Meatpacking District Tour

Meatpacking District Tour, Copenhagen, Denmark (A)

The White Meat City in the Meatpacking District of Copenhagen has recently undergone a massive transformation and rapidly become one of Copenhagen’s most popular hangouts for the young and trendy - day and night. The Meatpacking District of Copenhagen is one of the world’s few still working meat cities. Thus you will find old slaughterhouses coexisting in harmony with new art galleries, trendy nightclubs and restaurants.
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Sights Featured in This Article

Guide Name: Meatpacking District Tour
Guide Location: Denmark » Copenhagen
Guide Type: Self-guided Walking Tour (Article (A))
# of Attractions: 12
Tour Duration: 1.0 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 0.7 Km or 0.4 Miles
Author: Connie Maria Westergaard
Author Bio: Journalist Connie Maria Westergaard was born in Copenhagen in 1977. She lives in the Østerbro area. Her favorite museums are the Worker’s Museum, Louisiana and the Karen Blixen Museum. She enjoys concerts at VEGA and PARKEN and coffee at Estate. Her favorite event of the year is the Night of Culture in October, and at weekends you can find her sipping cocktails at Zoo bar, 1105 or Karriere bar in the Meatpacking District.
Sight(s) Featured in This Guide:
  • BioMio
  • Paté Paté
  • Bakken
  • Karriere Bar
  • V1 Gallery
  • Galleri Bo Bjerggaard
  • Jolene Bar
  • Kødbyens Fiskebar
  • Mesteren & Lærlingen
  • Hans Alf Gallery
  • Tante T
  • Butcher's Lab
1
BioMio

1) BioMio

BioMio is one of many organic restaurants in Copenhagen, located at the very entrance to The White Meat City facing Halmtorvet square – once the heart of Copenhagen’s red light district with alcoholics, drug addicts and prostitutes. The square was recently given a facelift and now looks more inviting, although prostitutes can still be seen at night. You will be quite safe though. The modernistic buildings in The White Meat City date back to 1934 and are listed for conservation. Thus no new company signs are permitted to go up on the buildings and no alterations to the interior walls are permitted. The building with the large red Bosch sign houses BioMio. Everything from the food on your plate and the soap in the bathrooms to the bottles of gin at the bar and the chair you are sitting on is certified organic. The long wooden tables, where you sit with other guests, as well as the open kitchen mean that the atmosphere is very laid back. The food is healthy and the prices very reasonable. Upon arrival you are given a chip card, which you swipe when you order your food and beverage straight from the chef and the bar - a bit like a canteen. You pay at checkout. The self service concept means if you are a group you might not get your food at the same time, but your meal is always fresh, and it helps to keep prices down and quality up.
2
Paté Paté

2) Paté Paté

Next door to BioMio on the corner is another restaurant. Well actually Paté Paté is also a breakfast place, wine bar, tapas café, coffee oasis, late night bar and delicatessen. The story behind the name is that the owners, Dan and Kenn Husted - who runs three other wine bars in Copenhagen - saw some old drawings of the building and realized that it used to be a liver paté factory and named it accordingly in French. The best thing about Paté Paté is the outdoor seating in summer. If the sun is out, it is sure to shine on Patè Paté’s guests. Here you can sit and enjoy some tapas and a glass of sparkling wine while you watch life go by on Halmtorvet square. The portions and prices are reasonable. The only bad thing about Paté Paté is the acoustics. If you are seated inside it can be rather noisy.
3
Bakken

3) Bakken

Once you have entered The White Meat City, walk straight ahead until you reach the large Flæsketorvet square. You can’t miss it. In the corner on your left in number 19 is Bakken. The bar is one of the newest additions to the district and owned by the same people who run Café Dyrehaven not too far down the road. Bakken is also the name of the world’s oldest amusement park, just north of the city. And it is clear to see where the inspiration has derived from. Although the rough cold tiles on the walls – witnessing the previous purpose of the building - are still there, the sign in the window, the colored light bulbs and the small patio in the back all resemble the popular, warm atmosphere of the original Bakken. But make no mistake. Whereas the original is a haven for kids, this is a playground for adults. DJ’s and live music provide the entertainment, and on Fridays and Saturdays you can party until four in the morning. Like the rest of the bars and nightclubs in the Meatpacking District there is no cover fee at the door.
4
Karriere Bar

4) Karriere Bar

Further up, still on your left, in number 57 is one of the pioneers of the Meatpacking District. Located in an old slaughterhouse is Karriere bar – an experimental café, restaurant and cocktail bar. Karriere – which means career in Danish - is quite unique in the sense that everything consists of artworks by various Danish and international artists. Karriere is all about experiencing art in a public, informal and relaxed space through communication and direct involvement. You will see artworks such as spectacular light objects by artist Olafur Eliasson, a moving bar counter by co-owner Danish artist Jeppe Hein and a very confusing unisex bathroom with way too many doors. It will make you think you are drunk even if you haven’t had a single drop. For the ladies – you know how we love to visit the bathroom together - there is a special treat in the ladies bathroom. I won’t give it all away. Just make sure you go to the ladies and choose one of the first two doors. Karriere serves great food until 10 at night and offers outdoor seating. Thursday, Friday and Saturday you can party until four in the morning. There is a large dance floor, and the DJ’s usually play house music. The crowd is mature and trendy, and the setting cool and relaxed. There is no cover fee at the door, but you have to be 23 to get in after midnight. Karriere is in many ways the essence of the Vesterbro area.
5
V1 Gallery

