After work initially brought him to Copenhagen, Lionel Boyce envisioned returning \u2014 more specifically, for those vibrant Danish summers he had heard about. Mr. Boyce, who plays the curious and driven pastry chef Marcus Brooks on the hit culinary drama \u201cThe Bear,\u201d had only visited the city in the winter.<\/p>\n
He wanted to experience the 17 hours of daylight in July and watch locals do cannonballs into the canals for early-evening dips directly after work. When Mr. Boyce, 35, finally came back to Copenhagen for a visit in 2023, he took a rain check on the impromptu canal swim.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t see people doing it when I was there, so I wasn\u2019t going to be the only one just to jump in by myself,\u201d Mr. Boyce, a native and resident of Los Angeles, said in a phone interview.<\/p>\n
The fifth and final season of \u201cThe Bear\u201d debuted June 25 on FX and Hulu. For the popular \u201cHoneydew\u201d episode in Season 2, Marcus traveled to Copenhagen to train under a renowned dessert chef.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just a person facing their fear,\u201d Mr. Boyce said of the appeal of Marcus\u2019s self-discovery during that episode. \u201cHe has a lot of responsibilities at home. It\u2019s a little bit of escapism, but it\u2019s in a grounded way.\u201d<\/p>\n
When he wasn\u2019t making quenelles onscreen, Mr. Boyce, who also starred in the recent film \u201cProject Hail Mary,<\/a>\u201d was at Restaurant Barabba<\/a> dining on contemporary Italian and at Slurp Ramen<\/a> (where he suggests ordering karaage, Japanese fried chicken). He marveled at the simplicity and tidiness of the city\u2019s architecture and style.<\/p>\n On his most recent trip, Mr. Boyce popped by HAY House<\/a>, the Danish design and furniture flagship store on the trendy Ostergade street, where he admired the quirky trinkets and purchased a colorful wall clock.<\/p>\n \u201cCopenhagen is cool, because it\u2019s a city that looks like the idea of form follows function,\u201d he said. \u201cEverything\u2019s intentional, and there\u2019s order without rigidity. People hold each other to a certain standard.\u201d<\/p>\n Here are five of Mr. Boyce\u2019s top spots in Copenhagen:<\/p>\n Mr. Boyce called this seaside gem, 35 miles north of the city, \u201cmy favorite museum in the world.\u201d It has expansive greenery, coastal views and a 60-piece sculpture park. The scenic 45-minute train ride is, he said, part of the appeal: \u201cI love the location, I love the experience of getting there, the journey and just everything about it.\u201d The first time Mr. Boyce visited the museum, he took in an Arthur Jafa exhibition that explored the creative power of Black cultural life in contrast with the political landscape. He makes it a point to revisit the museum every time he is in town because it \u201cfeels like I\u2019ve transported somewhere so far away from anything that I\u2019ve known,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n While Copenhagen is home to many extraordinary bakeries, Hart Bageri \u2014 specifically the original location in the upscale Frederiksberg area \u2014 has sentimental value. Before filming Season 2 of \u201cThe Bear,\u201d Mr. Boyce completed his own two-week stage at this award-winning kitchen under the creative director Talia Richard-Carvajal. He learned how to make fresh batches of the wildly popular cardamom croissant \u2014 which, of course, he would incessantly snack on afterward. \u201cAnd someone was like, \u2018You know how many calories those hold, right?\u2019\u201d he said, joking that he also regrets nothing.<\/p>\n Chicken sandwiches hit different at Poulette, a local favorite in Norrebro, the city\u2019s most culturally diverse neighborhood. \u201cI don\u2019t really get many spicy things in Europe that have that kind of kick to it,\u201d said Mr. Boyce, who once ate three crispy fried chicken sandwiches on a visit. The spare, no-frills space offers no seating. If you are seeking a similar ambience with place to sit, he suggests heading to the airy wine bar next door, Pompette<\/a>. Both are owned by Martin Ho, a restaurateur and, according to Mr. Boyce, a fascinating gentleman. \u201cHe\u2019s really smart, and has a great perspective,\u201d Mr. Boyce said, \u201cand I feel like he\u2019s one of those people who aren\u2019t intentionally philosophical.\u201d<\/p>\n The amusement park Tivoli Gardens, a major inspiration for Walt Disney, who visited in 1951, is home to one of the world\u2019s oldest wooden roller coasters. Since much of the filming occurred at night, Mr. Boyce\u2019s mornings and afternoons were wide open. \u201cSo I would start my days over at the Tivoli Gardens, and ride a couple of rides and leave,\u201d he said. Sometimes he would go solo; other times he would corral some of the show\u2019s production team and his co-star Ayo Edebiri (who made the trip despite not appearing in any Copenhagen scenes) to go to the park, which is in the center of town next to Copenhagen Central train Station. Mr. Boyce\u2019s favorite attraction is Villa Vendetta, the year-round haunted house, whose costumed staff get into full character \u2014 one might even stroke your hair to heighten the terror. \u201cThey would never have a haunted house where you can let the monsters touch you in America, because that just seems like a lawsuit waiting to happen,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Mr. Boyce never passes up a chance to dine at the Mexican-and-Nordic-inspired Sanchez. \u201cIt\u2019s authentic. It\u2019s real Mexican food over in Europe \u2014 it\u2019s delicious,\u201d Mr. Boyce said. He recommends the carnitas taco with a cured egg yolk or the sea bass taco with fresh housemade tortillas. For dessert, the sweet potato tart is a must (the owner, Rosio S\u00e1nchez, was a pastry chef at Noma, one of Copenhagen\u2019s most famous restaurants.) Because Ms. S\u00e1nchez is from Chicago, where \u201cThe Bear\u201d is primarily filmed, the two forged a quick friendship during Mr. Boyce\u2019s early visits. And that 2023 trip isn\u2019t likely to be his last visit to Sanchez, or to Copenhagen. We may never see Marcus return to the place that changed his path as a pastry chef, but Mr. Boyce already has plans to come back.<\/p>\n Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram<\/a> and sign up for our Travel Dispatch newsletter<\/a> to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2026<\/a>.<\/p>\n