Copenhagen's New Nordic Food Scene, Explained

Over the past two decades Copenhagen has become one of the places serious food lovers travel to visit, and much of that reputation grew out of a movement known as New Nordic cuisine. It is worth understanding what the term means, because it is used loosely and covers everything from tasting-menu restaurants to the way ordinary cafes source their ingredients.

The movement has a clear starting point. In 2004 a group of chefs from across the Nordic region, including Copenhagen figures such as René Redzepi and Claus Meyer, drew up the New Nordic Kitchen Manifesto. It set out principles rather than recipes: to express the purity, freshness and character of the region, to cook with ingredients that are in season, to base dishes on local and regional produce, and to combine good flavour with health and sustainability. In practice that meant looking to the Nordic landscape, its coasts, forests and farms, rather than importing a French or Mediterranean template.

The restaurant most associated with the movement is Noma, which opened in Copenhagen in 2003 and became internationally known for foraged ingredients, fermentation and dishes rooted in the local seasons. Its success drew attention to the wider city, and a generation of chefs who trained in these kitchens went on to open their own places, so Copenhagen now has a dense cluster of ambitious restaurants, a number of them holding Michelin stars.

New Nordic thinking has also filtered down well below the fine-dining level. Bakeries, coffee roasters, casual restaurants and market stalls across the city put an emphasis on seasonal, local and high-quality produce, and fermentation and rye feature widely. The Torvehallerne food market near Nørreport is a good place to see this everyday version, with stalls selling Danish cheeses, smoked fish, fresh bread and produce.

For visitors, the practical point is that eating well in Copenhagen does not have to mean an expensive tasting menu booked months ahead. The same ideas about freshness and season show up in mid-range restaurants, lunch spots and markets, usually at more modest prices in Danish kroner. Whether you splash out on a celebrated kitchen or simply eat your way around a food hall, the thread running through it is the New Nordic emphasis on local ingredients at their best.