My favorite dishes were the mushrooms over the fish, and the goat cheese on goat cheese ! I think I could live off that mushroom sauce. We were there for lunch, and the reservation says you get the table for two hours. We were there for 2 hours, but it seemed unnecessarily long. There were several dishes that we seemed to wait for ever for. I think they could improve a bit on the timing. The restaurant is also a bit out of the way from the main tourist attractions. The neighborhood is really cute and there are lots of shops around. The cemetery nearby is also where Hans Christian Andersen's grave is. Without making a trip to the restaurant we probably would have missed out on such a cute part of town. read more

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We made dinner reservations for 2 and were promptly seated on arrival. I'd recommend requesting the bar seating ahead of time so you can watch the food being prepared. I opted for the juice pairing here and it was delightful. First time trying it and there were so many unique flavors. Overall, I feel it doesn't quite enhance the food as well as wine, but it's still worth a try. We went with the 5 course menu, which turned out to be avant-garde. One interesting aspect is that the table has all the utensils in a hidden drawer. Pre-appetizer Fried shallots in sourdough batter with sourdough sauce. This was a nice treat that was lightly fried. The sourdough bread here is definitely the best I've had. It's super fresh from the oven, skin was slightly burnt and crispy and the inside dough was so fluffy. Danish cucumber and coriander mackarel - very light. Nice intro. Not much mackarel taste. Fermented gooseberry and elderflower - this juice pairing was slightly sour from the fermentation. Zuchinni basil, zuchinni sauce - Delightful dish. Very flavorful. Zuchinni was all warm and easy to cut. Very fleshy almost like meat. Fruit juice was basically a palette cleanser prepping my mouth for the same experience over and over. Blueberry and pine honey - reminds me of being in nature. Strong smell of pine. Sweet blueberry aftertaste. This was an amazing juice by itself. Dill with cuts of lamb - interesting dish that came with a contrasting dish made of white radish, sheep yogurt and dill vinegar. Almond milk cheese apricot basalmic sauce. Cracker from waste of almond milk pulp. Cracker was not too crunchy. Almond milk cheese was fantastic. Thick and a little rougher, but very almonds. They used some cheese culture to make it so it's not vegan. Birch tea and earl grey tea - strong earl taste. Heavy on the tongue. Chervil and dandelion juice pairing. Parfait - currant, meringue, rose. Creamy and sweet from the currant. Juice pairing was a good neutralizer for the sweetness. read more

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Christian Puglisi was the first ex Noma chef to make it big, and his restaurant Relæ has transformed a seedy street once overrun by druggies into one of Nørrebro's loveliest stretches. On the same street, you'll find The Coffee Collective, Manfreds, several boutiques and gourmet chocolate stores. Prepare to spend a few hours walking around to work up your appetite for dinner. We took the first seating for dinner and decided to go with the Relæ menu (4 courses, 475 kr.) as we weren't so hungry. We were greeted by our server and was told that that the menu and utensils are in a hidden drawer to the right side of your table. It was like a surprise, and that was fun. Relæ is known for their no fuss style of cooking that's presented simply which let the ingredients speak for themselves. No food is wasted in the kitchen and almost all their food components are 100% organic. Dinner was well paced and while the courses aren't very big in portion size, nibble on the sourdough bread while waiting. Sticking to their organic style, the welcome amuse bouche is a lettuce salad with dill and lemon vinaigrette. It'll perk up your taste buds on what's to come. This was followed by a local Danish trout served poke style, with pickled plums, onions and lettuce. All veggies taste so earthy and the fish was fresh. Our second course was a strangely designed roasted courgette. Since there's nothing wasted in the kitchen, the juices that came from the roasting process was used for the herb sauce. Yogurt added a creamy wholesomeness to the dish. My favorite was the grilled lamb that's been raised North of Denmark near the beach. We were told by the server that the animal has grazed on beachside greens. Served with dehydrated sea herbs, the sauce tasted like the ocean. I seriously thought about duplicating this in my kitchen, but I'll probably fail miserably. Dessert is stunner! It's a yogurt sorbet with lemon curd, topped with grated matcha. It was very Japanese and I really liked the addition of grated matcha on top, it gives it such a verdant color. I'm amazed at the level of quality that the food tasted. Everything was simple, about 4 or 5 ingredients, and yet all dishes were incredible. Diners who come here may not be "wowed" due to lack of extravagant additions or spices you can't even name, but you'll walk away thinking: Now, THIS is how our food should be made. That one Michelin star is definitely well deserved. read more

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Fantastic experience with juice pairings! We were delighted by the array of delicious foods and drinks - and the service was terrific! Our favorites this summer - fjord shrimps and lamb. All the vegetables were fantastic and memorable as well - so many!! We are excited that a friend in San Francisco strongly recommended Relæ to us and showed us his copy of the beautiful cookbook, and grateful we found the time to stop by for a long lunch. Highly recommend this place, we had a good time. read more

