L'Étoile

Pencillin feat. a generous amount of Ardbeg

Negroni (B's favorite cocktail!) feat. Bols Genever and Carpano Antica Formula

L'Étoile
Galleri K
Kristen Bernikows Gade
1105 Copenhagen K
Thu 8pm-1am, Fri-Sat 8pm-3am

Notes:
On one of the last Friday nights before Christmas the Copenhagen bar scene can really show its ugly face. Unfortunately this Friday also turned out to be my 25th birthday, and all I really wanted was to be able to have an after dinner drink in somewhat tranquil surrounding. Many bars do not take reservations on such busy days - but L'Étoile does! So B and I made a reservation for 11pm and were seated in the bar, and were quickly served a glass of water and nuts to snack on. This is part of the L'Étoile concept - their prices are certainly in the higher end but they then strive to provide the customer a superior service. The cocktail menu is very classic featuring drinks like Bramble, Margarita and Alexander. After a quick chat with our very professional tender we ended up with a Negroni with Bols Genever for B and a Pencillin for me including a healthy dose of smoky Ardbeg, with which we were both very pleased. Prices are in the 120DKK range, thus in the very expensive end of the spectrum. For this night L'Étoile was a perfect choice for us, and we will be happy to return in the near future. Highly recommended.

Retour

Scallop, fennel, dill, mussels, cream

Turbot, salsify, pancetta, tarragon

Pigeon, foie gras, celeriac, cherry sauce

Sausage of duck, morels, potato purée

Pistachio cake, macerated prunes, wood sorrel, prune and white chocolate ice cream, burnt white chocolate

Retour

Tordenskjoldsgade 11

1055 Copenhagen K

Mon-Sat 17-23

Notes:

It has been a bit over one year since Rasmus Oubæk opened his "new" restaurant Retour in minimalistic surroundings just behind Kongens Nytorv and the Royal Theatre and the place has not been short on praise since. B, my parents, and I visited the place on a December Friday night which also happened to be my birthday. The place was packed, mainly with men, and the scent of fries was omnipresent to say the least. The atmosphere was however light and lively and service knowing and attentive. We decided to opt for a five-course menu priced at 450dkk. The à la carte menu is dedicated to Oubæk's bistro classics like boeuf béarnaise and steak tartare. Just like those dishes, the dishes we were served were very hearty, robust at times, but a common denominator also being incredible tastiness. Standouts were the turbot with tarragon cream, perfectly prepared pigeon and a dessert that I reckon being the most satisfying I have had in a very long time. Somehow the fourth course seemed excessive in the context but somehow the dishes still disappeared into our mouths - who can say no to morels anyway? All in all, though slightly insipid and robust at times we enjoyed a delicious, hearty meal, perfectly appropriate for this season. Do not expect fine dining but well-prepared and tasty food in lively ambience. A mini fast beforehand might be recommended. But I still do recommend Retour and am looking forward to visiting its sister restaurant Pluto in the near future.

Crème de la Crème

Samuel and Ella

Crème de la crème
Magasin du Nord
Kongens Nytorv
1095 Copenhagen K
Mon-Sun 10am-8pm

Notes:
Not only has the Meyer empire with their deli and bakery thrown old lady Reinh van Hauen out of the basement floor in department store Magasin, but they recently expanded with a cake shop, a collaboration between Claus Meyer and dessert guru Morten Heiberg. We dropped by during a hectic stint of Christmas shopping for a carb injection of chai latte, the always delicious Valrhona moccacino, and most importantly, cakes! Being a coffee kind of girl, I opted for Samuel, consisting of coffee sago cream, coffee cremeux, Caraïbe mousse on a Sacher cake base. B went for Ella, with a bottom of spongy génoise, baked apples, macaroons and caramel cream. Obviously, there is not need to to say that they were both delicious. Meyer is known for his use of high quality ingredients which really showed - which it also should, as they are priced at 39dkk each. But B and I agreed that we were missing something... crunchy or acidic... for balancing the richness of the caramel, chocolate, coffee and so on. I generally adore Meyer and his concepts but somehow doubt that we will return to Crème de la Crème, considering the rather steep prices. Another time I would probably opt for Nikolaos Strangas' Cakeaway as it located right in our neighborhood.

Orangeriet

Herring pickled in Christmas spices with endive, aquavit and cress

Cured duck breast with pickled cranberries, horseradish cream and thyme

Roast beef with grated horseradish, fried onions and pickles

Beef tartare with raw beets, horseradish, pickles and egg yolk

Orangeriet
Kronprinsessegade 13
1306 Copenhagen K
Mon-Sat 11:30am-00am, Sun 12am-4-pm

Notes:
Beautifully located in Kongens Have with a view of Rosenborg castle, Orangeriet is an idyllic setting for a lunch in the light hours during the dark, Danish winter. B and I went on one of the darkest days of the year and were very content with  the restaurant, the ambience, the food and the service. The menu features a wide range of Danish smørrebrød but also a two/three course menu as well as French brasserie dishes like chèvre chaud and confit de canard. We opted for two pieces of smørrebrød each. The pickled herring was an interesting take on a Danish classic with its spicy and sharp notes from the aquavit and the addition of endive. So was Bs choice of duck. Our latter choices were a tad more traditional featuring roast beef and beef tartare. Both well-cooked and hit the spot for both of us. In total, we had a lovely experience at Orangeriet. If one sticks to just two pieces of smørrebrød the price for a meal clocks in at around 150 excluding drinks, making it fairly price competitive compared to other places around the city. Recommended.

Lumskebugten

Curry-egg herring with (apparently) spicy greens.

Artichoke purée soup with baked cod, sautéed artichokes, fried capers, and chives.

Lumskebugten
Esplanaden 21
1263 Copenhagen K
Mon-Sat 11:30am-3:00pm, Wed-Sat 5:30-10:00pm

Notes:
For our annual Christmas lunch, my mom and I went to Lumskebugten. She chose this place as she is very fond of Erwin Lauterbach, who has been a central person in teaching the Danes to eat vegetables through the past decades. Now he is fulfilling one of his dreams, running a lunch restaurant. The place has existed for well... more than a century and is located right next to Mærsk and in an otherwise very mondane part of CPH. This was naturally reflected in the clientele, when I arrived at 1pm the place was already full, mainly elderly and business people. For the food, we started out with pickled herring with chopped eggs, what was supposed to be spicy greens and a lot of cress. With a side of fresh rye bread it made me feel much more Christmas-y. The main course was a very rich artichoke soup, fed plenty of cream. Very delicious. After a cup of coffee we went out into the cold, feeling comfortably ful and fulfilled. All in all, I would we had a pleasant experience at Lumskebugten but I do not think I will return any time soon, mainly due to its location, which is slightly off compared to where I usually come in the city, and the steep prices. These two dishes, two bottles of mineral water plus two cappuccini set us back around 650dkk, and though I certainly enjoyed the meal I think you can find much better value other places around the city (for instance here or here). Reservations necessary - especially in December.