Illustration by Fig & Ginger, drawn from the review. The venue's own photo is on its way.
Coffee bar and bakery in Indre By, Copenhagen
Democratic Coffee
Almond Croissants in the Library
Democratic Coffee takes its name from its address. It is bolted onto the side of the Copenhagen Central Library on Krystalgade, near Nørreport, and a library is about the most democratic room a city owns. Students, office workers and anyone with a book and an hour come through the door. It has been doing this since 2011, which in specialty coffee years makes it a grandparent.
The bar is long and thin, with a high counter along four tall windows. A second door leads into the library's seating, where there are tables and armchairs, and nobody minds if your coffee comes with you. Everything to eat is made right behind the counter, including the bread. The house speciality is the almond croissant, baked on the spot twice a day. Order it. The coffee is single-origin and lightly roasted, served as espresso or filter, and because there is no room for a roaster here the team books time on a shared machine out at The Factory on Refshaleøen. Small outfit, big standards, no pretence about it.
There is homemade granola with berry compote if you want to feel virtuous, and cardamom buns if you do not. Go on a weekday morning, take the croissant into the library, find a window seat and read something you have been putting off. Leave the armchair for the next person when you are done. That is the deal.
- Order this
- The almond croissant, A single-origin espresso, A hand-poured V60, Granola with berry compote
- The damage
- $
- Go
- A weekday morning, close to a fresh bake
- Find it
- Krystalgade 15, 1172 København K, Denmark
- Website
- 1000thingsmagazine.com