The toast of Copenhagen’s nightlife

The cities of Malmo and Copenhagen can both come up with a cocktail of sensational surprises when it comes to cool places to have a drink and as everyone loves to practice their English, it is very easy to make friends with the gorgeous and glamorous locals.

Want to be in a place where the evenings last longer? Then head for the Oresund region with its hot balmy nights under the Scandinavian midsummer sun. If you thought their winters were chilly – then it is equally true that their summer nights are hot, hot, hot.

Getting away with a best friend or a group of mates for a few days somewhere new could not be easier. SAS Scandinavian Airlines fly out of five UK airports and in less than 2 hours you’ll find yourselves in the Copenhagen Oresund region. From Copenhagen airport, just hop on the fast train that will swish you directly to the heart of Malmo, Sweden’s third largest city, in just 25 minutes.

After the daily sightseeing and exploration of the new city you will slowly but steadily get into the Nightlife mood. We have done the hard work for you and met up with those who are already in the know on what is hot and where to trot right now in both Malmo and Copenhagen - so get ready to join the chilled out crowd that is out there already.

In Malmo, most head straight for Lilla Torg, the cobbled Little Square right in the heart of town drawing posing partygoers like a magnet most evenings. This is where you find the movers and groovers hanging out. Two bars in particular, Moosehead and Mello Yello seem to attract most of the mixed crowds of urban chic and glitzy party people. The entire square is filled with outdoor tables and chairs, where friends and visitors alike enjoy eating, drinking, chatting and meeting new people. See Melloyello.se and Moosehead.se for more info.

The second area to check out, if you are into rock and retro that is, is the streets around Mollevangstorget, the Mollevangen Square, known locally as ‘Mollan’. The three most popular bars around here right now are Volym at Kristanstadsgatan 7, Metro at Angelhomsgatan 14 and the Tempo Bar in Sodra Skolgatan 30, which also has its own restaurant.

‘Mollan’ is within easy reach of Folkets Park, literary meaning ‘The People’s Park’. This type of venue is found in most Swedish cities, but Malmo’s is the oldest in the country. In the park you will soon hear the music streaming out of Debaser Club and if you are in a samba and hot spicy mood, the rhythms from Cuba Bar will soon lure you inside. Both are competing with live bands and great DJ’s. See Debaser.se/kalender/malmo/ and Cubacafe.se for more details.

Next day, head back over the Oresund Bridge, a great sight in its own right, and you arrive in the coolest capital of Scandinavia – Copenhagen. A fun way of taking in the major sights of this city, is to hop on one of the hundreds of City Bikes that are on offer (Bycyklen.dk). You just pop in a 20Dkr coin deposit, and off you go. The waterfront canal area of Nyhavn is maybe the place to sample the local beer (no prizes for naming it). But the more chilled out urban locals might go elsewhere…. somewhere like nearby Café Quote, located right on Kongen’s Nytorv, with huge glass windows allowing you to take in the view of one of the city’s most popular squares. Great for dining too with tables on two floors. See Cafequote.dk

Further up and just parallel with Stroget, the main pedestrian street is Bar 1105 in Kristen Bernikows Gade. Cocktails are the order of the day here. Old favourites and new innovative taste sensations are created before your eyes with great craftsmanship in elegant but informal interiors. For more information, visit 1105.dk.

The Ruby Bar is really quite special. It can from the outside easily be mistaken for a private residence. It is located opposite the Parliament building, but it is still advisable to pinpoint it on a map before going there. The grand rooms seem to ooze of history. Its high ceiling and polished floors creates a feeling of exclusivity but with homely charms. Cocktails of the highest calibre are on offer, the loved and tested ones as well as new combinations created by the well trained staff. See Rby.dk and Visitcopenhagen.com for more information.

Copenhagen has been high on the international gay ‘must visit’ city scene for a few years now. This year the capital is proud to host the WorldOutgames, 25 July- 2 August. In addition to the sports, a huge cultural programme is also part of the week. For more information, visit Copenhagen2009.org.

Copenhagen is a very inclusive city when it comes to bars and going out, but a couple of great gay bars are worth mentioning. The first one is Café Oscar on City Hall Square, which for a long time been a favourite in the city, also serving light meals. For more information, visit Oscarbarcafe.dk.

The facts:

Flights: Flysas.co.uk. Direct connections from Aberdeen, Manchester, Birmingham, Heathrow and London City Airports.

City details, including lists of bars and clubs to move on to for all night partying: Malmo.se, Visitcopenhagen.com.

For all information on the Copenhagen Oresund region, log on to Visitoresund.info.

For information about travelling to Denmark, see Visitdenmark.com/uk.