Tripatini: The Blog

Hot Danish in Copenhagen’s New “White Meat District”

by David Paul Appell

Resto-bar Karriere, spearhead of hip in Copenhagen's up-and-coming Hvide Kodby neighborhood.

New York City’s isn’t the only meatpacking district that’s gone all gritty-chic in recent years. West of Copenhagen’s main train station, since 2008 the blue-collar and red-light Vesterbro district been morphing into the city’s own version of SoMa or Williamsburg, a magnet for the capital’s boho, creative, and media types, along with students and immigrants. And this year the hottest subsection is Den Hvide Kødby (“White Meatpacking District”), some 3 1/2 acres’ worth of edgy, artsy, still semi-underground vibe anchored by a striking white butchers’ complex dating from the 1930s, along with a main drag called Istegade. Onetime butcher shops and once-skanky prole tenements now burst with galleries, boutiques, bars, and restos, spearheaded by Karriere, an avant-garde, so-far weekends-only café/bar/restaurant/gallery masterminded by artist Jeppe Hein (whoa, check out that moving bar!). Nearby, Art Rebels specializes in indie music, funky objets d’art, and duds from emerging designers like Maxjenny and Karen Segall. Opened just this summer, Kødbyens Fiskebar is all about fish (and all kinds thereof — besides the raw bar, have a gander at the jellyfish salad whilst seated around a giant jellyfish tank; entrees from DKK100/US$18). On Fridays, the place to party is Galop, at the three-story Kødboderne 18, where you’ll catch some of Scandinavia’s hottest up-and-coming DJ’s (no cracks, please). Oh, and those butchers? Some are still in business, and the newcomers hope they stay, but rents have inevitably started rising, so you know how it goes… More info: http://www.VisitCopenhagen.com/Vesterbro.