Beyond Noma: The Best spots for New Nordic Cuisine in Copenhagen
Beyond Noma: The Best spots for New Nordic Cuisine in Copenhagen - The Rise of New Nordic Cuisine
Over the past two decades, Copenhagen has emerged as one of the world's hottest culinary destinations thanks to the New Nordic cuisine movement. This culinary revolution has helped put Scandinavian fare on the global gastronomic map by reinventing Nordic ingredients and traditions through innovative techniques and presentations.
The New Nordic cuisine phenomenon first emerged in the early 2000s when a group of ambitious young chefs, led by René Redzepi of the now world-famous Noma, started questioning the tenets of traditional Nordic cooking. They sought to create a new, distinctly Nordic cuisine that moved past the stereotype of bland, heavy dishes laden in cream and butter.
These pioneering chefs turned to the pristine Nordic wilderness, drawing inspiration from the pure air, fertile soil, and ethos of sustainability pervading Scandinavian culture. Local mushrooms, berries, herbs, seafood, game meats, and other seasonal ingredients took center stage. Nothing was off limits - even previously ignored greens like chickweed and Douglas fir suddenly featured prominently on menus.
An emphasis was placed on foraging rare ingredients and exploring innovative cooking techniques like fermenting. Unexpected flavor combinations highlighted contrasting textures and temperatures. The results were dishes that told a story through the ingredients while showcasing their natural essences.
Over time, the New Nordic cuisine movement spread beyond Noma to other likeminded Copenhagen restaurants such as Geranium and Amass. It also rippled through the rest of Denmark and Scandinavia, fundamentally changing approaches to cooking and eating.
For those keen to taste what the fuss is about, Copenhagen is ground zero for New Nordic cuisine. Dining at Noma remains an elusive bucket list ambition for many foodies, requiring pre-booking a table months in advance. However, the movement's influence has trickled down to more accessible restaurants focused on casual, locally sourced fare at reasonable prices.
Beyond Noma: The Best spots for New Nordic Cuisine in Copenhagen - Influential Chefs Behind the Movement
The pioneers behind the New Nordic cuisine movement in Copenhagen were a scrappy gang of visionary chefs willing to buck tradition and forge new culinary territory. While the philosophy caught on like wildfire, it may never have ignited without these torchbearers challenging the status quo.
The godfather was René Redzepi, a Danish chef who took the helm at Noma in 2003 after stints abroad honing his skills. Redzepi initially struggled to fill seats at Noma, which opened on a grubby backstreet. Yet he persevered in crafting a seasonal Nordic menu that riveted critics. Within a few years, Noma captured its first Michelin star and the best restaurant in the world title in 2010.
Redzepi's imaginative approach to local ingredients inspired a generation of Danish chefs. They brought foraging and experimentation from Noma's test kitchen into their own eateries. Leading the pack was Matt Orlando, Noma's former head chef who launched Amass in 2013 to rave reviews. The cozy restaurant spotlights hyperlocal greens and seafood in artful sharing plates.
Then there's Christian Puglisi, a Sicilian-born chef who worked under Redzepi at Noma from 2010-2012. After seeing the creativity possible with Nordic elements, Puglisi yearned to open his own outpost - Relæ - serving seasonal fare with Italian influences. Diners enthusiastically embraced Puglisi's novel recipes like beef tartare with ants.
Other Noma alums have continued to spread the New Nordic gospel across Copenhagen. For instance, Dan Giusti headed up Noma's research and development before founding Michelin-starred Gustu in Bolivia. The teachings clearly stuck, as Giusti imports Danish crops to augment local Bolivian ingredients.
Finally, former Noma sous chef Esben Holmboe Bang was so inspired that he opened his intimate Nordic gourmet destination, Maaemo, in Norway. Bang's tasting menus have clinched three Michelin stars with ingenious blends of Norwegian tradition and modern techniques.
While Noma bred an impressive network of satellite restaurants, it didn't monopolize the movement. Sommelier Christian Aarø opened esteemed Restaurant No. 2 in Copenhagen after becoming enchanted by New Nordic philosophies abroad. Other chefs arrived independently at similar conclusions about the bounty in their own Danish backyard.
Beyond Noma: The Best spots for New Nordic Cuisine in Copenhagen - Must-Try Restaurants for Innovative New Nordic Dishes
While Noma retains its holy grail status for New Nordic cuisine devotees, snagging a reservation is akin to winning the lottery. Luckily, Noma disciples have proliferated excellent restaurants across Copenhagen hewing to the same locavore ethos. From casual to white tablecloth, these eateries allow visitors to experience the exciting complexity of new Nordic fare without the heartache of chasing a Noma reservation.
Leading the accessible New Nordic pack is Relæ, Christian Puglisi’s laidback restaurant focusing on impeccably sourced organic ingredients. Diners rave about the “snack” menu which reads like poetry, with dishes like “carrot, elderflower, and sea buckthorn.” Puglisi playfully manipulates textures and temperatures, as in his signature beef tartare with truffle pearls and ants. Meanwhile, the rustic-chic interior provides a convivial vibe.
For playful twists on smørrebrød open-faced sandwiches, don’t miss Restaurant Paustian. Chefs rely on hyperlocal purveyors to fill their smørrebrød with delights like house-smoked salmon with horseradish snow and roasted pork belly with cod roe mayo. The airy café ambience encourages lingering over coffee amidst Copenhagen’s finest design pieces.
