One of Copenhagen’s best cafes is hidden off the lobby of the city’s main library, Københavns Hovedbibliotek, several blocks from Nørreport station. Head to the right when you enter the library and you’ll find your way into a room with a long wood paneled bar. You could almost be excused for thinking this is where you should check out your books, if it weren’t for the bakery in the back and the coffee equipment.
Oliver, the shop’s proprietor whose curly hair and glasses make him hard to miss, serves a great espresso using coffees from Koppi, a well regarded roastery in Sweden. When I visited they were serving a Rwanda Rubavu single origin that was sweet, citrusy, chocolatey, and thoroughly enjoyable. They also bake a variety of pastries in house, including delicious properly made croissants and other creations you can see below.
Few things go as well together as a stack of interesting books, a great coffee, and a delicious pastry. If I had lived on the Danish side of the Oresund while working on my masters degree, you would certainly have found me camped out at Democratic all the time! If you’re in the city, definitely pop in for a visit.
Also, you can see the work that goes into the pastries and the coffee in this nice little video put together by Julie at Strutterview.com (she writes about her visit here).
Below are a bunch of pictures I took. Unfortunately I didn’t have my regular Nikon DSLR with me, so we’ll have to settle for these iPhone images. Sorry!
I’m sad I didn’t get to try anything like this caramel apricot concoction when I visited, but check out the picture I nicked from Democratic’s Facebook page. If this isn’t a must-try, I don’t know what is.
Hours, Address, Directions, Map:
Krystalgade 15, København
Monday – Friday: 8:00AM – 7:00PM
Saturday: 9:00AM – 4:00PM
Phone: +45 40 19 62 37
Web: http://www.democratic-coffee.com/
View FRSHGRND – Global Cafe Guide in a larger map
6 comments
Anne-Mette says:
Dec 12, 2012
So true – it’s a lovely place, good people, and excellent coffee!
Helle Belle says:
Dec 12, 2012
I totally agree! Love the coffee, the graphic identity and Oliver is such a fantastic man!
Michael Butterworth says:
Dec 12, 2012
Wow! I wish I had known about this shop when I visited in 2010. This only confirms that I need to visit Copenhagen again!
Helle Belle says:
Dec 12, 2012
I didn’t exist in 2010, it opened some time last year :)
Hope you’ll enjoy Copenhagen and a nice cup of coffee at Democratic Coffee next time you visit Denmark!
Mondomulia says:
May 3, 2013
I am going to Copenhagen tonight and your blog posts are very useful! I can’t wait to try Democratic Coffee and Coffee Collective! :)
10 Places To Eat, Drink, And Hang Out In Copenhagen - Sprudge.com says:
Oct 2, 2013
[…] good baked goods and sandwiches are made in-house, from scratch by the owner. Read more in this nice article written by fellow Sprudge contributor Aaron Frey, at his […]