It is the internationally acclaimed American chef Matt Orlando who is behind ESSE. He previously owned the award-winning and critically acclaimed restaurant Amass, and has also been one of the head chefs at Michelin-rewarded Noma. Matt Orlando has returned to Denmark after spending two years in Singapore, where he was involved in, among other things, the AIR project – a combination of restaurant, educational, and research centre aimed at challenging chefs, students, and guests to reconsider how food is produced and consumed.

ESSE is located in a building from 1895, which once served as a warehouse. This contributes to the modern and industrial atmosphere that flows through the Nordhavn neighbourhood and perfectly complements ESSE’s contemporary approach to gastronomy, rooted in tradition and history.

The restaurant’s name is Latin and means “to be”, “self-reflection” and “to exist”. The name was chosen to reflect Matt Orlando’s ongoing fascination with the question of what it means to exist in the world. This reflection is present throughout ESSE’s philosophy, where curiosity, creativity and a thoughtful approach to ingredients play a central role.