Copenhagen & Malmo

On entering Ruby, you may think you've stumbled into a banker's wedding reception. The beautiful upstairs bar is fit to burst with a dazzling array of suits and glamazons, sipping designer cocktails in stylish garms. It's bright enough to see and be seen - in the early stages of the night at least, this can make you a little self-conscious. Grab a drinks menu and get merry speedy times on the luscious cocktails.

Alternatively, wander into the more relaxed, main upstairs room and take in the shabby chic décor: beautiful light-bulb chandeliers, high ceilings, polished oak cabinets, plush sofas, brocade rugs, gleaming white walls dotted with big old mirrors, fabric stools with tapestry coverings and eggshell-blue distressed doors. Ruby is where artfully tatty meets opulent - even the little smoking garden has dog-tooth pillows and random antique metal crosses.

Descend Ruby's narrow staircase and admire the bachelor-style basement bar. Earthy coloured wall-paper, squashy leather armchairs, glossy surfaces, old wooden cabinets housing rare spirits, antlers on the walls and thick leather-bound books make for a retro, masculine vibe, which can veer towards stuffy. This is the place to linger over a fine whisky on the rocks, or discuss Danish politics with a local. Strawberry daiquiri drinkers will feel more at home in the smaller basement bar, a more classic, pared-down space, with black sofas providing sitting-spots for a quiet, chilled-out crowd, discussing the deep and meaningfuls over a glass or two.

Click here to read our interview with one of Ruby's head honchos, Nick.

Cocktail lovers enjoying a city break in Copenhagen should also visit Karriere.