Geranium is located in Copenhagen, but not where you might expect a 3-Michelin star restaurant to be. It’s not on the high street, in a trendy neighbourhood, nor a 5 star hotel. It’s actually in a football stadium! But that doesn’t mean it’s anything less than spectacular. I have visited the best restaurant in the world. The lesson I learnt? Join me to find out!
His name is now undoubtedly synonymous with top Scandinavian gastronomy. The 48-year-old Danish chef is the first and only chef in the world to have stood on the podium of the world’s most prestigious cooking competition three times, winning the iconic Bocuse d’Or statuette in bronze (2005), silver (2007) and gold (2011).
The three statues have a prominent place in the world’s best restaurant, Geranium. With 3 Michelin stars, Rasmus Kofoed’s restaurant not only entered the gastronomic elite in 2016, but it was also named the world’s very best restaurant on the list of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants last year.
Side note: in 2012, Geranium was ranked 49th on the list, where they replaced another Danish restaurant, the Noma, at the top in 2022.
Thanks to his competitive nature, his drive for perfection and passion for cooking, Rasmus Kofoed has achieved everything there is to achieve in gastronomy as a chef and restaurant owner, and this momentum remains unbroken. Now, he is coaching other chefs. He coached the Hungarian team in 2016 and the Danish team in 2019 – both got gold in the European Bocuse d’Or.
This was the fourth time that I have experienced Rasmus Kofoed’s cuisine.
I’ve been to Geranium twice before, and have eaten his cooking once in Budapest, when they had a four-hands dinner with Tamás Széll. In the meantime, the menu and the restaurant have been revamped, and I was looking forward to the new experiences.
Finding Geranium is easy. Go to Parken, the big stadium, and go to the 8th floor. The welcoming is typical Scandinavian – nice and simple. You step out of the lift and into the restaurant. You might think a stadium is a strange place for a 3 Michelin star restaurant, but when you see the panoramic view, you totally get it.
The space is huge and bright. It has a clean, minimalist design and large windows overlooking the park and the city, all the way to the sea. Since our last visit, the interior has been revamped: the snow-white floor-length tablecloths are gone, having been replaced by marble-topped wooden tables, and the walls have been given subtle floral decoration, a nod to the new concept.
You can feel the luxury in every corner of the restaurant, but it still manages to retain the direct, friendly atmosphere that is so typical of the Danes.
The same goes for the service, which is elegant, yet easy-going and friendly. Nothing is stiff, forced or over the top. Even the waiters’ uniforms are all different, which is rarely seen in 3 Michelin star restaurants, but they look sharp, so it works.
Geranium dares to innovate beyond its atmosphere.
Last year they introduced a pescetarian menu, which means no meat on the menu, only fish and seafood. The chef himself has been eating this way for a long time, which he brings from his home, as well as a passion for nature and cooking.
There are close to 40 people in the kitchen, and the finishing area is out in the open and part of the show. The final touches are done at the table, adding another level of excitement.
The restaurant offers a degustation menu consisting of 19+1 pescetarian and vegetarian oriented dishes. Only caviar is an optional extra.
The welcome champagne arrives by trolley, with 4 batches available for tasting. Krug is my favourite. They used to have it by the glass, but not anymore. Times are changing and Krug is getting more and more rare. But still, Geranium has a great selection to choose from.
The menu is served in 3 acts, with 5 starters, 7 savoury and 7 sweet dishes.
The first course arrives immediately after the champagne. It’s a crunchy seaweed basket in line with Danish tradition. It’s basically edible art. I’m blown away by the artistry and the taste. It doesn’t stop there.
Throughout the meal are beautiful dishes on spotless plates, with tweezer techniques in every single dish. The plates are all natural, the flavours sharp and refined, and everything is delicious. The chef’s skill really shows and it’s clear that his game is a step above the rest.
Not only do the flowers appear on the plate in edible form, but the otherwise unattractive beetroot comes in a beautiful floral wreath and the courgettes are presented in a stunning bouquet.
In the midst of the visual frenzy, I am thinking that there are simply no words to describe this experience that is high-end in every detail. Then, before the next course, wild flowers are smoked at the table to enhance the flavour of the lobster, to which the wine pairing is also unique, red wine.
The next course was a truffle dish. It was good, but didn’t fit with the excellence of this menu. In terms of experience and taste, it was a step back.
But with the desserts, a nice recovery. Once again we were back to sophistication of an all-star team. Multiple temperatures, textures and exciting presentation were all here.
Let’s talk about the wine list!
Geranium’s leather-bound wine list and the restaurant’s wine selection are guaranteed to make any French restaurant envious. There are four wine pairings to choose from to the degustation menu, ranging in price from €270 to €2,700. Maybe one of the most expensive wine pairing on earth. We chose the two middle courses and enjoyed some outstanding wines by the glass.
Side note: 20 years ago, with only 10 commercial wineries in the country in 2000, there was little talk of Danish viticulture and wine production. Since then, however, the number of wineries has increased tenfold, with 100 wineries producing around 100,000 litres a year on a total of 90 hectares. Fortunately, we didn’t get to taste them all. The Danes aren’t known for their wine, but it’s great to see more wine makers get in the game.
The non-alcoholic selection is also strong, with kombuchas, juices, extractions and fancy mocktails, all with table service of course.
After the kitchen was done pushing out courses, we could feel the sense or urgency getting more relaxed.
All they needed to do was hang on for the win. But sadly, here is where the service started to fall apart. They relaxed a little bit too much.
Empty wine glasses and dessert plates were left on the table. The water had run out, and it had been 20 minutes since coffee. In 3-Michelin star dining, we rarely see this. Could I let it go? Absolutely. It was the only mistake I’d seen in three visits, and otherwise it was absolutely perfect.
The service is nice, friendly, young and international. Some have come from Australia just to work at Geranium. None of them, however, have worked for decades in a 3 Michelin star environment.
Before we set off, I was invited to see the kitchen and wine cellar. Both were spotless. Such an interesting place, a 36-seat Michelin star restaurant in the same building as a thirty eight thousand seat stadium. Beers for 5 euros are just meters away from rare wines selling for 10,000. It’s so unique. I love it.
In Geranium, you pay for two things: quality and time. The nearly three-hour experience is truly life-changing.
The new design is just what I hoped for – simple, elegant and beautiful. That view is breath-taking.
The service was strong, but they lost the ball at the end for a bit. Maybe the young staff just needs more experience, or maybe they could use a veteran. It’s always good to have someone with 15 years under their belt.
Minus the truffle dish, the food was exceptional. One of the best menus on the planet. In a world of 8 billion people it’s an honor to eat food prepared by the best. Rasmus Kofoed proved to be a true all-star of the kitchen. It’s really something.
The nearly three-hour experience is like no other, and some moments blew me. I wish the service had gone the distance, but it reminded me that even the best teams can sometimes slip up.
That said, Geranium is still top 5 in my life. That’s how good this place is. Delicious, unique food presented beautifully in a gorgeous restaurant overlooking Copenhagen. For that, I would come back in a heartbeat.
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