Copenhagen
Whether you’re looking for a bistro or a Michelinstar restaurant, you should find something that fits the bill in Copenhagen. The restaurant scene is among the world’s most innovative, and caters to all budgets, tastes and situations. The food and wine renaissance here began, of course, with Noma (noma.dk). In 2003, chef René Redzepi opened the doors to what became a milestone for Danish gastronomy and New Nordic cuisine.
In 2018, following a year’s hiatus, the restaurant reopened in a new, lakeside location in Christiania, the former base of an experimental anarchist community that proclaimed itself self-governing and self-sufficient. Here, chef Redzepi has greenhouses and gardens from which he sources the ingredients for his highly acclaimed summer menu. Forced to close its doors during the pandemic, the famous restaurant adapted by selling cocktails and hamburgers outdoors. This summer, Noma reopened again and was awarded a third Michelin star in September.
Over the past 10 years, Copenhagen’s restaurants have developed an even stronger focus on making exquisite meals from local, seasonal ingredients. Copenhagen continues to surprise, time after time, and today there are 14 Michelinstar restaurants in the city. Still, it offers a wide range of culinary experiences, formal and informal, innovative and traditional.
Copenhagen is also one of the world’s largest hubs for natural wine. A favourite spot is the informal and passionate Ancestrale wine bar (ancestrale.dk) in the Vesterbro area. Once famous
as the red-light district, today it houses an eclectic mix of fashion stores, sex shops, bars, restaurants and family living. At Ancestrale you can expect mouthwatering small plates and a great selection of natural wine from all over the world. And you’ll also undoubtedly experience the homely ‘hygge’ – the Danish concept of finding comfort, pleasure and warmth in simple, soothing things such as a cosy atmosphere or the feeling of friendship.
A rising star since its opening in 2017 is Mes (restaurant-mes.dk), owned by chef Mads Rye Magnusson, the former chef at three-star Michelin Geranium. The motto of this inviting little restaurant, set across the street from
Orsteds Park, is ‘affordable luxury’. Creativity and playfulness are the guiding principles here, whether it is about interior design, the wine in the glass, or the menu that changes frequently.
Mes is a perfect stop for anyone wanting to expand their culinary vision without breaking the bank. The simple ‘snacks’ are excellent, for example blinis with smoked cheese cream, pickled beetroot, and sweetcorn croquette with browned butter, tarragon and chicken skin mayo. The wine list puts a lot of focus on Germany and Jura, two of the chef’s favourite wine regions.
You can’t leave Copenhagen without eating the traditional smørrebrød (literally meaning ‘buttered bread’). Essentially it is an open-faced
‘The restaurant scene in Copenhagen is among the world’s most innovative, with 14 Michelin-star restaurants’
sandwich, usually made with rye sourdough bread, and comprising different combinations of seafood, meat, vegetables and condiments, typically enjoyed with a local beer or aquavit spirit. For a particularly innovative version, you could head to Selma (selmacopenhagen.dk), where Swedish chef Magnus Pettersson has renewed the Danish tradition. He offers an à la carte menu with, for example, a smørrebrød with new potatoes, chicken skin, leek, hazelnuts, elderflower and cress. There is also an affordable set menu, and a large selection of local craft beers from Mikkeller on tap.
Finally, John’s Hotdog Deli (@johns_hotdogdeli) has legendary status in Copenhagen. From his humble food truck by the central train station, John Michael Jensen serves the best hot dogs in town. Maybe it is due to the quality meat from Hallegaard on Bornholm island, the homemade toppings, or the hot, hot sauce? Don’t be surprised to meet some of the aforementioned chefs in the queue if you go for a late-night snack.