Fish and chips is one of my favourite dishes – deceptively simple and when done right, always hits the spot. So when a friend suggested that the best fish and chips (in Denmark presumably because let’s not be silly!) was to be found in Hornbæk and asked if I wanted to go, I was like, don’t threaten me with a good time – of course, I’m in!
Hornbæk is a seaside resort town in north Sjælland, where the well-heeled from Copenhagen escape to their summerhouses and the beach. Well worth a visit to get out of the city but just know that getting there is a mission if you don’t have a car. Seriously, if you’re going to use public transport, you really have to want to go, to go. From Copenhagen Central Station, you should take one of the national trains to Helsingør and then change at Helsingør to a little train going to Gilleleje and jump out at Hornbæk. As I said, a mish, involving 3 different forms of transport for me – Metro, then national rail before the local train to Gilleleje. The journey took us just under 2 hours (roughly 1 hour and 40mins) so if you’re going to embark on the adventure, make sure to follow your journey planner/Google Maps app meticulously to avoid adding on extra time.
There is a chilled pace to the town and it definitely screams vacation vibes as you walk through it. First port of call for us was Interiør Cafeen (“the Interior Cafe”), which we stumbled across as we strolled through the town. It’s a treasure trove of furnishings from here, there and everywhere. The owner was so cool and fun to chat with, that we almost spent our afternoon there because we were having so much fun. But the beach and more importantly, my fish and chips beckoned so we had to get back on the road. I really want to go back, and soon, because there are so many cute boutiques, restaurants and cafes lining the streets, I wanna spend a bit more time exploring them.
I don’t know if we were just lucky but there weren’t that many people on the beach, even though it was the height of the summer vacation. Maybe people don’t know about Hornbæk. I doubt it but just in case, delete this post from your mind! The weather was beautiful and it felt like we had the beach almost to ourselves. Speaking of, the beach is absolutely stunning, and has a little bit of a wild untouched feel to it. I don’t know how to explain it, it’s just gorgeous. What I do know is that I need to figure out how to make enough money to buy one of the houses just off the beach because wow, just wow. For now though, I’ll just stay at Villa Strand and pretend it’s my seaside getaway from the big city. Oh and just in case you were wondering what happened to the fish and chips? It was delicious.