Ranked #39 in the world, so I was setting my expectations pretty high. We ordered the Relae experience for 895kr (the smaller tasting menu is the Relae menu for 475 kr). The meal overall was, as the 3 stars on Yelp calls it: a-ok. It wasn't anything special, sadly, and there were a few misses thrown in to the menu. I love the look of the restaurant: simple, and the wood tables and brick warms the space up. Excellent service. Well-paced meal. Some tasting menus have you feeling still kind of hungry at the end of your meal, but not at Relae. We left stuffed to the gills. Free wifi. read more

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***4.5 stars for Relae*** What a great place to review for my 500th! I heard about this place from a co-worker. He told me one of the former NOMA chefs opened this place and/or works here. We jumped at the opportunity and made a reservation online 1-2 weeks in advance. We stayed at a hotel near Tivoli gardens and took a bus ride to the restaurant, then walked another 10-15 minutes. The place was super cute and located on the corner of the street. We arrived early and they were able to accommodate us. We started with some sparkling wine and a white asparagus appetizer with cream and crushed pistachios. It was very tasty. The spirit was bubbly with a hint of sweetness and the appetizer was fresh and crunchy. For dinner, we went with the 4 course omnivore meal. We started with complimentary bread & olive oil. One word: AMAZING! This bread was the best bread I've ever had. Soft with great texture and tons of flavor. I was in heaven---just from the bread! First course: Razor clam with cucumber and spinach It was good but a little on the fishy side. I wish there was a squeeze of citrus to curb the fishiness. Second course: Green asparagus soup with ramsons and beach herbs. This was the best soup I've ever had. The green broth was full of flavor with a hint of garlic. Third course: Pork from Hindsholm, salted, and unripe strawberries This was my favorite dish! The pork was juicy, salty, soft, ultra tender and succulent. Foodie lovers only dream of a piece of meat like this! Fourth course: Rhubarb and almonds (dessert) This was an ice cream like dish and it was my least favorite. I'm not a rhubarb fan and thought it had a really strong flavor. I loved the ice cream like center and rhubarb leather but didn't like the chunks of rhubarb. We also got the wine pairing. The wines were superb. All of them were white and really brought out each dish. Service was excellent. We loved our waiter (Alessandro). His explanations were more like stories and it was like talking to your friend over dinner. Overall, we had a wonderful dining experience. My favorite dishes were the pork and asparagus soup. Not to mention the high end wines! For the 4 course meal + wine pairing & appetizers with sparkling wine, it was about $180 USD per person. Pricey but cheaper than than NOMA. I highly recommend this restaurant if you are in Copenhagen. read more

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Music selection here was great. They played a variety of music and the overall vibe here was upbeat and happening. The restaurant is casual with fine dining level of service. The napkins, menu, and utensils are self serve in a drawer for each guest embedded in the table. Standout dishes for us were the lamb and dessert. I really wish they had a printed menu so I knew exactly what we were eating. We had an amuse bouche of lamb tartare before the main lamb which we were not huge fans of. Taste wise was fine but it visually looked like ground raw meat which in my opinion didn't help. The lamb main was delicious and had a seaweed sauce. The lamb was not gamey and the seaweed flavor was light adding the right touch of saltiness to the dish. I have no clue what the dessert was but it was intriguing. The top layer was crumbled freeze dried herbs over a refreshing icy sorbet. Underneath this was some sort of light creamy custard that tasted of a mix of caramel brown bread flavor. It was an unexpectedly wonderful dessert. read more

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This was my first Michelin starred dining experience. Here is my descriptions of the dishes, followed by my full impression. We opted for the four course tasting menu, given we have an right year old boy who has an aversion for vegetables. Pre- meal we were served an appetizer of farm grown radish and fennel's, along with bread and Italian olive oil. First course: Mackerel cured with salt overnight, topped with cucumber and coriander. Second course: Zucchini with basil and olive sauce cooked for several hours (brownish paste..), with pistachio sauce. Third course: Free range lamb (leg meat) served with dill and bone reduction, topped with lightly salted samfire (sp?) which is a succulent, and some other succulents which are native to coastal Denmark. Lamb was accompanied by shaved radish with light vinegar (?) and yogurt. The sous chef suggested we eat this with the lamb to accentuate the flavor. After a palate cleanser of Birch Water, which is water from a birch tree reduced, sweetened and infused with Earl grey tea, we were served the fourth course which is the dessert: Parfait with black currant jam and hip rose. Here's my overall impression (after watching many episodes of Iron Chef and Chopped). The service was impeccable, the food presentation was simple, I think to highlight the dishes. The food was... just okay. Not a single bite had a wow factor, and the main dish, the indigenous lamb, was cooked well but didn't have much flavor besides salt, even with the almond and berries reduction sauce (which I forgot to mention) it wasn't that flavorful. And wife and I both agree that the dessert was the best course. See my pictures for the courses. After the meal we took pictures with the sous chef which was nice. read more

