Kong Hans Kælder

This vaulted Gothic cellar, once owned by King Hans (1455-1513), not only lies in the oldest building in Copenhagen, but also is the site of the best restaurant. Five centuries ago, the site of the restaurant was a vineyard, a tradition still honored by the name of the street -- Vingårdsstræde. Grapes were an ingredient in many of the dishes of the time. Hans Christian Andersen once lived upstairs, writing Love in the Nicola Tower.

Chef Thomas Rode Andersen has turned the cellar into a Relais Gourmands (a member of the exclusive society of gourmet restaurants), and he creates dishes whose arrangement on a platter might have been done by an inspired impressionist painter.

The chef is mainly inspired by the classic traditions of French gastronomy, though he feels free to draw upon the cuisines and raw materials of other countries. He doesn't believe in drowning a dish, and he allows its natural flavor to shine through. In autumn, fresh partridge and pigeon arrive from the fields, the same place where the mushrooms are gathered. He even smokes his own salmon on-site for 36 hours in an antique oven. Blue lobsters are yanked from a tank, and other freshly caught fish and shellfish come from harbors nearby. The menu is inventive, sublime, and full of flavor, with market-fresh ingredients decisively seasoned and appearing in combinations perhaps unknown to you.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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