Fine Dining in Copenhagen

As part of the Standard, a combined foodie hot spot and jazz club in the old Copenhagen customs house, Almanak focuses on traditional Danish flavors prepared using seasonal ingredients including berries, fruits, seeds, nuts, herbs, and everything in between – with dishes such as glazed baked beetroot with fresh blackberry, fennel, sorrel and smoked cheese, and wild duck confit with baked plums. With an all-star staff, the focus is on service, flavor, and a rich experience that draws from local nature and changing seasons to shape the taste and feel of the menu. The concept behind the Standard is compelling. It is home to three different fine-dining restaurants, including Almanak, which occupy the building while also having access to and working closely with the Standard’s jazz club. The goal is to create a robust and vibrant atmosphere. Photo courtesy of the Standard.

Geranium has the distinction of having been awarded two Michelin stars for 2014. The restaurant is situated on the 8th floor in the heart of Fælledparken and provides wonderful views out over Copenhagen‘s skyline. For these guys nature is food, and food is art. Photo: Geranium

Noma, consistently ranked as one of the world’s best restaurants, closed in 2016, but its impact on dining in Copenhagen has been profound. Many chefs who worked there have since launched their own restaurants, including two who opened Bror. It’s a small space with big ambitions—expect astonishing food made from the best local produce. The five-course menu costs 625 kroner ($100), with wine pairings an additional 450 kroner ($72). There are also some memorable snacks. Don’t miss the bull testicles with tartar sauce or the cod head with cabbage wrap.

This place is an interesting blend. In the recent Danish tradition, it is a partnership between a number of different creative types. This time, those personalities happen to be design-oriented people from the food, interior design, and dinnerware design communities. This restaurant has focused completely on providing a rich, intensely rustic experience that embodies modern trends in both the New Nordic cuisine movement and Danish design. Recent offerings include flounder with fried chicken skin and sauce made from fermented asparagus and grilled lobster with juniper pancake and pointed cabbage. Photo: Höst.

AOC takes a New Nordic–inspired elemental approach to food. Ingredients are sourced locally with a focus on maximizing the complete experience, which includes rich colors, presentation, smells, and flavor. The restaurant is small, with room for roughly 45 people and located in the cellar of a 17th-century building. The design is simple and clean, and it avoids anything that might distract from the food. The restaurant has been awarded a Michelin star. Photo: cyclonebill (flickr)

Kadeau is a restaurant with roots based firmly on the small Danish island of Bornholm. The menu, ambiance, and spirit of the food seeks to convey the charm, simplicity, smells and fresh quality of the island in culinary form. Kadeau has been extremely popular and recently re-located to Christianshavn. When they did, they re-named and re-branded their old location into Pony. The restaurant has been awarded one Michelin star. Photo: Marie Louise Munkegaard (Kadeau)

Situated at the top of Copenhagen‘s Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, this New Nordic restaurant has a reputation for excellence. Meals are sourced using local ingredients from nearby farms and assembled in a way that focuses on protecting their natural flavor. The view from the restaurant, which is situated a five-minute walk from the Copenhagen lakes, Tivoli Gardens, City Hall, and Central Station, is a definite must. The hotel was designed and outfitted by Arne Jacobsen, one of Denmark’s most famous architects. Jacobsen’s touch is still present and featured prominently in the hotel’s design and visual style. This spills over into many of the details, including Jacobsen’s cutlery and furniture which allows visitors a direct relationship with a blend of traditional Danish design and New Nordic cuisine Photo: Thomas Angermann (angermann on flickr).

ERAORA’s goal was to bring a slice of Italy to Denmark and they’ve done a fantastic job of it. The restaurant is situated in an 18th century building near Christianshavn’s historic canals and rests alongside a cozy courtyard. The restaurant’s approach is that of a fusion kitchen, but one which seeks to combine different Italian regions instead of different nationalities. Obviously, this has worked well as the restaurant was awarded a Michelin star. It is also part of a small series of restaurants which include L’Altro and Chefe. Photo: ERAORA (video screen capture)

Situated in the old Copenhagen customs house overlooking the water, Studio has been awarded a Michelin star and focuses on a fusion of Nordic and international flavors prepared in an open kitchen with a fine-dining focus. With an all-star staff, the focus is on service, flavor, and a rich experience with a heavy dose of creativity, with offerings like squid with gooseberries and kaffir lime, razor clam with nasturtium and horseradish, and sweetbread with onion and tamarind. The concept behind the Standard is compelling. It is home to three different fine-dining restaurants including Studio, which occupy the building while also having access to and working closely with the Standard’s Jazzclub. Their goal is to create a robust and vibrant atmosphere. Photo: The Standard

Marv & Ben has become famous within Copenhagen for its focus on simple classics served in an artistic way while still remaining packed with flavor. As with most New Nordic restaurants, the menu is highly seasonal and draws heavily from what is available in Denmark. The restaurant states that everything used on the menu is Danish and that they make an effort to source things from as close to Copenhagen as possible. This includes growing a lot of what they use in their own garden. The wines served are biodynamic and organic. Marv & Ben aims for a relaxed feel which has, at times, been described as a gastro-pub ambience.

Run by twin brothers, Clou focuses on crafting food that is perfectly balanced with the wines that accompany it. They seek inspiration from all over the world and aren’t afraid to draw ingredients from both local and more exotic locations. In 2014 the restaurant was awarded its first Michelin star. Photo: Clou

Named after Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, this fine-dining restaurant is situated in one of Copenhagen‘s most famous buildings: the Royal Library which is also affectionately called the Black Diamond. The approach revolves around affordable simplicity, clean elegance, and an amazing location with stunning views out over Copenhagen’s harbor and of Christianshavn. Photo: Søren K.

Uformel is run by Kristian Arpe-Møller and Rune Amgild Jochumsen, who are the minds that brought Copenhagen formel B, one of the city’s most popular Michelin star restaurants. Uformel describes itself as Formel B’s “cool and edgy younger brother”. The restaurant is run by sommelier Martin Iuel-Brockdorff Bek and head chef Frederik Alexander Rudkjøbing. Martin served as sommelier for formel B since 2003 and Frederik has served as sous chef at formel B for more than two years. While this restaurant is born out of the New Nordic tradition its menu is not strictly confined to Nordic Cuisine.

What’s more enjoyable than a fantastic meal? A fantastic meal in a beautiful restaurant situated in the tower of Christiansborg Palace, the operational seat of the Danish Government. The quality of the food is fantastic, the location is incredibly cool, and while you’re waiting to be called to your seat, you can always pop up into Christiansborg’s tower for a stunning view of the city skyline.