Review: GeraniumThe Most Mindblowing Meal in Copenhagen
Wow! You think you have seen everything, and then you experience Geranium. This two Michelin-starred restaurant in Copenhagen isn’t getting anywhere close to the attention of restaurant Noma. Quite undeserved, because the dining experience here is truly outstanding. This was the most mindblowing meal I ate in Copenhagen during my foodie tour last summer. Situated in the most unlikely location you can imagine for a Michelin-starred restaurant – part of the Østerbro football stadium. Once you enter, though, you completely forget where you actually are, because the interiors are beautifully designed and the view is stunning.
Get ready to be mind blown!
The Most Mindblowing Meal in Copenhagen
I remember talking to Andreas Viestad in the car on our way home from Fäviken. The topic was food and art. I said I considered food a form of art. You can see it, feel it, smell it, taste it and have truly amazing experiences in food settings. Andreas sort of disagreed, saying he thought that was degrading food in a way. Of course, he was partly right. Food is more than art, because you also need it to survive and it deserves a category of its own in human culture. Still, I have no better ways to express this than to call food an art-like experience, and there is no better proof than Geranium!
On this particular evening, we had the Universe Menu and more specifically the summer universe. The menu will change during the autumn and adapt to the new ingredients of the winter season. The meal kicked off with nine small appetizers, continued with nine main courses, four desserts and ended with a selection of four sweets to go with the coffee. I believe around ten servings in total were considered signature dishes. As a guest, you are stunned by the beauty of each serving, and completely mind blown by the continued high level of quality in each and every one of the 26 plates put in front of you.
Some restaurants focus on the big flavors and not so much on the plating of the dishes. Others will present the most wonderful looking culinary art, but the taste plays second-guitar. Very few will master a combination of both, but Geranium does. This is molecular gastronomy done right, where you don’t necessarily focus on the fact that it is a show.
Take the elevator to the top floorThe first appetizer, and you are wondering if this is really food or just part of the table decorations. Crispy grains from Kornly
Bocuse d’Or Chef Rasmus Kofoed
Geranium is New Nordic and everything you have come to expect from that – organic, local, and seasonal ingredients. It is a two-Michelin-starred restaurant, no. 2 in Denmark and no. 3 in the Nordics in the 2016 White Guide. It was rated no. 51 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2015. Head chef Rasmus Kofoed is the only chef in the world to bring home bronze, silver, and gold from the heavyweight championship of cooking – Bocuse d’Or. This impressive merit list could go on. Despite all this, Geranium has struggled with their economy. I hope the new investors manage to keep the place alive, because this is an experience I wish for all foodies to take part in.
Many meals pass by and you forget how they were like. However, I will not forget my meal at Geranium and the wonderful tour we got of the wine cellar from co-owner Søren Ledet. Of course, I had the best imaginable table company who had dined at Geranium several times before and knew so much about the place. I consider myself very lucky to return so soon again. Next week I will try the winter universe of Rasmus Kofoed!