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AMAZING meal tonight at Relae, world 56th best and third best restaurant of Denmark. The whole meal was a delight. Only local ingredients, most vegetables and herbs grown for the restaurant in their own gardens, and 100% natural wines selected by the excellent sommelier Tobias. The team of chefs led by Jonathan Tam do a magnificent job. The place is also very cozy, all wood and simple decor, confortable and authentic. A truly modern restaurant, a perfect night. Would do it again tomorrow if I could. read more

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An almost vegetarian restaurant disguised as fine dining. Cucumber peels in a bland verde sauce was the strangest and least bearble pasta I've come across for many years, given my wide range of tolerance for pastas. A lamb dish appeared completely green with a perfunctorily poached bok choy nearing its useable lifespan (or surpassing). The half-heartedly braised potatoes in an exceedingly unnecessary cream sauce was the abyss of the night. Even wine pairing was awful - not at all pleasant with crazy mark-ups. Perhaps this is New Nordic? How did they get a Michelin one star after all? read more

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After being unable to get a reservation at Noma, Relæ was suggested to me as an alternative. Keep in mind, I am definitely not the type of person to eat at Michelin-star restaurants, I love larger portions of food, but my experience at Relæ was phenomenal. I went with the "Menu" experienced prices at 475 DKK. I sat by the kitchen and was able to see all the work the chefs did. All the dishes were displayed and created with such intricacy. As I was presented with each dish, I was also given information about them. The ingredients are all organic, taking an ethical approach to all the food they cook. For one of the dishes, I was told that chefs travel to a farm every morning to collect items for that specific dish (I forgot which one this was). My favourites were the lamb dish and the dessert. The lamb was cooked to perfection - it didn't feel like a lamb texture, it was so each to chew, and overall so pleasant to eat. The dessert was like nothing I've had before - it was some type of parfait with black currant, rose hip and bee pollen. The flavour was light, fruity, and unexpected. Overall, I'd definitely recommend Relæ if you're around the beautiful city of Copenhagen. Even with the cheapest set menu, you're bound to have a great experience. read more

To sit and read Christian Puglisi's "A Book of Ideas," ostensibly a cookbook about Michelin-starred Relæ, is more than just a chance to gawk at recipes most amateur Chefs will never attempt, it is an opportunity to truly understand a man who takes everything from farming to the water used in his kitchen very seriously, though a look at the restaurant itself on Saturday afternoon showed the experience to actually be very joyful, a seat at the counter looking upon Chefs from nearby to Brazil all working in harmony as they prepared food that was conceptually simple but generally brilliant. Opened in 2010 fresh off of years at El Bulli and noma, lessons learned working with René Redzepi helping the then-28 year old Italian Chef crystallize an idea for a restaurant that would further eschew the confines of fine dining in favor of a "cut to the bone" philosophy focused on nothing more than a comfortable environment and what was served on the plate, diners visiting Relæ in 2017 will find a neighborhood that Puglisi previously described as 'riddled with drugs' transformed into one thriving with artisan goods, restaurants and a young families, his restaurant very much a catalyst to this change and still filling tables day and night five days per week. No doubt having grown past early expectations as the Chef has launched three additional restaurants nearby, Bæst arguably serving some of the best Pizza in the world thanks to a relentless pursuit of perfection that sees everything from Charcuterie to Cheese made in house with most of the Vegetables from his own organic garden, Relæ remains true to its word with diners seated at either long wooden tables or a Chef's counter with silverware tucked into drawers and intended to last the whole meal without a need for change, all of the plates delivered straight from the hands of Chefs with the first course on this day's 895DKK "Relæ Experience" Menu presenting Goat Cheese Mousse and sliced Green Strawberries atop a shell of Lemon, Basil and Buckwheat. Opting for Still Water and a single pour of Juice to accompany the meal, a clear glass of pressed White Currants and Anise Hyssop Oils washing the palate with acid between bites, it was prior to a plate of blanched Celtuce with Soured Cream, Oregano and raw Almonds that the first of several slices of Mirabelle Bakery Sourdough was received, the structure and flavor amongst the best in a city full of good loaves and much appreciated as a way to 'reset' the mouth after a course of warmed Oysters in shaved Horseradish encased in paper-thin squares of bitter Turnips. Embracing a 'waste not, want not' attitude, nearly all of the products served certified Organic and Stems, Peels and residual pieces all collected to be used for alternative purposes, course four saw the team serve a piece of Trout lightly warmed on an upper rack by residual heat from Japanese Charcoal used to cook a later course, the Spring Onions stacked beneath crispy skin adding a lot of flavor to a pool of Brown Butter with a follow-up of four different Tomatoes grown in Danish soil all defying the idea that such a thing cannot be done and part of a project that has been years in the making at Puglisi's off-site farm. Strongly focusing on early Summer's bounty throughout a comfortable 110 minutes, a bowl of whole and halved Fava Beans served barely cooked alongside Gooseberries in an aromatic Broth followed by Garlic roasted Heirloom Carrots intended to be dragged through Hollandaise topped in grated Egg Yolk, courses eight and nine were tied to one another by way of locally bred Havervadgard Lamb, the first a deep and complex Tartare with Seaweed Emulsion and Sea Beans with the final savory delivered by way of sixty-day dry-aged Saddle that was fork-tender next to thin strips of Kohlrabi around shredded Sea Lettuce on a bed and Broth of Spinach. Offering a Cheese made from the same unpasteurized Milk used at Bæst in transitioning from savory to sweet, the grassy flavors well paired to shredded Black Olives and Rhubarb inside a fold of Buckwheat, those leery of Desserts using Herbs will be happy to know that Relæ succeeds where others fail by staying the course, nothing over-manipulated with only flavor and texture the focus in both a creamy bowl of Milk Solids and sweetened Buttermilk dusted with Chervil and in a dainty Puff Pastry laid on edge and filled with Sage Cream, wild Strawberries and steeped and candied Mustard Seeds. read more

