Insider's guide to... Copenhagen

What's the weather like now? The Danes tend to get a North Sea-cooled version of British weather, or are on the receiving end of chilly blasts of air from the rest of Scandinavia. There are better times to visit than February - though there's always the chance of a few pleasant sunny days.

What's the weather like now? The Danes tend to get a North Sea-cooled version of British weather, or are on the receiving end of chilly blasts of air from the rest of Scandinavia. There are better times to visit than February - though there's always the chance of a few pleasant sunny days.

What are the locals complaining about? Do residents of the wonderful Danish capital have anything to complain about? Well, the Europe-wide BSE crisis has annoyed people and so has the price to cross the recently opened Oresund bridge. Generally, Copenhageners are well-educated and well-paid and inhabit a wonderfully relaxed and sophisticated city. However, if you're an immigrant you confront high unemployment, burgeoning racism and, compared with the rest of the city, bad living conditions. Just over a year ago immigrants took to the streets and rioted.

Who's the talk of the town? The recently deceased Danish comic Victor Borge is to have a square named after him. Some people aren't happy about this, so there is some controversy about it. Then there is Henrik Boserup, a notoriously mad chef and Harley-Davidson riding enfant terrible, who has just got the boot from Copenhagen's swankiest hotel, the Angleterre. In protest he threw out all his toys, much to the delight of the media gossipmongers. Also, the controversial minister of agriculture, Ritt Bjerregaard, who is refusing to pay out to farmers who have had to destroy their BSE-infected cattle, saying that they were to blame. The country is split 50/50 on this issue, so she is unlikely to have to resign.

What's the cool drink? Kir Imperial - a mix of champagne, kir and vodka - though G&T has a certain retro cachet. Lattes and the coffee bug is a favourite with the laid-back crowd, but beer - huge amounts of it - gets quaffed by everybody. After all, the Carlsberg brewery is one of the country's biggest industries.

What are people eating? Ashtray-flavoured food remains popular, as many of the capital's restaurants refuse to create no-smoking areas, citing the personal freedom of the smokers as their justification. Denmark, unsurprisingly enough, has an atrocious record for smoking-related deaths. Otherwise, the pastries and bakeries are truly awesome, while pork fat, meat and sausage are scoffed in huge amounts. The more sophisticated urbanites are drifting towards ciabatta, Parma ham, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and the like. You'll also find a good array of Thai food and, more recently, a smattering of Scandic-fusion cuisine served in sleek settings.

What's the latest outrageous stuff on TV? Kanal Copenhagen, a state-subsidised free-to-air local channel - the locals call it "Anal" - shows butt-wrenching ultra-hardcore porn two nights a week. The fare broadcast here would give half the population of Britain a seizure for one reason or another, but remarkably Danish civilisation has not yet collapsed. In fact, calls to stop "Anal" Copenhagen fell on deaf ears and the station is going from strength to strength. Denmark's version of Big Brother includes a character who has garnered the moniker "dildo Jill" and she is a lot more fun than nasty Nick ever was. More evidence of how dull the British can be about sex.

Where wouldn't the locals dream of going? It used to be Sweden, but after the collapse of the Swedish krona a few years ago the Danes headed to Malmo, a 30-minute train ride away, where they walked the streets waving wads of Danish kroner. These days Copenhageners avoid places where either Swedish tourists or provincial Danish visitors hang out.

Where are the locals going that tourists don't know about? In the past few years the inner-city area of Norrebro - that for years had been a hotbed of left-wing political agitation and riots (the Copenhagen police notoriously shot and wounded 11 anti-EU demonstrators here in 1993) - has become gentrified. Here, Sankt Hans Torv and Blagards Plads provide the focus for some of the hippest bars and clubs in town. The super-cool action man Crown Prince Frederik is even known to frequent this manor, but this trendy quarter can also be irritating. Alternatively, the far end of Istedgade, which at its beginning by the central station is full of brothels and porno shops, is now blooming with groovy boutiques, cafés and bars filled with the cooing chatter of bright young things. Carry on a bit further and you'll reach the nightclub Vega, an essential stop when visiting the city and allegedly Björk's favourite hang out.

Where are the chic people doing their shopping? Those who can afford it head for Kronprinsensgade where the hippest boutiques in the city vie for attention. Munthe plus Simonsen - Helena Christiansen's favourite - has a men's and women's outlet here. This store has undoubtedly had a massive impact on the Scandinavian fashion sensibility. Bruns Bazaar is another place worth airing your platinum card.

What's the trendy place to escape for the weekend? Most people here have access to some kind of summer house. Young rich folk in the know are colonising the picturesque northern coast of Zealand, where beaches back on to delightful pine woods - Gilleleje and Tisvildeleje are particularly popular spots. A summer day-trip to Klampenborg, a few miles north of the city centre, is another option, with a great beach, a forest full of deer and a bawdy amusement park.

Andrew Spooner is the co-author of the new 'Mini Rough Guide to Copenhagen'.