At the turn of the year 2025 to 2026, Google has come up with a gift for its numerous users.
From now on, the pages, tailored to the most common search terms by artificial intelligence and consisting of generic lists and platitudes will no longer appear at the top of the search results.
Instead, the search engine will give preference to pages that have clearly been written by people who have real expertise and present unique and genuinely personal experiences.
And so an artificial intelligence is currently checking whether our texts sound like artificial intelligence to an artificial intelligence. The thought makes me feel slightly dizzy.
The smell of toast and coffee fills me with an incredible sense of warmth. It carries the promise that this day will start off right. It always has.
As a child, I begged my parents endlessly to let me try their coffee. When they finally gave in and allowed me a sip, the disappointment was crushing. It was bitter, harsh and nothing like the comforting aroma I had imagined.
I didn’t touch coffee again for a decade.
I can still picture my parents’ satisfied expressions, convinced they had won a small victory in parenting.
That was long before baristas in suspenders started crafting latte art, before we could choose from five different kinds of milk, before tiny backyard roasteries began popping up in hip urban neighborhoods.
But one thing has never changed - my love for the smell of coffee.
I’m rarely the type to march through the supermarket, checklist in hand, darting from aisle to aisle like a woman on a mission.
More often, I meander through the shelves, half-lost in thought, on the lookout for inspiration.
That’s probably why the shopping cart of the lean marathon runner catches my eye - tofu, low-fat cottage cheese and a suspicious number of eggs.
It reminds me of a story a friend recently told.
In his office, an employee asked to speak with him urgently, in private.
Oddly, the man had skipped both his direct supervisor and that supervisor’s boss, going straight to my friend - the boss’s boss…
“Do you have anything gluten-free? So, no milk?”
“You mean lactose-free?”
“I’d prefer vegan.”
“Well, we have a fruit salad or some of our sandwiches can be made vegan. There’s also a bagel with…”
“I’ll take the scrambled eggs.”
“Ah. Okay. I thought you wanted something vegan?”
“No, just gluten-free. I always say vegan for that.”
“Alright, so we’ll leave out the toast with the scrambled eggs to keep it gluten-free?”
“No, that’s not necessary. Toast is fine.”
Anyone thinking this conversation is made up couldn’t be more wrong.
The late nineties had faded into the past and the enthusiasm of the new millennium was beginning to wane.
I had graduated from the Technical University of Munich as an architect and decided to stash my Buffalo platforms along with the low-rise jeans in the attic.
But slipping into the black turtleneck of the architecture guild in my late twenties didn’t quite feel right.
The creative spark of my studies had fizzled out in the dusty routine of office life, bogged down by liability clauses and dull government regulations.
I couldn’t muster much excitement for the idea of arguing with the building authority.
So my husband and I surprised our parents with the plan to open a café with a concept store.
Tulips, windmills, Gouda? Of course - if you want to, you can find that charming cliché everywhere in Holland.
And we realise we’re asking for a leap of trust when we say that our secret tip is located in Amsterdam’s Nine Streets, which are actually anything but secret.
But those who, like us, love good cheese should know that the art of cheese-making has been cultivated in the Netherlands for centuries.
And at De Kaaskamer, the lovely little cheese shop in the old town, the finest local cheeses are stacked right up to the ceiling.
A chef with South American roots, trained in European Michelin-starred cuisine, cooking with local Dutch produce.
The combination is just as exciting as it sounds.
Orlando David’s restaurant, with the unpretentious name R21, won our hearts straight away.
Set in a beautiful historic Amsterdam house on the edge of the Lastage district, it is laid out over three adjoining rooms.
Each is as elegantly furnished as the next, yet the refined restaurant does not feel intimidating.
The welcome could hardly be warmer, and a glass of champagne is served here with French nonchalance as a delightful aperitif to accompany Dutch Zeeland oysters.
The name of this small hotel chain promises us an extra hour on top of any ordinary day.
We all love that wonderful feeling of having experienced so much in a single day that it feels longer than any other.
On the water-surrounded Paper island we look out from our bed at the 25 Hours, over the glistening waves in the North Harbour, the park in front of the modern Royal Opera House, to the green dome of Frederiks Church and the houses on the former naval site, where small boats bob and the first guests sit outside Hart Bageri.
Clearly the perfect place from which we dive into our day in Copenhagen brimming with energy.
Have you tried our tip for Hija de Sanchez, Rosio Sanchez's fantastic taco stands in Torvehallerne or Broens Gadekøkken?
If you like it here, you'll definitely be just as enthusiastic as we are about Rosio's fine dining restaurant Sanchez in Vesterbro.
So far, it has mainly been rustic American Tex-Mex cuisine that has made its way to Europe. But it has never quite won our hearts.
At Sanchez, we learn how finely tuned Mexican food can be.
Upplandsgatan runs straight and steadily uphill through charming Norrmalm to Gustaf Vasa Church with its imposing green dome.
Halfway up, simple wooden benches are screwed onto a classic Stockholm house, adapted to the sloping street.
The people sitting here are relaxed, in good moods and seem to know each other.
So, a cool Swedish bar in a hip neighbourhood? Almost!
For many, the epitome of Danish cuisine is the Smørrebrød.
At Selma, near the Copenhagen Market Halls, this classic dish is elevated to an exquisite delicacy, crafted with the finest ingredients and a lot of love.
In a relaxed, familial atmosphere, it’s a joy to explore the imaginative versions of this traditional favorite.
From a pop-up idea by the famous Noma chef, René Redzepi, Popl Restaurant has become a permanent spot for burger gourmets.
"Burger" and "gourmet" sound like a mismatch in one sentence? Not at Popl!
Here, the beloved fast food is transformed into mindful slow food, crafted with the best ingredients and extraordinary Noma expertise.
Near the Copenhagen harbor promenade, a few steps up on Peder Skrams Gade 15, you enter Iluka.
A floor-length red curtain along one side of the room hints at an elegant theatrical production.
Indeed, the carefully selected and lovingly prepared seafood and fish we enjoy deserve this special presentation.
On the right, the room is bright and welcoming, with warm, unpretentious wooden furniture and a white-tiled bar.
This is how we experience our visit to Iluka - exquisite and refined, yet relaxed and familial.
Overlooking the water with a view of the harbor, you can sit on simple wooden benches and indulge in burgers, tacos, seafood and much more, accompanied by Danish beer, homemade lemonades, or creamy milkshakes.
Italy has an enclave in Copenhagen!
At Bæst in Nørrebro, our foodie hearts soar.
The best local organic products and the skilled hands of Chef Christian Puglisi ensure that even the simplest dishes are a grand delight.
From pizza to pistachio ice cream, we indulge in a Danish-Italian Dolce Vita.
