|
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. 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 first of our recommendations that you will come to is Skovriderkroen, a large seaside inn dating from 1937. Skovriderkroen is much more than just a restaurant. Located just opposite Danmarks Akvarium (Denmark's Aquarium), by day this is an excellent family venue with its large, open, mahogany furnished dining room, open-air grill terrace, mini-golf course and ice cream kiosk. What?s more, Charlottenlund beach is just across the road. The staff are formally dressed in black waistcoats and bow ties, but the atmosphere is informal and welcoming, especially on Friday and Saturday evenings when the venue transforms into one of the main night spots along this stretch of coast, one of the wealthiest residential areas in Denmark (and 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 a new chef and inspired by the legendary French cook Alain Ducasse, the food (which blends Modern Italian, with French and Danish cuisine) is better than ever. 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. Right next door, still in the harbour, is Røgeriet (the smokery), renowned for its home smoked fish. In the old days, virtually every harbour in Denmark had its own smokery, where fish and meats would be preserved for the winter by smoking in an oven. Rungsted's has been transformed into a super restaurant (the smoking oven is actually inside the restaurant), with outdoor dining beside the boats in summer. Not everything on the menu is smoked, you might like to know. Continuing further up the coast towards the world famous modern art museum Louisiana you first come to the small coastal town of Humlebæk whose traditional harbour inn, Sletten Kro has a very nice view from the restaurant across the small harbour. As we continue round the coast, past the town of Helsingør (famous as the home of Hamlet) we come to restaurant of one of Denmark's most creative, cosmopolitan chefs, Jan Hurtigkarl. Each year Jan is famous for the summer menus he creates based on his global travels. Indian, Chinese and Creole cooking have all inspired him in seasons past, but this year it was his recent visit to Japan that has set the theme for 2006. Together with his chef, Jakob Mielcke Hansen (who has worked for the famous French chef Pierre Gagnaire in both his Michelin starred restaurants in London and Paris), Jan has yet again concocted a menu bursting with creativity and fresh thinking. This spirit of innovation extends outside to the grill area, where Jan has designed a unique pyramid grill, to fend of the Danish wind and rain. This stretch of coast on the north of the island of Zealand 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 from Jan Hurtigkarl 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 20th century, has recently been 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 and its four-to-seven-course meals are now an integral part of the summer Tisvilde experience. |