5) V1 Gallery

Many of Copenhagen’s large art galleries are to be found in and around the street Bredgade in city center. However, the Meatpacking District is the new hub for a new generation of modern art galleries. Next door to Karriere is V1 Gallery. The gallery represents a selection of upcoming and established artists whose ambition is to introduce art to an international audience and use art as media for social and political statements. The exhibitions vary, and the artists work with a number of different media. Even if you are not looking to buy art, you are always welcome to have a look inside. The V1 Gallery is open Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday in the afternoons.
6
Galleri Bo Bjerggaard

6) Galleri Bo Bjerggaard

Galleri Bo Bjerggaard was founded in 1999. For ten years it was located in Pilestræde in city center, but then moved to these new premises in number 85. The art gallery is on the top floor, with a gorgeous rooftop terrace overlooking the Meatpacking District, so you have to look up. There you will see a large blue sign – one of the only new ones in the Meatpacking District. The gallery represents great European artists like Per Kirkeby and Georg Baselitz as well as photography and video installations of acclaimed artists such as Eve Sussman and Nanna Hänninen. There is always something new to look at at Galleri Bo Bjerggard. The large space allows for eight to ten exhibitions a year and two exhibition rooms – one for the emerging artists and one for the established ones. Again if you are not planning on spending money, you are still welcome to take a look. The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday in the afternoons.
7
Jolene Bar

7) Jolene Bar

Just below Galleri Bo Bjerggaard is Jolene Bar - a 175 square meter venue transformed to an underground style bar and nightclub. Jolene used to reside in Copenhagen’s multicultural Nørrebro area, but moved to the Meatpacking District in 2008 because of noise complaints from neighbors. That however has never been a problem in the desolated meat city. Jolene is owned by two Icelandic women named Dóra and Dóra, who came to Copenhagen on a mission. Their mission was to open a nightclub with a cool and relaxed atmosphere and get some of the best DJ’s to play there. Well, mission completed. The modest dance floor is always crowded. Jolene is popular, especially among the 20-something-year-olds. The bar is open till 3 at night on Fridays and Saturdays. And in summer you can sit outside on Flæsketorvet square and enjoy a cold beer or hot coffee, depending on your mood and the time of day.
8
Kødbyens Fiskebar

8) Kødbyens Fiskebar

Kødbyens Fiskebar might be hard to pronounce for non Danes, but it is worth a try if it means getting to the right place. And the Meatpacking District’s so-called fish bar is certainly the right place to be if you enjoy seafood. It opened in the summer of 2009 in the heart of Flæsketorvet square underneath the big bull on the roof. The interior is a little rough true to the original purpose of the building. Nowadays though, the meat hooks have been replaced by fresh seafood, fine wines and an informal atmosphere. You can enjoy one of the small dishes or appetizers and sip a single glass of wine, or you can go full circle and try several courses as well as the wine tasting menu. At the bar the chef serves oysters, razor shell scallops and other raw delights. Fiskebaren is a lively hang out with indoor seating for 100 people, including eight seats around a jellyfish aquarium, and outdoor seating for 80 people throughout the long Nordic summer evenings.
9
Mesteren & Lærlingen

9) Mesteren & Lærlingen

Next door to Fiskebaren is the oldest butcher bar in the White Meat City. It reopened in the summer of 2009, but contrary to many of the other new places in the area it has remained the way it has always been. Mesteren & Lærlingen - which means master and apprentice in English – is a small corner bar still frequented by the working butchers. The place is open Wednesdays to Saturdays and closes a little earlier than the other bars, approximately 2am during weekends. Here you will find a relaxed atmosphere, cheap drinks and soul, funk and hip hop music on the record player. Unlike most other places in Copenhagen, it is permitted to smoke inside the bar.
10
Hans Alf Gallery

10) Hans Alf Gallery

Hans Alf Gallery opened in 2009 and exhibits innovative Danish and international art by the likes of Douglas McDougall, Alan Rankle and Frank Fischer. During the year you can experience changing exhibitions and participate in various events surrounding art. The owner Hans Alf has taken an interest in art all his life and began collecting it in the 1990’s. He has previously been the driving force behind the now closed Galleri København – gallery Copenhagen. In the basement of Hans Alf Gallery you will find Urbanville, which is an exhibition area where you can enjoy more project orientated art exhibitions for a limited period of approximately 14 days.
11
Tante T

11) Tante T

Copenhageners love to drink tea almost as much as they love to drink coffee. One of the city’s most popular tea rooms is Tante T on Viktoriagade in the Vesterbro area. The tea room there is always packed, so in 2008, when the Meatpacking District was on the rise, Tante T opened a second tea room in the White Meat City – not far from the first one. The tea room in number 22 is smaller than the original, and there is only a small sofa to sit on in the middle of the room. Actually it is more a tea shop and tea takeaway. You have a choice of no less than 160 teas, from black teas and green teas to fruit teas and organic teas. Most of them you can bring home with you as a souvenir or gift. The place is a haven for tea lovers, but coffee drinkers will be accommodated to. Remember to treat yourself to a piece of homemade cake. It’s delicious.
12
Butcher's Lab

12) Butcher's Lab

Butcher's Lab is one of the strangest and trendiest places in The Meatpacking District. It is a combined gym and art gallery located just around the corner from Tante T in a 1,000 square meter large former slaughterhouse. The address is Høkerboderne number 10, but it can be a little troublesome finding it. You have to go through the gates and find the entrance on the back of the building. Go up the staircase, and you will find Butcher’s Lab on the top floor. The newly opened Butcher’s Shop on street level helps pointing out the lab above it. The shop sells sports equipment, and you can often see people working out outside on the street as well as to live music. Butcher’s Lab specializes in CrossFit, which is a core strength and conditioning program. While you exercise you can listen to music and experience underground art. Even some of the equipment consists of artworks. Stop for a look or a workout. Afterwards continue up the street to Halmtorvet square, leaving the White Meat City, and you will be back where you started the tour.

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