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Noma's closed and Geranium's filled up. Where do you go next to make your pretentious, name-dropping foodie friends jealous (note: I don't befriend these types of people, just speaking hypothetically)? I suggest Relae--it has a world ranking as well, but without the obnoxiously difficult reservation issues. Amuse bouche (romaine lettuce with herbs and seasonings) - Okay to whet the palate, nothing special Juice (red currant with jasmine tea infusion) - Gorgeous, delicious, and so very Scandinavian Course #1: Danish trout, melon cucumber - Refreshing and also very Scandinavian Course #2: Trout belly wrapped in leaf - Yes, more trout. But I love trout. And this was good, fresh, melt-in-your-mouth trout. So bring it on! Course #3: Wheat apple grilled in sheets infused with broth of anis hyssop - Very creative, but not my kind of dish. Fruit belongs in desserts Course #4: Brown crab with enoki mushrooms and shiso leaves - One of the best things I've ever eaten. Delicious doesn't even begin to describe this dish. I wanted to ask for seconds. I didn't. Stay classy, Josephine Course #5: Grilled eggplant, caramelized cream, fresh truffle - A nice light course after all the seafood Palate cleanser: Lamb tartare served with tomatoes and pine shoots, raised on the West coast of Denmark - Yes, tartare as a palate cleanser. Surprisingly, it worked Course #6: Lamb slightly seared, herbs from beach, dried swiss chard - Very good and not overwhelmingly lamb-y Cheese and grains (2 kinds of cheese) - Why doesn't American cheese taste like this? My god, it was so creamy and light, it felt like I was eating vegan cheese Second juice with fermented gooseberry, bergamot and sage - I preferred the first one, but this was delicious too Dessert #1: Lemon curd with yogurt sorbet and marigold dust (made with flowers and leaves) - Gorgeous presentation, incredible flavors, light, sweet and in perfect style with the rest of the meal Dessert #2: Coffee ice cream with seeds - Tasty, but not my favorite At ~$130pp, Relae is one of the best deals in Copenhagen if you want a fine dining experience that offers fantastic New Scandinavian cuisine, attentive service and a casually elegant atmosphere. read more

I had the Relæ experience menu with wine pairing and to be honest, it really did not live up to expectations. The portion sizes were just a bit too small - to the point where despite us opting for the "extended" tasting - we had to go and get a platter of Turkish food after. There were a few minor hiccups with service too - such as when they brought out three bowls of noodles and two plates of pork and insisted it was for "sharing" - super weird - why not bring out one plate or three plates? Especially when both plates were the same size.....and an issue where we thought we had another dessert coming but then the meal just ended. I'd probably recommend no more than 30% of the dishes (all the desserts) while I thought the main courses (if you can call the bite sized courses - "main") were really nothing to write home about. The meal lasted 2.5 hours when it really should have lasted 1.5 at most. Our dining experience consisted of eating for 15 seconds followed by waiting 20 minutes for the next course. I've had plenty of tasting menus and this kind of pacing really isn't normal. A word of caution for those who like to have wine pairings with their meal - the pairing is 100% white/orange and due to their policy of only serving "organic/natural" wines, they all had that slight funkiness to them. I like an orange wine now and then but after 4-5 similar wines, it really does get fatiguing and I found myself wishing for some variety. Total damage for three with two wine pairings, coffee, tax, and tip was $709. At that price point, a meal really needs to be extraordinary and, unfortunately, Relae was not. read more

If the thought of a Michelin star restaurant makes you groan over the pretense, come here for a very different experience. Frilly fine dining, this is not. The relaxed atmosphere combined with the inventive new Nordic cuisine and stellar service made Relæ one of my more memorable dining experiences in Copenhagen. You'll choose from two set menus: meat/fish and vegetarian. I went with the vegetarian menu and was delighted with the number of curious combinations and vegetables that appeared on my plate. From sunchokes to rye bread ice cream to some of the best olive oil I've ever tasted, dinner at Relæ was nothing if not an adventure. read more