A choice between three Champagnes. Not quite sure what the restaurant manager Mikael Båth is trying to demonstrate hereTwo ladies against one guy, so it had to be the pretty pink Champagne. NV, Rosé Grand Cru à Ambonnay, MarguetA classic! The floating spheres. Made from milk, fermented juice of carrot, crab & sea buckthorn oilPear & pear vinegar & lemon verbena. Served on a piece of art…Jerusalem artichoke leaves, rye vinegar & walnutWe could watch the chefs work. Head chef Rasmus Kofoed in the middle. Truly inspirational to observeProbably the best chips I have ever eatenDried apple, apple juice and dried flowers“Charred potatoes”Slightly smoked sheep milk butter on a spoonDip the potato in the butter……and dig inPickled garlics with sheep’s yogurt and dried sheep’s meatCep mushroom soup served in a Fabergé-like egg bowl“Seaweed and razor clams”. Actually just impressions of the real ocean creations, and fully edibleRasmus Kofoed is the only chef to ever compete in the Bocuse d’Or three times and bring back all the colors of the podiumWild flowers……which we sprinkled into tomato water together with jellied hamAnother classic! “Dillstones”. Inside is mackerel and horseradish & the coating is a granita made from pickled cucumber.Salted hake fish. This piece of art was quickly covered in sauceSalted hake, buttermilk, “löjrom” & herb stemsBread with emmer & spelt. Slightly similar to the bread servings at Maeemo and YlajaliIngrid Marie apple & chamomile. A bonus juice pairing with a touch of cinnamon in it. Christmas spirit in August!Biodynamic onions with chamomile & melted hay cheeseFlavors of the ocean, beach plants, brown butter & dried scallop roe“Who came first, the Egg or the Hen?”Egg yolk in melted lard & essence of black currant leavesSøren Ledet is co-owner of Geranium and wine director.Søren got to play with fire at the table!Chicken made up from all the chicken parts like chest, legs, wings etc. and then put together to form a new piece which incorporates all the flavors of the birdChicken , red pointed cabbage, pine sprouts & meadow hay beer.Inspiration from the meat fridge!1996, Flor de Pingus, Peter Sisseck, Spain. Opened with a Coravin, which is a needle opener that does not let oxygen in to spoil the wine.Søren Ledet brought us into his wine templeA visit to the wine cellar. Check this amazing room!Søren showed us his favorite wine from the cellar: Christian Tschida Illmitz Mel RamosAnd the most expensive wine: A 1947 Petrus Magnum bottle costing 200.000 Danish kronerFlora of grilled raspberries, rose hip, and elderflower with frozen sheep yoghurt.Beeswax ice cream, cloudberries & salted caramelWoodruff & wood sorrelJulie and Julie – our wonderful waiters.Time for “A walk in the forest”Restaurant manager Mikael Båth on the left and assistant head chef Will King-Smith“This is the end.” You guessed it – Liquorice!All the petits foursTime for some chemex coffee“Lingonberry bush” with beetrootOnion caramel with strawberries and small cakes with pumkin seedCoffee from Coffee CollectiveGreen egg with pine. This was so good!Goodbye Geranium!
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Wow! I just spent 15 mins on this one post alone. I NEED to go to this restaurant. The food is beautiful! Please tell me it tastes as good as it looks?!?! I’m a travel writer/photographer, so hopefully I’ll get a chance to come through on one of my trips. Fingers crossed!
That’s great to hear 🙂 Yes, the food tastes as good as it looks!
looks great.
but i’m curious, did you pay for your meal?
best
Yes, I did 🙂
Anders,
appreciate your reviews. I made reservations at Geranium, Alchemist, Studio, Kadeau and also noted a few more must-visits like Hija de Sanches based on your blog.
Any suggestions for a Sunday lunch though (ie Danish “Frokost”)?
Dieter
That is great to hear! Haven’t checked Sunday opening hours for all of these, but Aamanns, Øl & Brød, Sokkelund and Skindbuksene. The first two are more modern, the latter more traditional. But all of them serve Danish open sandwiches.
I must say I find these kind of molecular gastronomy restaurants a little bit too pretencious and not to say outdated in 2015.
It´s been 15 years more or less since Ferran Adria & Heston Blumentahl etc took it to this level.
Going to Geranium left me a feeling of trying a little too hard to keep on to those mind-blowing moments of the first 3-4 times of eating at el Bulli and The fat duck. I think the clousure of el Bulli and the Adria family´s new concepts just show us we are moving on. It´s not fun anymore. I´m not suprised, I´m not fascinated.
The restaurant scene right now has so much more to offer, especially in Copenhagen. I wouldnt put my money in this place, it would be like putting money into Kodak in 2008.
Thanks for your thoughts on this! My input would be that Geranium is not first and foremost about molecular gastronomy. They do not compensate flavor for looks. However, dining in a restaurant like this can not be to everyones liking, I agree. I find it among the very best of fine dining places, but I couldn’t go too often either 🙂
Anders – great post! Loved watching your more casual Snapshot story and then reading the in-depth written review; it definitely helps paint the complete dining experience.
