Two new two-star restaurants in Denmark in the 2020 Michelin Guide
Last year’s new addition to the Copenhagen restaurant scene, much acclaimed restaurant Alchemist, can now proudly call itself a two Michelin starred restaurant, while restaurant Jordnær north of Copenhagen can add a second star to its merits.
17 February, this year’s Nordic Michelin stars were announced at an event in Thondheim, Norway. Denmark has long been a gastronomic frontrunner with many innovative restaurants so the event is met with great expectations every year.
Alchemist is celebrated with two Michelin stars
Even before Restaurant Alchemist opened last year, it was the talk of the town among foodies with an interest in innovative gastronomy. The dreamlike decor and holistic 50 course menu carefully planned by chef Rasmus Munk ensured that Alchemist is now considered a worthy addition to the absolute top level of restaurants in Copenhagen. The Michelin judges clearly also felt inspired by many creative dishes as Alchemist was awarded two Michelin stars in its first year.
Jordnær gets its second Michelin star
Restaurant Jordnær in Gentofte north of Copenhagen was the other big, Danish winner at the 2020 Michelin event, adding a second star to their page in the Michelin guide. The ambitious restaurant is run by the couple Eric Vildgaard and Tina Kragh Vildgaard with sustainability and Nordic cooking at the heart of the menu. The restaurant has also been renowned for changing to a four day work week thereby giving their employees an extra day of free time.
With these three new stars, Denmark maintains the level of 35 stars from 2019, as restaurants Studio, Era Ora and Substans (closed due to moving) each lost a star in the 2020 guide. The 35 stars are spread across 26 restaurants with Geranium in Copenhagen on top as the only restaurant with three stars. The Geranium chef Rasmus Kofoed was also celebrated at this year’s Michelin event as he received the 2020 Mentor Award.
Photo:Guiseppe Liverino, Copenhagen Media Centre
New sustainability emblem for 11 Danish restaurants
When it comes to sustainability, Denmark came out on top with 11 restaurants getting Michelin’s new green clover, a symbol for chefs who have taken responsibility by preserving resources and embracing biodiversity. The emblem was launched as the Nordic Michelin ceremony to highlight the region as a frontrunner in relation to sustainable standards. The restaurants that got the new clover were:
- Alchemist, Copenhagen
- Alouette, Copenhagen
- Amass, Copenhagen
- Frederiksminde, Præstø
- Hærværk, Aarhus
- KOKS, Leynar
- Molskroen, Ebeltoft
- Moment, Rønde
- Noma, Copenhagen
- 108, Copenhagen
- Relæ, Copenhagen
Restaurants in Sweden, Norway and Finland got eight, four and four clovers respectively.