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While several spots can justifiably claim to serve up the best burger in Berlin (the Bird, Burgermeister, Shiso Burger), there is something effortlessly simple and exquisitely tasty about Tommi’s version that makes it particularly good. The limited menu, handwritten on signs above and to the side of the counter, basically consists of the extra toppings (bacon, avocado, cheese) or sides (fries) you may want with your handmade patty of organic Scottish beef. The burger is flame-grilled and placed between a soft, freshly baked bun filled with crunchy lettuce, tomatoes, and other delicious additions. Despite the American-influenced, casual shacklike interior, this place is actually run by an Icelandic family that has similar outlets in London, Copenhagen, and Reykjavík.

Situated in a position that allows Amalienborg to beautifully frame it, Frederiks Kirke, more commonly referenced as the Marble Church, adds to the beauty of the palatial complex. Started in 1749, the church wasn’t completed until 1894 and sports the largest dome in Scandinavia and one of the largest domes in Europe. While simple, it is well worth a visit and has a beautiful interior with a wonderful dome. While the cathedral itself is interesting, the best part of the church is actually the hardest to get to. Available twice a day, a guide offers trips up to the overlook above the dome. This is worth it for two reasons. First, the view out over Amalienborg Palace and the harbor towards the Opera house is fantastic and not something you’ll see many photos of. Second, the path to the overlook actually takes you inside and above the dome. So, you’ll get to see the void between the interior of the inner dome, and the exterior dome. Even more, you’ll climb stairs that wrap over it—a fun thought when you consider what’s just a few feet below you!

Inspired by the likes of Copenhagen‘s Torvehallerne, Madrid’s Mercado de San Miguel and London’s Borough Market, Amsterdam‘s Food Hallen has been a hit since its debut in October 2014. On weekends, the indoor food court is packed with locals and tourists looking for a choice of ethnic flavors and foods in a gezellig (if noisy) environment. In the maze of stalls, vendors proffer everything from Vietnamese street food to gourmet hot dogs, pizza, burgers and fresh-baked bakery items. Familiar names like The Butcher, Caulils, Wild Moa Pies, Bbrood, Pink Flamingo and Petit Gateau are represented alongside more foreign newcomers like Bulls and Dogs and Viet View. There’s something for everyone in the mix, at prices just above what a fast food meal will run you in Amsterdam. The food court is within De Hallen, a transformed tram depot now housing cafés, upscale restaurants, a public library, movie halls, eclectic businesses and a hotel. The €37.5 million multi-use project has given new life to an Oud-West landmark that had fallen into disrepair, while also contributing to gentrification of a multicultural pocket on the edge of Amsterdam’s historic canal ring. Eet smakelijk!

Reykjavík’s Laundromat Café is one of the city’s most casual and upbeat places to hang out, whether you want to drink a fine craft beer, enjoy brunch, or—yes—do your laundry. The sister enterprise of the original establishment in Copenhagen, it’s kitted out in a classic American-diner style, with leather stools around a central bar and a smattering of perpetually full tables and booths. The menu spans healthy brunches, Sunday roasts, soups, sandwiches, and burgers, and there’s also a decent list of wines and beers (including local craft beers). Plus there are hundreds of books you can borrow, trade, or buy, board games to play (Yahtzee, backgammon, chess, or cards), and newspapers and magazines to read. Laundry machines can be found in the basement, and there’s a playroom for kids plus a children’s brunch option.

A five-star property in an old transformer station, Hotel Herman K brings industrial-chic style to the heart of Copenhagen. Much of the building’s raw, unpolished architecture has been preserved, lending the hotel an edgy vibe. A façade of dark bronze slats and large glass doors leads to the lobby, where a custom-designed artwork by Pio Diaz hangs from 40-foot ceilings. Down moody, dimly lit hallways, each of the 31 rooms and suites hides behind a black curtain, which is pulled aside for the duration of your stay. Inside, sleek furniture, soft carpets, and concrete walls contrast with white marble bathrooms, creating an altogether futuristic feeling. In fact, guests can even control the lights and sound from bed via panels in the headboard or steam their home media directly to the TV and speakers. If you need a break from all the technology, many rooms also include private balconies or terraces.

Herman K comes courtesy of Brøchner Hotels (Denmark’s leading boutique hotel chain) and features many of the company’s signature amenities, including a healthy, organic breakfast and a “night cap hour” with complimentary drinks. Should guests want something more substantial, Herman K is also home to Roxie, a three-story restaurant from the team behind two-Michelin-starred Nordic restaurant Kadeau.

It’s one of the hardest reservations to score in the country, but not just because of its diminutive size (22 seats in all) or limited days of operation (Wednesday to Saturday; dinner only). For one, the Catbird Seat feels both intimate and exclusive: Guests are seated at a U-shaped counter that surrounds a central open kitchen. Then, there’s the thrill of the unknown.

