Why you need to visit Papirøen when in Copenhagen 

Copenhagen is expensive there is no denying that. But foods food and girls gotta eat. Almost every blog I read prior to coming to Copenhagen mentioned Papirøen so naturally, this was something firmly on the ‘to visit’ list. There had to be something behind the hype.

Papirøen (Paper Island) is a small island in the harbour and once was where the Procurement Association of the Danish Process used to keep their paper storage. So the name Paper Island is rather fitting! With these big halls empty over the years the concept of the Copenhagen Street Food came into fruition in 2014. And what an awesome idea it was. In the last few years, a bridge has been built linking Paper Island to both Christianshavn and Central Copenhagen.

It’s a beautiful spot in the harbour opposite The Royal Playhouse and Nyhavn and next to the Opera House. It’s in very good creative company. Within the old halls and smaller buildings, there is a creative space which has a current exhibition from Yoko Ono, offices, cafes and The Copenhagen Street Food. Whilst the Street Food opened in 2014 and they had to wait till 2016 for the bridge linking it to central Copenhagen to be completed. The bridge like most of Copenhagen has a cycle lane so make sure you are walking in the right place so you don’t get mowed down by the cyclists!

Part of Yoko Ono art piece

The main pull for Paper Island is the street food and trust me it’s well worth a visit. The place is huge! There is a substantial selection of food covering all cuisines from the four corners of the globe. You can get main meals, selections of sides, the naughtiest of sweet treats, great beers, cocktails and juices.

There is a nice outdoor section which would be bliss on a beautiful sunny day overlooking the harbour. The beaches and tables outside are all communal and there are shipping containers which double as eating areas and seating platforms. Some of the seating areas are also positioned around huge fire pits which on the day we visited were much needed! Even being a chilly day with the sky threatening to rain the outside areas were packed with tourists and locals alike. It is the place to be.


As soon as you walk into the big factory shed it’s like walking into a travel food heaven. There is more communal benches inside and even some ‘restaurant’ style set ups with tables that you actually book in advance. We opted for the communal benches and some poor chaps had us staring (sorry salivating) at their food while we were trying to decide if we go Chinese, Thai or Mexican. Playing on the industrial feel there were rooftop style areas built upon shipping containers, benches and tables made out of old oil drums and milk cartons, some handy work was made with pallets and they were fashioned into tables and benches. Danish Architecture at its finest.

All of the food stalls had such brilliant designs. My favourite was this pancake stall. The roof was made of old egg cartons! All of the designs worked well together to create fabulous space.


Some of what we eat and drank included below and spoiler alert it was all DELICIOUS


Chicken Penang
Chicken pad Thai
Pizza slices
Nachos
Burrito
Raspberry mojito, passion fruit mojito and strawberry mojito- maybe we had a few too many mojitos
Whisky sour
Apple cider and beers
Decadent chocolate mousse

And the things at the topped it for the boys was .. a delicious creme brûlée doughnut. They are still talking about how amazing it was!

The easiest way to reach is across the Inderhavnsbro bridge at the end of Nyhavn or if you are in Christianshavn then it’s only a short walk from the canals.

If you’re not hungry (and trust me you will be once you get there and the smells hit you) it’s still worth a visit to see what it’s all about and take in the views around the harbour. We didn’t find it overly pricey but it’s still Copenhagen so expect to pay more than you would in the UK.

More details including opening times and the specific food stalls can be found here


My Little Kitchen

One of the best things of being away is doing things that you don’t normally do. On our recent trip back to Australia my partner and I got up at 5am each morning and went for a walk along the golden Gold Coast beaches. At home we would always enjoy a lie in but the sun is up so early in Queensland we didn’t want to waste a second. We would then on our way back home stop and have breakfast. I’m not going to lie one of those breakfast dates did happen at Macca’s. Don’t make that face- we were on holiday and hotcakes are my WEAKNESS!

