan.
It’s even more unusual if you consider
Nørrebro’s dark history. The area was
once synonymous with violent riots,
20 | TRAVELLER
Clockwise from near
right, the small
street of
Jægersborggade
has become the
hub of Nørrebro; for
fresh seafood head
to Oysters & Grill;
café culture at
Coff ee Collective on
Jægersborggade;
gastronomy at Relæ
has earned
Nørrebro its fi rst
Michelin-star
Dining out is
like stopping
by a friend’s
apartment
dope peddling and deprivation. During
the 1980s, fracas with the police were
commonplace and, as recently as 2007,
riots broke out in protest at the closing of
music venue the Ungdomshuset (literally
the Youth House) that resulted in the
arrest of 273 people.
What a diff erence a few years make.
Now the cobbled streets are lined with
simple, informal cafés, trendy boutiques,
colourful graffi ti and the ever-ubiquitous
city bicycles. Despite maintaining its
edgy appeal, the threat of violence has
faded away in Nørrebro, to be replaced
by a seriously relaxed vibe and some
serious foodie culture. It’s not a bad spot
for people watching either.
Take local bistro Restaurant Relæ
(restaurant-relae.dk). With its focus
on fresh ingredients cooked in simple,
innovative ways, it exemplifi es the spirit
of the area. Here, as at Coff ee Collective,
co-owners Kim Rossen and former Noma
sous chef Christian Puglisi strive to bring