Kim Rossen and Christian Puglisi are two of my favorite restaurant people in Copenhagen. My first night in town after a year absence, the first meal I had was at Relæ . Taking advantage of the long summer sunset, I walked all the way from city hall to Nørrebro. This time without my party of 4 I dined alone at the counter. I originally wanted to do the new Table Zero they have up near the open kitchen, but it's a bit pricey if you're rolling solo. I've noticed many of the staff are different now, however I saw Kim shortly after walking in and made myself comfortable at the farthest seat to the left being able to watch both front and back of the house service. We chatted for a bit and I let them take me where they wanted with the cuisine, I think I glanced at the menu only a couple of times. This was going to be a wine and food blowout.... And it went like... -New Radishes and egg -Potato puree, olives, buttermilk -Danish oysters, cucumber, dried lemon -Steamed Danish enoki mushrooms and sand leek -Pork fron Hindsholm, Jerusalem Artichoke -Bla kornblomst, green herbs -Milk, kelp, caramel - A few other surprises that I didnt write down My meal here last year was stellar and it was no different this time. Christian had come to cook in San Francisco a few months after I had left Copenhagen, and that meal was stellar too. Well guess what? Let's make it 3 for 3. The amazing thing about this is when you already have expectations going into a meal, the bar has to be raised or changed somehow, and every time they've done it. The sparse number of ingredients paired in ways one normally doesn't think about flavor profiles together continues to amaze me. Im equally comforted and surprised when I eat this food. Of course Kim and Christian's teams do a great job taking care of you too. So this will always be a go to place for me. Perhaps one of my favorite restaurants anywhere in the world. Im already looking forward to the next time I eat here. From what I understand, they're going through a remodel now. Im sure things will change but the food will be stellar as it always has been read more

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Slowly making my way through a very long list of restaurants to try, Relæ finally made it to the top a couple weeks ago. Our dinner was absolutely divine. This restaurant certainly lives up to the rumors spreading like wildfire at the moment. The ingredients were very creative, and as expected, the flavor in the food we were eating was mainstage, rather than a flurry of unnecessary spices. The highlight of our meal was veal, marinated in demi-glaze and then cooked at 60C for 36 hours. It seriously melted in my mouth, and the carrots and fennel pollen on top captivated all of my senses. Service was precise, yet casual. I enjoyed watching the parade of chefs pouring out of the open kitchen to deliver first, second, third, fourth courses to the guests' tables. The restaurant is small enough that you really feel involved in the whole process. Pro-tip: do rock/paper/scissors to compete for a seat against the wall by the kitchen. It's like watching an artist at work. read more

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A try in Copenhagen if you have the time and budget. I was very excited to visit hearing so many great things about this place, but it was all worth it. Being a single diner I was sat at the bar where I had a good overview of what was happening in the kitchen. Service was good and relaxed. The food of course was the highlight. Having the 7 course tasting menu with wine was definitely a lot of food to go through, thankfully I only had a little bit of the bread. All the reviews are correct, this is creative dining, which means some dish will be great, well others not on the same level when it comes to taste, but the experience is great. It's all true about the wine pairings, you get really different organic wines, some of which have interesting odors but well worth the pairing. Well worth a shot. read more

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Relae is overshadowed by the famous NOMA, but it has earned its own spotlight and deserves more recognition. The chefs have worked previously at NOMA and bring the same precision and innovation to their food. For a fraction of the price of NOMA, you can have amazing food and experience the Nordic food movement. Food: 5/5 It is a 4- course chef's menu, and it comes in 2 versions: vegetarian and normal. They also offer a wine pairing as well. The menu changes according to what is seasonal and everything is very fresh and delicious. We had both versions of the menu and preferred the normal version (meat is just so delicious!), however, the vegetarian dishes were equally delicious. All the dishes were delicious and you can't go wrong! Also, they make this sourdough bread which they serve before the courses begin and it is AMAZING! Do not let a single piece of it go to waste, eat all of it and then continue stuffing yourself as the food is so good. Service: 5/5 The staff were attentive and informative. They explained each dish, wine pairing and were attentive to our needs. Atmosphere: 5/5 It is a much more casual than Geranium/NOMA and I prefer it actually. It has the feel of a cozy rustic restaurant where the chefs prepare the food with love. You can see them preparing food but without it seeming like a theatrical show. Value: 5/5 As mentioned before, this is a great way to sample Nordic cuisine. It isn't cheap, at around 150 euros for the 2 of us (includes apertif and snacks) but it is an amazing good meal and one of the best I've ever had. read more

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My boyfriend and I had a fabulous meal at Restaurant Relae. We went for the 4-course menu with wine pairings. The wine was excellent and very different from what we would normally drink. The meal was fresh and delicious. The service was unpretentious and very friendly. I liked that there wasn't a strict dress code -- even though I dressed up a bit, there were others dining straight from work or in more casual clothing, which I thought was refreshing. They also gave us a printed menu with what we enjoyed during the evening, which is a thoughtful touch when we were trying to remember some of the wines! Highly recommend. Book a reservation in advance, as you are unlikely to get seats walking in! read more