Did you end up returning to try the Winter Universe? If so, how did it compare to this meal? I’ll be visiting from the U.S. and am deciding whether to go with the Universe Menu or the Winter Menu. Thanks!
Hi Alex. Thanks for the feedback. I am happy you like what I do. I did indeed return to try the Winter Universe. I’ll write about it very soon. Personally I preferred the Universe Menu in the spring/summer. Copenhagen in general is more beautiful at that time of the year.
Do geranium close for entire summer months; July & August like other European countries? Since your nov post said summer universe menu, which month you dined there? Love your blog & I just got my reservation at NOMA this July & any other must try recommendations in Copengahen? Pls advise. Love your blog & thank for sharing. May
They might close for some time. Check the website. I dined late August for the summer universe. Other must-try recommendations in Copenhagen for fine dining is the new Kadeau and the amazing Venezuelan place Taller. For more casual dining check Eldorao and the new place from Rosio Sanchez in Kødbyen. They are all featured on my site, expect the last one, but you can read about her taqueria in Torvehallerne. Thanks for the kind words
Thank you very much for your tips. Any good recommendations at Malmo Sweden? Appreciated for sharing 🙂
Bastard! Go there 🙂
Thank you and how about Stockholm? Any recommendations?
Gastrologik, Speceriet, Lilla Ego, Flying Elk, Nook, Babette, Adam och Albin
Thank you for all recommendations and it is very helpful 🙂
How about frantzens Michelin 2 stars? What do you think of this? Any better restaurant than Frantzens Stockholm in your opinion?
I have not been there. It’s probably one of the better ones, considering the stars and the photos I have seen 🙂
In regards to Malmo (i.e. its close proximity) I would highly recommend Daniel Berlin (http://danielberlin.se/).
In Stockholm: Frantzén is a must (one of the best restaurants I ever visited)!
Have you been to Kadeau at Bornholm instead of the Copenhagen branch? Please share and thank you, May
Yes, if you search my site for Kadeau you can see pictures of the visit. Both Bornholm and Copenhagen.
I did but it seems the menu are completely different between 2 different branches/location, is it true and which one is better in your opinion, is it worth to travel to Bornholm? Please share insights and thank you, May
Copenhagen said 20 courses but Bornholm only 8 courses? A little confused here, pls advise thank you, May
I can only tell you how it was when I was there. My articles should give an impression of that. It was 20 courses both places. The food is the same. The Bornholm location is spectacular.
Thank you very much for your input & greatly appreciated
Any good seafood restaurant you recommend in Copenhagen? Thank you
Sorry for resend & any excellent seafood restaurants you recommend in Denmark not just in Copenhagen city?
I don’t really have specific seafood recommendations. In my experience those that focus only on seafood aren’t necessarily the best.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR DETAILED DESCIPTION OF THE RESTAURANT, VERY APPETIZING, LOOKING FORWARD TO ENJOY THE GERANIUM.
Caps you very lock! I hope you have a great time there 🙂
Wow! I just spent 15 mins on this one post alone. I NEED to go to this restaurant. The food is beautiful! Please tell me it tastes as good as it looks?!?! I’m a travel writer/photographer, so hopefully I’ll get a chance to come through on one of my trips. Fingers crossed!
Thank you for your post…
Kristen
http://www.kristengill.com
That’s great to hear 🙂 Yes, the food tastes as good as it looks!
looks great.
but i’m curious, did you pay for your meal?
best
Yes, I did 🙂
Anders,
appreciate your reviews. I made reservations at Geranium, Alchemist, Studio, Kadeau and also noted a few more must-visits like Hija de Sanches based on your blog.
Any suggestions for a Sunday lunch though (ie Danish “Frokost”)?
Dieter
That is great to hear! Haven’t checked Sunday opening hours for all of these, but Aamanns, Øl & Brød, Sokkelund and Skindbuksene. The first two are more modern, the latter more traditional. But all of them serve Danish open sandwiches.
