Taking its place among the leading culinary destinations of Europe, Copenhagen has become a magnet for food-savvy travelers who plan vacations around chefs, restaurants, local cuisine and food/wine events.
With 12 of Copenhagen’s restaurants earning a total of 13 Michelin stars in 2009 – and the announcement of its upcoming 2009 Copenhagen Cooking Festival, the city seems certain to attract more U.S. visitors than ever.
Copenhagen Cooking Festival Begins August 21
As a special Nordic culinary treat, the fifth annual Copenhagen Cooking Festival will feature gastronomic events throughout the city this summer from August 21-30. They will include Eat 09, now in its sixth year featuring food, wine, spices, chocolate and much more under the same roof, and the annual open-air gourmet experience in Frederiksberg Gardens, where beautiful lawns and lush scenery provide the backdrop for a unique dinner spiced up with a culinary treasure hunt, story-telling and fun for the whole family.
Cuisine at Copenhagen’s Noma restaurant. A feast for the eyes and the palate.
Attendees can experience dishes from 11 top restaurants from Copenhagen and Malmø in the Royal Danish Playhouse, as well as a food/lifestyle event with gourmet delicacies in the Øksnehallen Exhibition Centre. There will also be wine tastings, and special menus at the city’s leading restaurants. The Festival’s web site, copenhagencooking.dk, will provide locations, dates and times for all this year’s events.
Beyond the Michelin Stars
Copenhagen’s culinary scene goes beyond its Michelin stars and its annual food festival. Across the city, restaurant chefs are adapting time-honored Danish dishes to innovative preparations, using local, seasonal ingredients and incorporating the influence of international cuisines. ‘New Nordic’ has become a catchword, along with ‘Nordic Manifesto’ to describe a proactive new kind of Nordic cuisine. Restaurants serving traditional Danish cuisine now are stressing the use of high-quality ingredients and organic produce, and incorporating the unique aspects of Danish architecture and design into their décor, seating and table settings.
A delicious example of culinary innovation is the adaptation of traditional Danish open-faced sandwiches, or smørrebrød, at the Royal Café, adjacent to Royal Copenhagen’s retail shop on Strøget, the city’s famed pedestrian shopping street. Renamed ‘Smushi’, this creative fusion of smørrebrød and sushi served on contemporary Royal Copenhagen china platters is a colorful variation on the original and a treat for the taste buds.
For a spectacular view paired with exquisite dining, a visitor can reserve a harbor front table overlooking the Copenhagen Opera House at SALT in the historic Admiral Hotel, where Chef Rasmus Møller Nielsen creates an entirely new Scandinavian menu for each season that combines gastronomic classics with innovative new flavor combinations. The restaurant Alberto K atop the SAS Radisson Royal Hotel affords a sky-high panoramic view of the city coupled with a fusion of Danish and Italian cuisine. The interior of Alberto K, its furnishings and table settings are inspired by the original décor of famed Danish designer Arne Jacobsen who created the design for the entire hotel.
In addition to the two-star Noma, Copenhagen restaurants that each received one Michelin star in 2009 are:
⋅ Kong Hans Kælder
â‹… Era Ora
â‹… Restaurant Ensemble
â‹… Restaurant The Paul
â‹… Restaurant Formel B
⋅ Søllerød Kro
â‹… MR
â‹… Paustian v/Bo Bech
â‹… Restaurant Kiin Kiin
â‹… Restaurant Herman
â‹… Restaurant Nimb
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