The restaurant was quite nice. The decor was warm with a modern minimalist feel. Service was as you would expect from a Michelin starred restaurant. The chefs take great pride in preparing the food, with each one coming over to introduce the dish. They were really friendly and chatty as well. My partner and I loved the wonderful different textures and flavours that were incorporated into the meal. I was surprised by the creativity of the chefs with the use of simple ingredients cooked or prepared in unique ways. read more

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Simple, elegant and delicious. While this is not something we would eat on a regular basis, dining at this Michelin star restaurant was a great experience while we traveled to Copenhagen. We had the seafood and vegetarian options; I believe there were 7 courses altogether- appi, entree with 2 desserts (it has been a year since we were there- late review). The portion size is small- typical fine dining/ French style. But each bite was exquisite with complex flavours. By the end of the meal we were actually full despite of the small portion. One thing we particularly loved were the homemade sauces.. and the bread. Mind you, we loved ALL the bread we had while we were in Copenhagen. This restaurant is also 5 min away from Mikeller and Friends! Good way to end your nice meal with some beer at the bar just around the corner. read more

Restaurant Relæ - Scandinavian Near Me - Copenhagen, 84

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Sat at the chef's counter and ordered the 7 course. I had high expectations, this being a one-Michelin rated but more so because the chef is a Noma alum. Sadly, disappointed in the execution of the dishes. More accustomed to complex and surprising flavors from SF restaurants and also Michelin starred restaurants visited in Stockholm (Frantzen being my absolute favorite), Relae fell short. While food is solid, I would not recommend but would steer friends to visit Studio instead, where presentation was playful and food superb. read more

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A low key take on high end Scandanavian food. Fun atmosphere, especially with silverware. The food wasn't stuffy and brought in some unique flavors. Not a place I would visit again but if you want something in between Geranium and the local restaurant, this is a good place to visit. read more

Was passing through Copenhagen last weekend and knew I had to dine at one of the world's 50 best. Relae was an obvious choice with its food focus and no muss no fuss attitude. We arrived on the dot as we were told we had only 2.5 hour spot and I didn't want to waste a moment! With the early reservation, the space was still already half full with a pleasant buzz of noise from the open kitchen area into the dining room. Service from front to end was attentive and abundant which meant different people served different courses and as we were near the threshold of the foyer, was witness to a lot of traffic which was somewhat distracting. But onto the food - we opted for the meal which was four course, and my husband went with the wine pairing. I was offered a non-alcoholic pairing option (I am 8 months pregnant) but that seemed like a challenge I wasn't up to testing so I stuck with taking a sip from my husband's glass with each course. That being said, his glasses were generous pours, each and every one and accompanied by a flourishing explanation of origin and pairing logic, and he was happily buzzed by meal end. The courses were balanced, beautifully presented, well-paced and innovative. We had lamb, potatoes, a strawberry tart, oyster, and a chervil/buttermilk dessert. Even though I was somewhat permissive when asked for dietary restrictions, and subsequently brought a lamb tartare wrapped in pak choi, a server noticed my reticence a few minutes after he dropped it off and immediately and graciously offered a replacement if I was in fact uncomfortable. That is the height of service. I gratefully accepted the rillette in lieu. The dehydrated and crisped potatoes were overconceived, in our opinion, but the lamb and kohlrabi with seaweed flavors and the dessert were both highly inspired and wonderfully in depth and fresh in flavor. And lastly the decor - spare and distinctly Danish with some questionable art near the toilets. The table design was such that a slat revealed itself on the underside of the right side which pulled out for your cloth napkin and utensil needs. This became a bit of a pain as my girth necessitated moving a bit every time the table was cleared (and it was a tight slot so some tugging was required) for the next course but the 4-course option saved me from much more movement than a 7-course would have. Overall, an outstanding experience and amazing value. read more

Great Food. Great Service. Great Ambience. There are so many things about this place that makes sense. The silverware is in a small drawer at the table so you can grab what you need for yourself. There are only two servers in the dining room, but you don't need their help very often because the cooks serve most of the food themselves. Almost everything in the whole place is organic... Including the wine list. It's also important to note that although they are quite good with vegetables, their Duck dish was on of the best I've ever had. If I lived in Copenhagen, I'd definitely go again. read more

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Our experience at Relæ was amazing. Small restaurant on the bottom corner of quaint building on the cobblestone street of Jægersborggade. There is a great attention to detail in all pieces of the restaurant. We were sat at a table that had a hidden drawer for all the mis en place and also the menu. You have option to pair your dinner with fascinating variety of wine or specially crafted juices. We did both options. The wines were perfectly paired with the dishes and the juices were fun combinations of herbs and fruits. The whole experience is focused around quality and preparation of the dishes. The servers were well versed on the origin and thought behind the dishes. I was awestruck with how much care and thought goes into where the produce and proteins originate from. read more

Relae is one of the most highly regarded restaurants in Copenhagen. Its current ranking is 39 on The World's 50 Best Restaurants. It has been a long time since my visit, but I can still taste it in my head. The focus is harmony, which is not easy to accomplish. It wasn't trying to win you over with bold flavors or Instagram worthy presentation. The flavors were balanced. I want to further describe the flavors as clean and ocean taste since many of the dishes that night were seafood related. I was able to enjoy several restaurants during my Copenhagen trip, and Relae is a great example of modern Nordic cuisine. Definitely worthy of a return trip. read more