I must say I find these kind of molecular gastronomy restaurants a little bit too pretencious and not to say outdated in 2015.
It´s been 15 years more or less since Ferran Adria & Heston Blumentahl etc took it to this level.
Going to Geranium left me a feeling of trying a little too hard to keep on to those mind-blowing moments of the first 3-4 times of eating at el Bulli and The fat duck. I think the clousure of el Bulli and the Adria family´s new concepts just show us we are moving on. It´s not fun anymore. I´m not suprised, I´m not fascinated.
The restaurant scene right now has so much more to offer, especially in Copenhagen. I wouldnt put my money in this place, it would be like putting money into Kodak in 2008.
Thanks for your thoughts on this! My input would be that Geranium is not first and foremost about molecular gastronomy. They do not compensate flavor for looks. However, dining in a restaurant like this can not be to everyones liking, I agree. I find it among the very best of fine dining places, but I couldn’t go too often either 🙂
Anders – great post! Loved watching your more casual Snapshot story and then reading the in-depth written review; it definitely helps paint the complete dining experience.
Did you end up returning to try the Winter Universe? If so, how did it compare to this meal? I’ll be visiting from the U.S. and am deciding whether to go with the Universe Menu or the Winter Menu. Thanks!
Hi Alex. Thanks for the feedback. I am happy you like what I do. I did indeed return to try the Winter Universe. I’ll write about it very soon. Personally I preferred the Universe Menu in the spring/summer. Copenhagen in general is more beautiful at that time of the year.
Do geranium close for entire summer months; July & August like other European countries? Since your nov post said summer universe menu, which month you dined there? Love your blog & I just got my reservation at NOMA this July & any other must try recommendations in Copengahen? Pls advise. Love your blog & thank for sharing. May
They might close for some time. Check the website. I dined late August for the summer universe. Other must-try recommendations in Copenhagen for fine dining is the new Kadeau and the amazing Venezuelan place Taller. For more casual dining check Eldorao and the new place from Rosio Sanchez in Kødbyen. They are all featured on my site, expect the last one, but you can read about her taqueria in Torvehallerne. Thanks for the kind words
Thank you very much for your tips. Any good recommendations at Malmo Sweden? Appreciated for sharing 🙂
Bastard! Go there 🙂
Thank you and how about Stockholm? Any recommendations?
Gastrologik, Speceriet, Lilla Ego, Flying Elk, Nook, Babette, Adam och Albin
Thank you for all recommendations and it is very helpful 🙂
How about frantzens Michelin 2 stars? What do you think of this? Any better restaurant than Frantzens Stockholm in your opinion?
I have not been there. It’s probably one of the better ones, considering the stars and the photos I have seen 🙂
In regards to Malmo (i.e. its close proximity) I would highly recommend Daniel Berlin (http://danielberlin.se/).
In Stockholm: Frantzén is a must (one of the best restaurants I ever visited)!
Have you been to Kadeau at Bornholm instead of the Copenhagen branch? Please share and thank you, May
Yes, if you search my site for Kadeau you can see pictures of the visit. Both Bornholm and Copenhagen.
I did but it seems the menu are completely different between 2 different branches/location, is it true and which one is better in your opinion, is it worth to travel to Bornholm? Please share insights and thank you, May
Copenhagen said 20 courses but Bornholm only 8 courses? A little confused here, pls advise thank you, May
I can only tell you how it was when I was there. My articles should give an impression of that. It was 20 courses both places. The food is the same. The Bornholm location is spectacular.
Thank you very much for your input & greatly appreciated
Any good seafood restaurant you recommend in Copenhagen? Thank you
Sorry for resend & any excellent seafood restaurants you recommend in Denmark not just in Copenhagen city?
I don’t really have specific seafood recommendations. In my experience those that focus only on seafood aren’t necessarily the best.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR DETAILED DESCIPTION OF THE RESTAURANT, VERY APPETIZING, LOOKING FORWARD TO ENJOY THE GERANIUM.
Caps you very lock! I hope you have a great time there 🙂