But then on one of our ‘breakfast dates’ we came across a lovely little place called My Little Kitchen. Located just off the beach in Broadbeach it had a beach vibe and decor to suit.

My sister and her husband opted to join us on this morning so we all had high hopes of a yummy breakfast. They had a small selection of tables outside with a bigger area inside. Obviously most people opted for outside which is what we did. They boasted great coffee but as none of us drank coffee I can’t comment on it. What I can comment on is there amazing smoothies!

I had the Very Berry Blast and it was possibly the best smoothie I have ever had berries, yogurt, almond milk and ginger. The right pick me up for early mornings. I could literally dink this smoothie every day of my life.  The deliciousness didn’t stop there. We tried a few things off the menu- my partner and brother in law had the eggs beni, my sister had the DIY breakfast board and I had the Caramel Belgium Waffles. All are thoroughly recommended and were delish! For a look at other things they have on the menu you can find here http://www.mylittlekitchenbroadbeach.com.au/mlkmainmenu

It was so good that I also had lunch there the very next day. We had tapas which isn’t on their online menu.  I am not sure if that is a regular lunch option or not but it was available when we visited. We had the most amazing squid and prawns. Team those up with the smoothie mentioned above and I would be set for the rest of my life. Almost 2 months on and I still am thinking about them.

On both visits the service was great and welcoming. The only down side is that the bathrooms are shared with a hotel next door and it all just felt a little odd. Other than that the decor was relaxed, great artwork (by a local artist) on the walls which is also for sale and the food played to all the senses.

For the Gold Coast the prices were reasonable however the exchange rate to pounds did push it into the higher breakfast bracket. Another issue that we found in both Australia and NZ is that some places add on a public holiday surcharge to bill and this can range from 10%-20%. As we were away from the 23rd December to 10th of Jan we did seem to have a hell of a lot of public holidays. Something to bear in mind if you are travelling to these countries over the festive season.

If you find yourself on the Gold Coast then make sure you do stop by its a great little find and trust me you won’t regret it.

 

For more info – http://www.mylittlekitchenbroadbeach.com.au/

 

 

Hidden Gem- The Subhouse, Wells UK

Its been a bank holiday weekend here in the UK (exactly the same as Public Holiday just a more British way of saying it) and my other half and I went and enjoyed a day in Wells.

Wells is in the South West of England and is home to the Wells Cathedral, Bishops Palace, markets and is also where the film Hot Fuzz was filmed.  We live just down the road so it was bit of being a tourist in your own area type of day.

My other half had been told about a newish restaurant and we thought we should check it out for lunch. And oh my was this suggestion a good one.

You wouldn’t have known it was there walking down the street kinda like one of the secret bars that keep popping up everywhere. Locate in an all old sub station on a very unassuming street opposite a hideous night club and next to a car wash was the black door that took you to meat heaven.

The atmosphere, décor and communal seating  had been cleverly thought out and all made you feel comfortable, relaxed and like your at home just with way better food.  The staff added to this and we had fantastic service.

The food is mostly burgers, wings, ribs, sticky, saucey and pure delish. My other half opted for the biggest burger on the menu (thinking it may cure his hangover)  and I had a spicy chicken wrap. Both of these were amazing. Super tasty, full of flavours and just  hit the spot. They stock a lot of craft beers and ciders which due to aforementioned hangovers we didn’t try. I did however have a Bounty Hunter milk shake which came with the added bonus of a bounty bar (big thumbs up from me).

Upstairs they have a bar which I am assuming they have for the evening and two games rooms one had Mario Kart on and the other had a foosball table. Beautifully quirky! After speaking to some friends I’ve also heard they do amazing cocktails so will need to go back one evening and give these a try.

Everything was reasonably priced and between the two of us cost under £25.

If  happen to find yourself in this lovely little city then make sure you stop by The Subhouse. Who knows we might be sat on the table next to you- I’ll  be the one with the pink carnation

 

Check them out here- http://www.thesubhouse.co.uk