Den Tatoverede Enke

I came here for a dinner and had the lamb with a spinach purée, three different types of belgian beer and rhubarb cake to finish it off. The food was exquisite. The dessert especially was divine. The chef himself came out each time and explained the meal to us. The lamb was very tender and the sauce complimented it well.

While everyone looks towards København V for the fine brews, there are a few good bars on the Ø side of town. Indeed, there was a time when if you wanted good beer in a bar in Copenhagen, your choice was Den Tatoverede Enke or Charlies Bar.
Den Tatoverede Enke (The Tattooed Widow) is one of there. The Black Swan offers the selection of Danish microbrews, Charlies Bar offers cask ale in the hyggelig pub, where as Den Tatoverede Enke is the gastro-​pub. Or, perhaps, a restaurant with a very good bar.
Hidden down a passage off Gothersgade, the bar is worth seeking out. Downstairs the bar flys the widest selection of Belgian beers you will find in this city and acceptable prices. There are a handful of (older) regulars, though this is more of an occasional treat for most customers it seems.
Upstairs the atmosphere is very different and you are in a very good Belgian restaurant (and the Belgians care very much about their food). I will write more about this part when I next visit.

What a fantastic beer bar! Just the available options on tap is enough to make me giddy, never mind the rest of their impressive bottle selection.
The drinks on offer are beer, of course, and whiskey (although I did not try any whiskey). The beer selection is phenomenal. If you’re uncertain of what you might like, you can always ask to sample first. Although the majority of their beers are Belgian, there are a few Danish microbrews hidden in their list as well.
In the early evening, the bar is a quiet spot for older Danish men hanging out and enjoying their beers, and later on the crowd shifts towards younger guys and couples. Throughout all of it, the bar felt comfortable and casual. Usually on a Saturday night, good bars in town are packed to capacity. Possibly because this place it’s such a specific sort of bar catering to a narrow market, the space while full was never over crowded. There’s certainly no rush or clamour at this place, you get the feeling everyone is taking some time to enjoy the beer.
Prices for the beer are on the steep side, but not outrageous. Kr50−60 for 25 cl might seem really high, but keep in mind most of these beers are 8−9% alcohol and are meant to be consumed slowly and not shotgunned like a Kr15 Tuborg.

this belgian beer bar is worth a visit on payday. the kiwi behind the counter is sweet and he recommends a damn good beer; served it its proper glass, no less. i had the opportunity to try the famed westvleteren 8, which was not an experience i’ll soon forget. the brasserie upstairs is also worth a visit, though i can’t recommend the ribeye steak unless you like it half chewy, half tender. it was served with a small side salad in an even smaller bowl, which made it a bit complicated to eat. i would have prefered some mash with the steak instead of salad at all. however, the guinea fowl and cheese plate were flawless, as well as the beer pairings.