It is this time of the year. Everyone interested in gastronomy starts pondering about the best restaurants in Copenhagen and how they will be rated in th new release of the only international guide which is covering my city. The Michelin Guide. Copenhagen is covered as part of the Main Cities in Europe guide.
What is my view on this? I feel I can only consider the restauransts I have been to recently. Where I haven’t been lately I assume they will stick to the rating they got in 2008 – Era Ora, formel B, Kong Hans, Paustian, The Paul.
In 2008 I visited three restaurants for the first time. My first new and very nice surprise was Thai-based Kiin Kiin where Henrik Yde-Andersen recived his first star last year. I went there with my friend JC and was completely carried away by the quality of the products, the tastiness and of course the atmosphere and the service. I am certain that Kiin Kiin have the one star in the new guide.
I also visited Ensemble and it had been on my wish list for years. I wasn’t disappointed. It’s a very small and intimate which I loved and the charming service really got me. Morten Schou’s style of food is inspired by French traditions mainly but favours also local products. Ensemble has one star, which I think they will keep.
Thomas Herman, head chef of Herman, was born and raised in Southern Jutland which is where he finds the inspiration for his style of cooking. He likes to play with our minds and creates dishes that make us recollect something and someone. My first impression of Herman was very good food and fine new ideas, an posh place with classy and delicate decor. I bet there is a star for Thomas Herman.
For Søllerød Kro, Jakob De Neergaard, and Mads Refslund at MR I cannot see why they should not keep their one star each. I love them both for what they are: elegant and classic with the best desserts for the first one, creative and grunge-ish for the latter.
Four times have I dined at Geranium and I must say that Rasmus Kofoed and Søren Ledet have really developed over the almost two years that Geranium has excisted now. The food has it’s very own style. Of course, I do see a link to the other restaurants with the focus on new Nordic trends but Geranium remains original and sharp and very very delectable and serving very harmonious and incredibly beautiful dishes. I think there is talent there enough for a rising second star.
As you know, noma is my all time favourite restaurant. There it is, and I just cannot help it. I love, love noma for being front-runner, being unique, for knocking me sideways almost each time I go there, for an incredible warmth. I believe the time has come for a rising third star!
So to recap, here’s Very Good Food’s Michelin star allocation for 2009:
noma **(*)
Geranium *(*)
Ensemble *
Era Ora *
formel B *
Herman *
Kiin Kiin *
Kong Hans *
MR *
Paustian *
Søllerød Kro *
The Paul *
Now, what is yours?
JC, thank very much for spotting and reporting the missing Kiin Kiin!
That’s 14 stars when counting the rising as half a star. 🙂
Latest news I’ve got is that we will know the result Monday or Tuesday next week.
If three stars = “worth a trip,” I think any of us who has travelled to dine at noma would agree they deserve three stars.
My only other Michelin restaurant experience in Cph being Kiin Kiin, I will say they are probably better than most of the one-star restaurants in L.A., definitely better than the ones I’ve been to.
Geranium must be on the list for my next visit. And Søllerød Kro is very tempting, just for the desserts!
You left Kiin Kiin off your final list. 😉
Ah, Neil, how nice. Enjoy!
Am dying to hear how you’ll like it 😉
That’s encouraging, Laurent, as I will be at Noma this evening. The excitement is mounting!
Neil
Hi Thomas,
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts here! Your remark about formel B stroke me. Too serious is what I too felt about two years ago, when I went there last.
Laurent, dear, I am so thrilled to hear this! I would love to see Geranium with ** and noma with *** but the quetion is when the Michelin settle their rating. I’m afraid that this progress have shown too late for this year’s guide?
Best
Trine
No doubts for me after my 2 meals in CPH this week :
– Noma has clearly a 3* level (best meal from the 3 i made there since 2 years)
– Geranium : 2* for sure, was so impressed by this meal, significant progress compared to last year.
Hope the Michelin guys will do it and take a little bit more risks than here in France (which is not that difficult).
Cheers
Laurent
Hi Trine,
Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Unfortunately I don’t get out so much anymore, so I feel a little bit outdated on some of the restaurants.
Noma and Geranium are my favourites – I am not always sure how to rank them – it depends on the evening. But overall – Noma comes in first, as they just have a broader spectrum of flavours on the plate. As a wine lower I am seriously impressed with the way Noma expresses texture, when you blend the ingredients on the plates together. It’s simply breathtaking. Geraniums food can at times be almost too perfect – I feel like I am eating a competition dish. Still they play a lot with humour and humbleness, so it feels natural and overall it’s no problem. Both restaurants have a high level of elegance and lightness in their food and I that’s what separates and good and a spectacular restaurants in my opinion. Talking wine, I find Geraniums rather restricted biodynamic wine list intriguing. They have a lot of new rising stars on it. However, no one comes close to sommelier; Pontus from Noma – even though I really like Søren Ledet from Geranium.
I vistit Noma again on the 21st of March, so I get a fresh update
Søllerød have improved a lot – and I really like coming back to the place as a reference point. When it comes to wine tastings with classic French wines – that’s the place to be.
Formel B – I visited about a month ago. It was really nice, actually. Food is lighter and really precise. But I missed some soul there – I can’t explain it, maybe everything from atmosphere and interior just too serious.
Herman – good restaurant with great food. Beautiful location Great service – some of the best I have seen in Copenhagen. The wine list is ridiculous expensive.
Era Ora – visited for lunch some month back. Not much have changed. I just had dinner @ Assaggi and Zafferano in London, both * Michelin. Era Ora is 100 times better than these two – but yes I can see the level is constantly rising in Copenhagen. But I certainly feel they should keep the *.
Paustian, Kong Hans, The Paul, MR and Ensemble – it’s been to long since I have visited, so I can’t comment.
If it where up to me:
Noma ***
Geranium **
Søllerød Kro *(*)
Era Ora *
Herman *
Formel B *
/Thomas
The french guide has been divulgued today… no surprises.
Le Bristol receives its third. Quiet edition with 9 new 2 stars and a lot of new 1* including Agapé or Bigarrade. France still counts around 550 michelin starred restaurants : 26 ***, 74** and more then 440*
Cheers
Laurent
ps) D-3 for Noma… héhé 🙂
Great thoughts, thanks for sharing.
Personally I cant see the rain over Copenhagen this time. I think Ensemble and Era Ora are in the risk zone, Herman might get one and Noma might get the rising third.
Other European stars came out, and Im happy too see that Schlossberg in Nennig and Clairefontaine in Luxembourg – two of my favourite local places – have both kept their 3 and 1 star rating.