Strategic Hospitality, the Nashville-based restaurant group started by homegrown entrepreneurs Ben and Max Goldberg, has hired a roster of notable chefs for extended stints, giving them carte blanche to create whatever inspires them during their tenure. Among them: Trevor Moran, an alumnus of Noma in Copenhagen. Since January 2016, Chicago-born chef Ryan Poli (another Noma vet, who also trained at the French Laundry) has held the reins, calling upon influences from his two-year stint working in kitchens around the world. A couple of recent hits: an umami-rich black truffle risotto made with sunflower seeds instead of rice, and noodles made with nori and spiked with zesty yuzu.

Built in 1883, the Parsonage is a Victorian time capsule and historic landmark in the Lower Haight. Owners Joan Hull and John Phillips lived and raised their kids in the mansion before converting it to a bed and breakfast in the late ‘90s. The self-described “neurotically hospitable” couple takes a hands-on approach to running the inn. From checking in guests to preparing breakfast, they take care of nearly everything.

Sticking with the historical theme, the five guestrooms are named after such famous female San Franciscans as Lily Coit and Alma Spreckles. All accommodations feature a private bathroom with a marble shower and a handcrafted made-in-San-Francisco mattress. Hull and Phillips carefully curated the European and American antiques that decorate the residence’s rooms, two of which have working fireplaces. Thoughtful touches like fresh flowers and locally sourced breakfast ingredients make the Parsonage feel more like a cozy home than an inn.

This place is an interesting blend. In the recent Danish tradition, it is a partnership between a number of different creative types. This time, those personalities happen to be design-oriented people from the food, interior design, and dinnerware design communities. This restaurant has focused completely on providing a rich, intensely rustic experience that embodies modern trends in both the New Nordic cuisine movement and Danish design. Recent offerings include flounder with fried chicken skin and sauce made from fermented asparagus and grilled lobster with juniper pancake and pointed cabbage. Photo: Höst.

Mama Shelter’s owners, who launched the Flèche d’Or indie rock club across the street, turned an outlying location in the 20^th arrondissement into an advantage. They enlisted Philippe Starck to design the restaurant, bar, pizzeria, and summer rooftop terrace—which now attract poets, artists, and counterculture types from across the city. The hotel’s street cred is still intact years after the 2008 opening, and the decor—black ceilings turned into graffiti chalkboards bearing literary quotations; Mexican wrestling and Halloween masks turned into lamp shades; tree trunks used as stools—remains relentlessly hipster without being overwhelming; guests could be young parents with sleeve tattoos toting baby carriers in the elevators.

Bike culture is a core part of the Copenhagen lifestyle. One way to experience this is to take advantage of Copenhagen’s relatively new tourist bikes. These are the white bikes located throughout the city (check the website for pickup points). You can pick up the bike, and rent it on the spot. The bikes have LCD screens with directions and electric engines to supplement your peddle power. When you’re done, you just return the bike to the nearest empty station and you’re all set!

The success of the TV drama Borgen has piqued international interest in the building that houses the Danish government. Christiansborg Palace (from which Borgen takes its name) is also the tallest tower in the city center, and it’s free to visit though you will have to go through airport-style security to get in. There’s a viewing platform or, better yet, go to the casual restaurant in the tower. One of the most unusual and memorable places to dine in Copenhagen, the belfry-like eatery has a Harry Potter–like charm, with casts of sculptures left over from the time the space was used as a storage room.

From the formal to the casual, various patterns of the distinctive blue-and-white china that’s a familiar sight in Danish homes are artfully displayed in the three-story flagship store on Amagertorv. Upstairs you’ll find impeccably laid tables showcasing the china at its best, and there are often demonstrations by the painters who hand-decorate each piece. You can also learn more about the ultimate Danish china, Flora Danica, which was originally created in 1790 as a gift for Catherine the Great of Russia. It’s beautiful, historic . . . and shockingly expensive.

On Madklubben’s website is a manifesto that sums up its philosophy: “to offer excellent food and drink for an unusually reasonable price.” That’s not an idle boast. You can get one course for 100 kroner ($16), two courses for 150 ($24), or three for 200 ($32), featuring dishes such as mushroom pie, veal with pickled beets, and cured cod with horseradish cream – a great deal in a notably expensive city (with well-priced wine on the menu, to boot). The original venue, Madklubben Bistro-de-Luxe, is still going strong in central Copenhagen near the Queen’s Palace, and there are now several other locations scattered around town.

The Trinitatis Church was built in the mid 1600s at the same time as the Round Tower astrological observatory which is attached to it and replaces what would otherwise be its bell tower. Trinitatis Church is part of the Trinitatis complex and was used by the University of Copenhagen for much of it’s history. The church is accessed through doors to the side which is slightly deceptive and causes my visitors to overlook it. The church is representative of the massive building projects that defined Christian IV’s reign.

This group of more than 30 cafés across Denmark are open early, so they’re great for breakfast. The tea, coffee, and sandwiches are all very nice, but what really sets Lagkagehuset apart is the quality of the cakes. It would take an iron will to resist one of their strawberry tarts or a slice of Christianshavnerkage, a hazelnut torte topped with strawberry-vanilla cream and berries. The café in Copenhagen overlooks the lakes, and when the water glitters on a sunny day, there are few places more pleasant for an impromptu afternoon tea.