Copenhagen's Noma Voted World's Best Restaurant

Noma, chef Rene Redzepi’s flagship restaurant in the Christianshavn section of Copenhagen, has a new title to celebrate. It has been named the “best restaurant in the world” on the S. Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants list for 2010, released on April 26 at a ceremony in London.

Voted on by an Academy of chefs and restaurant critics from around the world, the S. Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2010 includes the restaurants of some of the world’s great chefs: Ferran Adrià’s El Bulli on the Costa Brava in Spain (No. 2), Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck in Bray, Berkshire, England (No. 3), Grant Achatz’s Alinea in Chicago (No. 7), Thomas Keller’s Per Se in New York (No. 10), L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon (No. 29) and many more. That Noma tops the list might be a surprise to some, but not to those who have been following Copenhagen’s vibrant culinary scene for the past several years.

Noma opened in 2004 in a historic warehouse building in the Christianshavn section of Copenhagen. True to the building’s heritage as the heart of the shipping trade between Denmark and the North Atlantic islands of Greenland, the Faroe Islands and Iceland, Noma specializes in local specialties of the North Atlantic region—musk ox, wild salmon, horse mussels, deep sea crabs and Faroe Island langoustines so fresh they’re crawling up until the time they reach your plate. Its name derives from nordisk mad, Danish for “Nordic food.” Noma is co-owned by Danish restaurateur, celebrity chef and TV host Claus Meyer, known to U.S. audiences as the presenter of the Danish episodes of “New Scandinavian Cooking” on PBS.

Chef Rene Redzepi, who trained at The French Laundry in California and at El Bulli in Spain, won his first Michelin star for Noma in 2005. In 2007 Noma was awarded a second Michelin star, which it has retained ever since. Understated and unpretentious, Noma continues to dazzle diners and to champion the cause of Nordic cuisine. There could be no better flag bearer. www.noma.dk/main.php?lang=en

For free to use video segment on Noma
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Copenhagen’s Other Culinary Stars

Copenhagen is a shining star on the Michelin list of the world’s outstanding restaurants. Twelve Copenhagen restaurants made the 2010 list, earning a total of thirteen Michelin stars—more than Rome, Vienna, Stockholm or Oslo. Noma leads the pack as Copenhagen’s only two-star Michelin restaurant.

New this year is the restaurant a|o|c (formerly Premisse), which earned its first Michelin star. Other Michelin-star restaurants in Copenhagen: Bo Bech at Paustian, Era Ora, Formel B, Herman, Kiin Kiin, Kokkeriet, Kong Hans Kaelder, MR, Søllerød Kro and The Paul.

In addition, seven Copenhagen restaurants are classified as Bib Gourmand, “offering good quality cuisine at reasonable prices.” They are: Famo, Frederiks Have, Kanalen, L'Altro, Le Sommelier, Oubaek, and new to the list this year Kødbyens Fiskebar. www.visitcopenhagen.com/composite-3477.htm

Get a Taste of Copenhagen
A great way to experience Copenhagen’s food scene is to visit the city during the Copenhagen Cooking Festival. Now in its sixth year, this Nordic Food Festival is fast becoming a fixture on every food lover’s calendar. Look for special events and tastings of everything from green cuisine (we are devoted to our local produce!) to Danish beer (naturally!), as well as unique festival menus offered by restaurants and cafés all over the city.
www.copenhagencooking.dk

Come Fly with Me
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) flies non-stop to Copenhagen daily from Chicago (O’Hare), Washington, D.C. (Dulles) and New York (Newark). www.flysas.com/us

For more information about Denmark and Copenhagen:
www.visitdenmark.com/usa and www.visitdenmark.com