Restaurant Relæ - Cod and Radishes - Scandinavian Near Me - Copenhagen, 84

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This place blew me away, the ambience, decor, service, and best of all, the presentation of the food and the taste!!! IM IN HEAVEN SEVEN!!! read more

Restaurant Relæ - Scandinavian Near Me - Copenhagen, 84

1 star for this restaurant because it falls short on every level for what it is distinguished to be. we had dinner here last november (2015). to make a long story short, the meal felt veryyyyy pretentious. one of our courses was a shot of plain chicken broth. i am not exaggerating as it literally was about 1 or 2 ounces of plain soup broth. i would have been less offended if this was an amuse bouche or a side to a course, not the course itself. not when we are paying $$$$. for our main, they presented steak knives and proceeded to bring out grilled beets that were repurposed to look liked steak slices. so lame and so pretentious. and the worse offense, not even thrilling or even delicious - gelatinous beets, grilled. *yawn* was that really supposed to be that spectacular? any one who thought so is just drinking the cool aid and kidding themselves. my overall feeling was that the chef probably had a truly amazing first menu and got a bit over inflated in terms of ego and thus produced an offensively lacking next menu. i'd recommend cutting down the frills and honing in on the basics - - people want good, delicious food at your restaurant, not a magic show. don't be the basic bitch that thinks she's hot shit when she's not. if you're in the area, spend this money towards a real meal at geranium - - it crushes this restaurant and will actually exceed your expectations. read more

Best restaurant visit in my life! My biggest question leaving Relae was why they only have 1 star. The food is absolutly amazing and the prices are very reasonable for high end dining, 4 courses for 450 or 7 courses for 725. Relae cook vegetable focused food that is probably considered modern scandinavian. We picked the 7 course menu and 6 of the 7 dishes were mindblowing and the 7th dish was ok. The best dishes was the pork main course which featured hands down the best piece of pork I have ever eaten that was cooked too perfection using sous vide. The dessert was also one of the highlights featuring a coffee sorbet with cream and burned popcorns. As a non coffeedrinker I always think coffee in desserts are overpowering but this was perfectly balanced. The restaurant it self is very beautiful with exposed brick, really nice tables and really nice plates. Best dinner of my life so I will for sure visit Relae again! read more

Not a big friend of updating reviews unless something has dramatically changed in the meantime, I feel the need to make an exception PRECISELY because Relæ has stayed constant. Throughout the hype, ratings and interviews with glossy magazines, Relæ has managed to stay fresh and true to itself. I was so worried it would sell it's soul to the big fat tire devil. Just a few considerations: 1. This IS NOT your everyday restaurant. 2. This place is not for everyone. 3. I'm soooo not Michelin-star struck. 4. In doubt, I trust my taste buds over some stiff guy's anyday. 5. I dine at Relæe (among other Neo Nordic places) rather often. With that stuff out of the way, this is one of my favorite restaurants ever. The food is always young and inventive. But experimentation and invention are not for the faint of heart (just ask Poe, Van Gogh or Oscar Wilde), Once we booked a couple of tables for a big group of colleagues, and later realized it was probably not the best choice for everyone in the group. Nothing wrong to have more conservative tastebuds. But if you think funky seaweeds, burnt day old bread or chicken hearts are items better left out of a decent meal you might want to look elsewhere, you will have plenty of great options in this city. Actually, if you are unsure, why not give Manfreds right across the street a shot? Manfreds is Relæ's more moderate brother, sharing the same kitchen but with a flavor profile sure to appeal a wider segment of the population. They also share their uncomparable all-natural-wine list. Still very creative, but with the edges trimmed. I like Relæ's rebel heart. I like the politically incorrectness of the artwork covering their walls. I like to pick my own fork from the drawer. I like to sit right in the middle of a hot kitchen without a waiter like a bird of pray waiting for me to take a sip of wine so she can refill my glass. I like to be served by a tattooed chef who will carefully explain what the dish she just prepared for me is all about. I like their ortodox approach to very unortodox wines. But above all I like the food: creative, memorable and different, always new and always uncompromised. Kudos to chef Puglisi and the team at Relæ for staying true! read more

To sum it up, we had an incredibly delicious meal in a relaxed and friendly setting. We ate at many of Copenhagen's most acclaimed restaurants during our week-long stay, and lunch at Relae was our favorite meal in terms of the entire package- food, presentation, ambiance, service, and location. In fact, we enjoyed our meal so much that before we were even through with all the courses, when we heard one of the chefs would be hosting a dinner at a New Nordic restaurant in our hometown of NYC, we immediately committed to attending. If you are interested in learning about the composition of the dishes, the sourcing of ingredients, and the restaurant's unique approaches to their business model and customer service, I'd recommend requesting a seat at the bar of the open kitchen. We were able to freely converse throughout the meal with the chefs, and we had a very nice (and very long!) conversation with Kim, the co-owner and manager. We left the meal with much respect for Relae as a business, and more importantly, the food! The street Relae is located on, Jaegersborggade, is definitely worth exploring for an hour or two before your meal. There are great little design, pottery, and chocolate shops, perfect for souvenirs. read more

