GALATHEA BAR – A REMIXED COPENHAGEN CLASSIC

While many nightlife entrepreneurs pander to the under-30 Instagram and bottle-service crowd, the legendary but now remixed Galathea Bar is heading in the opposite direction, with one clear rule: no guests under 35 unless supervised by an adult…

The history: GALATHEA opened in 1953. Hidden just off the hyper-central City Hall Square and Strøget, the venue now combines Verner Panton design, artefacts from the Galathea expedition and a touch of founder Jakob’s legendary, now-closed Stereo Bar — the epicentre of Copenhagen’s creative nightlife in the 1990s, where Björk, Radiohead, Helena Christensen and whoever else happened to be in town danced to trip-hop while, for example, U2 producer Howie B DJed or Jimi Tenor performed live.

At Galathea today, you can still expect downtempo music and classics, drinks, veteran ravers, elegant expats and connoisseur DJs every Saturday, playing everything except trap, pop, EDM and hard techno. Copenhagen was missing a place where the party starts early — even on weekdays — so we can get to bed at a respectable hour. So come early: the venue closes at midnight.

The expedition: Galathea is more than just a fancy name. The venue houses a collection of artefacts from the 1953 Galathea expedition, which explored, among other places, the Atlantic Ocean, South Africa, the Indian Ocean, Indonesia and the Philippines, the Pacific Ocean and Central America.

Alongside canoes, tribal masks and a cornucopia of antiques, the most famous discovery associated with the expeditions is Neopilina galatheae — a small deep-sea mollusc that was previously believed to exist almost exclusively as a fossil. It was a little like discovering a living prehistoric animal. The jazz bar: In 1953, Galathea was established as a bar and became known for its strong connection to Copenhagen’s jazz scene. Ella Fitzgerald gave an intimate concert there — a legacy that continues today, including through a rich programme during the Copenhagen Jazz Festival.The present: The venue is now bright, airy, smoke-free and restyled with Panton lamps, Simon Henningsen lamps originally designed for the old Radio House, and a Martin London Sound system that makes Galathea a refined listening bar with mini-club capacity.

Galathea prefers an authentic vibe and organic growth and therefore operates an anti-promotion strategy, with paper flyers as its primary weapon.The future: The bar guarantees a strong selection of house DJs on Saturdays, but also experiments on Thursdays and Fridays. Chris Sullivan from London’s iconic Wag Club, for example, recently played here.

Galathea is open Wednesday to Saturday from 3 p.m. to midnight, so keep an eye on Galathea’s program here: 

GALATEHA FACEBOOK

COPENHAGENS SECRET SOUNDTRACK