Cocktail Bar · Nørrebro Border · Copenhagen
Gensyn
A green wooden door, two old lanterns, and a former bodega pouring some of the city's most relaxed serious drinks.
The Pitch
The Bodega That Learned to Stir
Terkel Kleist and Dave Jackson opened Gensyn in April 2017 inside the bones of the old Husar Pub at Rolighedsvej 20, on the Frederiksberg side of the Nørrebro border. The owners insist it is not a cocktail bar; the drinks argue otherwise.
It took Best New Bar in Copenhagen at the 2017 Bartender's Choice Awards in Stockholm, and Cocktails of Copenhagen still describes it as homey vibes with quality cocktails at fair prices. VisitCopenhagen lists it under both cocktail bar and bodega, which is exactly the point.
Who would hate it? Anyone who needs marble, dress codes, and a doorman to believe the drink is good.
The Room
Two Lanterns and a Green Door
Look for the two old lanterns and the green wooden door; inside it still reads as a neighbourhood bodega, worn and warm. The Jungle List describes a local hideout rebuilt around its own history rather than scrubbed of it. Candles, vinyl, and no theatre.
The Drinks
Whisky Deep, Cocktails Fair
The back bar holds around 150 whiskies, the deepest casual whisky shelf in this corner of the city. Cocktails stay classic and fairly priced; Cocktails of Copenhagen calls them damn good for a room that refuses the cocktail bar label.
The eight taps pour small Danish producers like Herslev Bryghus, Hancock, and Brus. Skip nothing; alternate stirred drinks with local pilsner like the regulars do.
The Crowd
Locals First, Industry Late
Frederiksberg and Nørrebro locals fill the front room early; bartenders from across the city drift in after their own shifts. Conversation stays possible all night.
What regulars say:
- Bartender's Choice Awards named it Best New Bar in Copenhagen 2017.
- Cocktails of Copenhagen praises homey vibes and quality drinks at fair prices.
- Yelp reviewers note it looks like a pub but mixes like a cocktail bar.
Who it is for:
- Whisky drinkers allergic to ceremony
- A low key date that still drinks well
- Avoid if you want a long signature menu and theatre serves
Good to Know
Visit Information
Getting there: Rolighedsvej 20, a short walk from Forum metro across the Nørrebro border.
Timing: Evenings; weekends run latest.
Cost: Cocktails at fair neighbourhood prices, taps below cocktail bar rates.
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