If you crave an intimate New Nordic dining experience, book a seat at Mesa. Located in a greenhouse-like annex of the National Workshops for Art, Mesa serves artful seasonal tasting menus exploding with flavor. Recent dishes include juniper-smoked venison tartare and cod with preserves of fermented spruce. Just 14 lucky diners per seating get to witness this culinary wizardry first-hand.
For a dazzling take on share plates, Altitude is the place to be. Their frequently changing New Nordic menu might feature smoked cod head with grilled kelp wafers one day and wild duck hearts with blackcurrant the next. With an in-house fermentation lab, the kitchen extensively preserves and plays with ingredients to highlight unique flavors. A rooftop perch provides stellar views over Copenhagen.
Beyond Noma: The Best spots for New Nordic Cuisine in Copenhagen - Local Ingredients Take Center Stage
The heart of New Nordic cuisine lies in the profound connection and respect for the surrounding land and sea. Local ingredients take center stage, with chefs celebrating the terroir and showcasing produce at the peak of freshness. This hyperlocal approach differs from the globalized world of food imports and exports we live in today. Yet that distinction lies at the core of New Nordic cuisine’s essence and appeal.
Sourcing locally provides chefs access to rare native ingredients rarely seen outside Nordic regions. From mushrooms like greasy black trumpets to seaweed varieties such as sugar kelp, the Nordic pantry overflows with intriguing elements. Chef Christian Puglisi of Restaurant Relæ has described local ingredients as his ‘building blocks’ for crafting dishes. The menu emerges from what the land and sea offer seasonally, rather than forcing ingredients into dishes.
By adhering to local offerings, chefs attune themselves to nature’s rhythms. They master when cloudberries ripen, when pike roe emerges, and when spruce buds open. This knowledge allows them to capture ingredients at the peak of flavor and vibrancy. As René Redzepi of Noma proclaims, ‘We want to create a cuisine that can only exist here at this specific point in time.’ Seasonality takes precedence over consumer whims.
Diners notice the superior freshness and quality of local components. One Noma patron remarked how lettuce tasted ‘unimaginably crisp’ compared to produce trucked thousands of miles. Hyperlocal ingredients often burst with intensity given their short journey from field to plate. That transformative flavor is a revelation for many diners.
The local focus also spotlights sustainable practices. With produce traveling mere miles or steps, the carbon footprint shrinks dramatically versus air freighted ingredients. Ingredients are grown conscientiously to protect the fragile Nordic ecosystem. Many chefs use every scrap of the ingredient in pursuit of zero waste. Such eco-consciousness aligns with Scandinavian cultural values.
Unexpected local finds also spur chefs’ creativity. They tinker with preservation techniques like fermenting, drying, salting and smoking to make items like spruce or cod heads palatable. Contemporary methods might be applied to humble peas and potatoes, unveiling new dimensions. Through innovation, no local ingredient is too humble or bizarre for the Nordic kitchen.
While exotic components intrigue, local basics still anchor New Nordic cuisine. Omnipresent ingredients like cabbages, beets, cod, pork, berries and potatoes form the bedrock of the larder. Chefs reinvent humble dishes like porridge and open-faced sandwiches using culinary wizardry. Yet the connection to timeless Nordic traditions remains intact.
Beyond Noma: The Best spots for New Nordic Cuisine in Copenhagen - Foraging in the Danish Countryside
Foraging for edible plants, herbs, mushrooms, and seaweed along the Danish coasts and countryside plays a fundamental role within New Nordic cuisine. The act of seeking wild, uncultivated ingredients harkens back to ancient hunter-gatherer traditions yet feels pioneering in today's modern world. For chefs, foraging enables an intimate connection with the landscape while unearthing native species rarely spotted at the local grocer.
Diners appreciate foraged components for their purity of flavor and seasonal nuance. As René Redzepi of Noma states, "I have yet to taste anything foraged that does not display some unique quality we could never have imagined." He sources up to 90% of Noma's seasonal ingredients from dozens of secret wilderness spots. Beyond flavor, Redzepi views foraging as spiritually rejuvenating by plugging us back into nature's rhythms. This echoes Danish culture's passion for friluftsliv - open-air living.
Other influential Nordic chefs share Redzepi's reverence for wild harvesting. Magnus Nilsson of Sweden's Fäviken carries on ancient preservation methods with foraged finds like dulse seaweed and lichens. At Koks in the remote Faroe Islands, Poul Andrias Ziska gathers obscure local delicacies - even gull eggs - to link diners to the dramatic landscape. For these chefs, foraging fosters a profound connection with the foods and environment that makes each meal at their restaurants a form of time travel.
For those keen to sample foraged New Nordic ingredients, Copenhagen offers manifold opportunities...once you know where to look. At Amass, diners may taste something unusual like wood sorrel or carrot flower accented by garden herbs. The rustic menu at Restaurant Paustian highlights Chef Christian Paustian's passion for seeking wild chanterelle mushrooms in his spare time. More daring foodies can even join Restaurant Noma's staff on public foraging tours of nearby beaches when available.
Beyond restaurants, foraging has seeped into Denmark's cultural identity and daily life. With the Danish concept of allemansrätten allowing public access to uncultivated lands for responsible foraging, locals regularly escape the city to gather seasonal foods. Families fill baskets with chanterelles and blueberries at summer's end. Danes flock to coasts in autumn to pluck jute and dulse leaves for crispy garnishes. Foraging workshops and festivals have also emerged nationwide as forage-to-table dining gains devotees.