Press Information
October 2009

Seaside dining, Danish style

The coast north of Copenhagen is dotted with culinary jewels - restaurants whose food and uniquely soothing atmosphere you will want to return to again.

We don't know have any scientific proof of this as such, but there is something about dining with a view to the sea that seems to help the digestion. Food just tastes better beside the sea. Maybe it is the irresistibly relaxing affect of the light on the water, or the movement of the waves, who knows. If you would care to take part in our very own (un)scientific investigation into this most enjoyable phenomenon, there are plenty of superb sea view restaurants close to Copenhagen that we can recommend.

With a magnificient view over Øresund Restaurant Riderlykke opened in 2009 as one of Skovriderkroen's 4 concepts. They serve a gourmet brunch, old style open faced sandwiches with a new twist and Danish dishes for supper. Restaurant Riderlykke exudes nostalgia though the decor is modern, with china from Royal Copenhagen, cutlery from Georg Jensen, and classical royal plates on the walls. With respect for both the modern and classic; Danish dishes are created in a modern context.

The Øresund Strait, which divides eastern Denmark from Southern Sweden, is an especially tranquil stretch of water, with a unique light and atmosphere. If you travel north of Copenhagen along the coast, this is the sea that will accompany you all the way to Helsingør at the closest point to Sweden. The coast road passes by one of the wealthiest residential areas in Denmark (sometimes referred to as the Whisky Belt).

Charlottenlund beach is a fine stretch of sand, but a little further up the coast at Klampenborg is one of the loveliest beaches in the area, Bellevue. This is also home to two of the most distinctive and special restaurants in the entire region, each radically different from the other. Restaurant Jacobsen is internationally renowned not just a shrine to one of Denmark's best known and most prolific designers, Arne Jacobsen, but also for its exquisite food. With a kitchen now run by

Charlottenlund beach is a fine stretch of sand, but a little further up the coast at Klampenborg is one of the loveliest beaches in the area, Bellevue. This is also home to two of the most distinctive and special restaurants in the entire region, each radically different from the other. Restaurant Jacobsen is internationally renowned not just a shrine to one of Denmark's best known and most prolific designers, Arne Jacobsen, but also for its exquisite food. With a kitchen now run by Nicolai Tram and Nicolai Byrholt that makes the menu worthy of its beautiful setting, an economical menu with the best of Danish ingredients in the gorgeous area of Bellevue beach with its lovely view. Using wild herbs that grow in their own back yard garden. On the menu you will find special local dishes like Bellevue and Dyrehaven ( name of a park where deer run free). Bringing you the best from forest and beach and changing with the seasons.The restaurant, which is part of one of Jacobsen's seminal designs - the Bellevista Housing Complex - has one of the finest interiors around, with numerous examples of Jacobsen's designs. Diners sit on his famous Swan, Egg and Ant chairs, and eat with his futuristic cutlery (as used in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey). In summer there is outside dining with a view to the sea.

Just across the road, beneath ancient oak trees is the charming Den Gule Cottage (The Yellow Cottage), a tiny, single-storey, half-timbered cottage, built in 1844 as the house for the beach's caretaker. The cottage was designed by the famous Danish architect Gottlieb Bindesbøll (also responsible for Thorvaldsens Museum and the Carlsberg label). With its thatched roof (now the wine ‘cellar'), yellow-washed walls and the clock above the door it resembles something from a Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale. Inside, are two simple, cosy dining rooms where lucky diners are served dishes of the very highest quality, blending the freshest seasonal Danish ingredients with contemporary French techniques. Again, in summer there is an outdoor terrace overlooking the lawns that roll down to the beach.

Once the home of composer Hakon Schmedes, the traditional Danish farm Mikkelgaard is now a renowned restaurant set amid lawns which stretch right down to the water. Since 1990 this has been one of the ‘undiscovered' pearls along this stretch of the coast with its beautiful, light dining room and unbeatable views of the Øresund.

Not far two other prime Rungsted restaurants, both located in the harbour itself. Nokken is a stylish, modern harbour restaurant. Its large, light, white dining room and outdoor deck blend an American West Coast atmosphere with Modern Scandinavian style. Nokken is also one of the top nighttime destinations along this part of the coast, when it draws an affluent, stylish, younger crowd who bring with them a unique, vibrant atmosphere. The food is modern Mediterranean, again with a Modern Scandinavian touch.

Restaurant Sletten is located in the heart of the old and idyllic Sletten Harbor in Humlebæk. Close to the same train station where Louisiana - Museum of Modern Art is situated. Surrounded by small cozy fishermen's cottages with a view of the harbor and Øresund, Restaurant Sletten oozes charm and nostalgia. Its kitchen originates from provincial French cuisine featuring the best of Danish ingredients provided by local producers, accompanied by French specialties. The surroundings are rustic and informal owned by Kristian Møller and Rune Jochumsen, who also own the Michelin-starred restaurant formel B in Copenhagen.

This stretch of coast on the north of the island of Sealand is a very popular summer holiday area for Copenhageners which means that, though the villages here are small and based around fishing harbours, there are plenty of excellent restaurants, shops and hotels. Søstrene Olsen, a little further along the coast at Hornbæk (one of the most popular of these seaside resorts), is housed in a charming thatched cottage beside the town's fine sandy beach. The food here is Franco-Danish, with an emphasis on superlative presentation and the best fresh ingredients - freshly caught fish a speciality. This simply styled restaurant lies two minutes from the harbour, with golf, riding and sailing opportunities close at hand.

The eastern stretch of the north coast begins at the fishing village of Gilleleje (another popular holiday spot) and end at Tisvilde, an exclusive seaside village of thatched, clapboard houses with a wonderful sandy beach. Right in the harbour at Gilleleje is the cosy, traditional Restaurant Gilleleje Havn, a former seaman's inn dating from 1895. Here, in the old inn building, the accent is on traditional Danish cuisine, with smørrebrød (open sandwiches) for lunch, plus of course the catch of the day fresh from the harbour. In summer the new extension to the old building houses a restaurant which serves food with a French influence.

Finally, if you are thinking of lingering longer on this stretch of coast, Helenekilde Hotel would be an excellent choice. This traditional    `badehotel´ (bathing hotel), dating from the early 20 century, that in 2009 was revived by new owners (with care taken to preserve its unique atmosphere) and now attracts a younger, hipper clientele during the summer. It has a wonderful restaurant now an integral part of the Tisvilde summer experience.

Restaurants mentioned in this press feature: