Geist Crazy, Creative & Risky Restaurant in Copenhagen (Closed Permanently)

Bo Bech is a crazy chef. You can like or dislike his cooking, but you can’t deny that he brings something new to the table. I was highly recommended to visit Geist for my Copenhagen trip this summer. Later on, I was deeply discouraged to waste my time in this place. The style is unique! I heard from a chef. The food is awful! my foodie friend argued. In the end, decided to give it a try and judge on my own. Personally, I loved it.

Note: This restaurant has closed permanently.

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Tartare of langoustine with a cream of yuzu and hibiscus
Tartare of langoustine with a cream of yuzu and hibiscus

However, I might just have been lucky, or rather extraordinarily skilled at picking the best options from a menu? The food certainly was very risky and different. I can definitely understand that some people might not like this, or that other dishes on the menu fail to impress as much as the ones I chose. Besides, I didn’t have a full meal. This was just a quick bite before dinner at restaurant Taller, which I will write about soon.

Follow the bowler hats
Follow the bowler hats
Enter the garden of Geist
Enter the garden of Geist

You enter the restaurant from Kongens Nytorv. Look for the sign with the bowler hat, walk through the passage, enter the garden and in through the doors on the right you’ll find Geist. The first thing you stumble upon is the cocktail bar. A good sign. Order a drink straight away! I can’t remember what I had, but I believe I just asked for something fresh and acidic.

Trust this man and his cocktails
Trust this man and his cocktails
The menu gives you no clue of what you should expect
The menu gives you no clue of what you should expect

If you’re not sure how hungry you are, just order a few items to start with. The dishes came out extremely quickly from the kitchen! Probably due to me being here quite early, but also because the food looks sort of slapped onto your plate. No fancy spheres, cylinders or balancing of flowers here. I am not saying there isn’t any thought behind the presentation. In fact, I am sure there is a lot of thought, but it is still very simple in its form.

The tartare is smeared all over the plate, and you have to scoop it up with your fork and dip it in the cream
The tartare is smeared all over the plate, and you have to scoop it up with your fork and dip it in the cream
Grilled avocado with green almonds and curry
Grilled avocado with green almonds and curry

The food at Geist truly exceeded my expectations. How can a grilled avocado combined with just cream, curry and green almonds taste so good and be so balanced? I have never had a tartare that is spread on your plate like a gel you have to scrape up. The Norwegian lobster was wonderful in combination with the yuzu and hibiscus. Though, the most mind-blowing of all my choices was the dessert. Each layer alone did not taste good. The salty caramel was too salty and the wasabi way too strong, but when you got everything together in one bite it was delightful!

This is art
This is art
Salted wasabi cream toffee. Three layers which individually did not taste good, but combined they were wonderful!
Salted wasabi cream toffee. Three layers which individually did not taste good, but combined they were wonderful!

Have you checked out Geist? Did you love it or hate it? Please leave a comment below.

Anders Husa

Anders Husa and Kaitlin Orr are food & travel bloggers and creative content creators. From their base in Copenhagen, they operate the largest and most influential restaurant-focused travel blog in Scandinavia.

7 comments

  • Hi Anders, I’ve been at Geist a year and half ago and I definitely Loved it.
    I didn’t know about the “risk” of terribile food; I thought was appreciated by the most.
    However me and my girlfriend loved it both. She is Vegan and the chef was able to prepare interesting combination for a vegan menu as well.

    • I didn’t mean there is a risk for terrible food, but the cooking is risky because it doesn’t appeal to everyone. Cool that you like it.

  • Visited Geist yesterday. The whole experience was mediocre. You probably either like or dislike the nightclub feel you get in the restaurant, but the food was more or less unbalanced and the wine prices were steep (not to mention that the wine pairing).

    • Hi Dean. Thanks for your feedback. I haven’t been to Geist myself in more than 2 years, but I had a similar experience as you on my last visit. However, this first visit was much better – but then I didn’t sit in the nightclub-vibe bar, but in the entrance area, and I also ordered selected dishes that I had been recommended.

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