Cosy, chaotic and oozing with charisma, Pegasus impressed the socks off us.
“Everytime an experience” is their catch phrase here, and boy is that true.
Now I hate to say it, but looking at this place from the outside, you’d think twice about venturing in. That, however, would be a downright calamity.
I was always told to not judge a book by its cover, and now I’d happily say don’t judge a bar by its appearance.
This little bar situated, just off Istedgade, is probably best known for its range of constantly changing top-class beers. But it should be known for a heck of a lot more: namely being a top-notch tapas restaurant, hosting top-class live bands and turning on various theme nights throughout the year.
Take Saturday night for example, when we ventured into a Brazilian-themed evening. We could barely get a table the place was so packed!
Upon entering Pegasus, it feels like you’ve been invited to a friend’s dinner party. The bar owners mingle with guests while sporadically sitting down at the tables to enjoy their food just as the guests would.
It’s this casual, incredibly fun and almost southern European atmosphere that gives it a special touch. If you’re after a break from the cold, quiet and sterile environments of many Danish bars, this is the place to be.
We began by enjoying some fantastic tapas. You can chose from 12 types and of course you decide which kinds you’d like. We struggled to get through our generously portioned platter, but the great thing was that we could nibble at it for a good three hours.
We enjoyed shrimp with chilli mango dressing, Scandinavian salmon, black foot ham, chorizo, and cod with Bechamel sauce. But it was the three different sausages that stole the show: smoked duck sausage, Italian grilled sausage with cardamom and Spanish sausage with paprika.
That’s another thing about the place: it’s like France meets Italy meets Germany. Instead of limiting themselves to one culture, the best beer, food and wine have been chosen from around the world and combined at one bar. If it tastes good, they’ve got it.
Now contrary to what I’d thought all these years, beer is actually the best accompaniment for tapas. And Pegasus serves over 250 different kinds! The ten beers on tap are changed every week, so every time you go in you can be sure to be surprised.
We enjoyed some of their Christmas beers. The La Senne – a dark pale ale, very smooth and at the same time a little bitter – was our favourite. The Corsendonk Christmas was another winner as well as the Sorte Hvede – in contrast to the ale, it was fresh, light and easy to drink.
On tap right now, Pegasus also features Hornbeer blonde, Øko Hvede, Golden Santa and Esrom Kloster.
As we gradually became stuffed with great food and drink, the Brazilian-themed live band kicked off … and boy did the party get started. While there wasn’t much room for a dancefloor, the regulars made sure there was … and I must admit, I couldn’t resist joining them.
By the time we were all done with the tapas, the party was in full swing and so were the themed drinks: caprioskas of course.
Between meeting the regulars and chatting extensively with the super-friendly bar staff, we managed to also try a few wines.
The Sancere Sauvignon Blanc was a good drop, but the red Gigondas was exceptional. It was a smooth drop, but left a robust aftertaste. Perfect.
There are now new Spanish and French wines on the menu that come highly recommended as well.
So please, if you’re up for a different kind of bar – one with personality, charm and life – then make sure you visit Pegasus. And make sure you don’t leave without having a dance with one of the locals.
Pegasus Beer and Wine Bar
Mysundegade 28, Cph V; Open Mon-Thu 17:00-23:00, Fri 17:00-01:00, Sat 12:00-01:00; Price per beer 60kr; Tapas 155-255kr; www.pegasus-cph.dk
