Advertisement

Copenhagen’s 'Geranium' crowned world's best restaurant

The Local/AFP
The Local/AFP - [email protected]
Copenhagen’s 'Geranium' crowned world's best restaurant
Head chef Rasmus Kofoed pictured at Geranium in 2021. Photo: Thomas Lekfeldt/Ritzau Scanpix

Danish establishment "Geranium" has been crowned number one in the coveted list of the World's 50 Best Restaurants this year, which left a bad taste for shunned French chefs.

Advertisement

The ceremony was due to be held in Moscow this year but was moved to London after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February, and there were no Russian restaurants ranked.

"Geranium" is run by chef Rasmus Kofoed in Copenhagen and is the second Danish restaurant to win in a row, taking over from Noma last year.

“Just as we were called up I felt butterflies, adrenaline,” Kofoed told news wire Ritzau.

Advertisement

“I got tears in my eyes and I felt the warmest feeling that something we have been working on for so many years is coming together,” he said. 

Fans might say Geranium “came together” years ago — in 2016, it became the first Danish restaurant to receive three Michelin stars, the highest ranking the organisation awards. 

A multi-course affair that takes a minimum of three hours to eat, dining with Geranium will set you back a cool 3,200 kroner a head this summer — while the wine pairings range from 2,000 kroner to 18,000 kroner. 

Two other Copenhagen restaurants made the list — Alchemist at number 18 and Jordnær at number 38 — while last year’s first place winner Noma fell off the rankings. 

Peruvian restaurant "Central" in Lima came runner-up in the coveted list of the best, established by British trade magazine Restaurant in 2002. 

Spanish restaurants "Disfrutar" in Barcelona and "Diverxo" in Madrid came third and fourth.

Inspired by nature, Kofoed's restaurant received the first three Michelin stars for Denmark in 2016.

The awards named Colombian Leonor Espinosa as the "world's best female chef" and her restaurant Leo was ranked 48th in the list.

Despite France's famed cuisine, only three French restaurants -- all in Paris -- featured in the top 50: "Septime" in 22nd, "Le Clarence" in 28th and "Arpege" in 31st.

The list is selected by 1,080 independent culinary experts including chefs, specialist journalists and restaurant owners who note their experiences in the past 18 months under the aegis of the magazine.

The experts are divided up into 27 regions with 40 voters each and they can each vote for 10 restaurants including at least three outside their region.

The list, sponsored by several brands, often comes under fire, especially by French chefs who accuse it of complacency and a lack of transparency.

French critics, as well as those from Japan and the United States, established their own "La Liste" in 2015, ranking 1,000 restaurants worldwide.

More

Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

See Also