Just had a meal over the weekend at Relae and had a great time. They are one of the top 50 restaurants in the world including Michelin star. I had a lot of expectation for this place and for the most part they did not disappoint. We had the relae experience which is 7 course versus the meal which is four course. The menu changes each month base on the chef I think. However there was a good range of different type of food. Our courses included fish, duck, squid and veggies. I was really surprise at how innovative some of the course were, such as our dessert which was artichoke made into pastry and ice cream. It was a wonderful experience and I would recommend you to come try it out. read more

Had a nice meal at Relae; I had been spoiled by a superlative experience I had at Restaurant Sletten just a couple days prior, so that is probably why I haven't given Relae five stars. But a good meal with really attractively-presented dishes, nice wine pairings, and oh man, that sourdough bread! Food: I chose the four course omnivore menu, with wine pairings. Was also presented with a glass of cider before dinner, an amuse bouche, warm sourdough bread with butter, and a cheese course before dessert. Celeriac amuse bouche - blanche celery root "chip" with salad leaves and herbs on top. Crisp and refreshing, and went nicely with the house cider. Sourdough bread was a classic pain au levain, with a great crust and chewy crumb. And man, oh man, there really is nothing better than Danish butter. If you haven't tried it, get thee some right now. It's magic. The 4 course omnivore menu: 1. Trout, chicken skin, and mushrooms - this was fantastic. A lovely piece of fish, crunchy chicken skin bits, pan jus, and raw julienned mushrooms on top. 2. Hokkaido pumpkin, seabuckthorn, and hazelnut - This was a miss for me. Seabuckthorn is quite pungent and I felt it overshadowed both the pumpkin and hazelnut. This course was presented as a soup/chowder, and the bowl was beautiful. For me, the taste didn't match. 3. Lamb, swiss chard, and seaweed - Another terrific course. Tender lamb loin (or it could have been saddle) paired so well with the bitter chard and salty seaweed. This dish hit all the notes for me. And it was 4. Sweet corn and marjoram dessert - I didn't understand this dessert. Sweet corn ice cream, marjoram, and popcorn powder. Textures were interesting, the flavors didn't work for me. The wine served with it, however, was amazing (Aresco 2010 Ca de Noci from Emilia-Romagna) Before dessert we had the cheese course, which was a rye flatbread with rod lober cheese and dried berries. A lovely variation on a cheese course. Service: Great service. Attentive and friendly, and our server was very knowledgeable about the wines and the food. We were given a warm towel prior to the meal, and we were looked after very well all night. We had a party of eight, and when we finished our meal, the restaurant needed to turn the tables. They did this very politely and without rushing us. Vibe: Dutch treat cool. A simple, warm dining room, silverware, napkin, and menu tucked under the table in a drawer, and some cool bar seating. This is a place you can wear a t-shirt and jeans to and get some good food. Family-friendly: Nope. Leave the kids at home and enjoy. Summary: We had a good experience at Relae. The amuse bouche, the bread, the cheese course, and two of the four courses I had were excellent. I think on a different day, with a different daily menu, all of the courses would be excellent. I admire what is happening here at Relae. It is very easy to appreciate the commitment to creativity, local ingredients, and the wine program. There are many Redzepi disciples cranking out food in Copenhagen; if you can't get into Noma, the food and experience at Relae will still make you very happy. read more

This is one of those places that I would give 6 stars if I could. It was likely one of the top 5 places I have eaten, along with Septime and Pierre Sang in Paris and Bar Boulud in NYC. The regular Relæ menu is great, with 4-5 courses, while the Relæ Experience adds 4-5 extra courses which are mostly vegetables and desserts. We got the regular menu along with an add-on cheese course. We ordered a bottle of wine instead of suggested pairings, as not fans of reds. The wine list is mostly the biodynamic, wild and natural variety. Have a nice, though limited, selection of bottled of beer. Not sure if any liquor or cocktails are available. Service was amazing, as wait staff were nice enough when asked for tomatoes to complement our cheese course because we thought tomatoes would go nicely, and lovely ripe sliced tomatoes were graciously provided to us. Will return again in a heartbeat when come back to Copenhagen. read more

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My friend who is an award winning chef keeps ranting about how innovative and exciting Relæ is, to a point that I started to feel quite unsophisticated not to appreciate the Relæ experience the first time around. So I gathered a few brave friends (not the chef in case I hated it) and went for a second round. Best decision I've made! My friends went for the meaty 4 course menu + appetizers and 'natural' red wine, but since I had the vegetarian equivalent with a juice menu this review is only about what I had. We started off with a lovely fried Jerusalem artichoke appetizer that tasted heavenly, soft and crispy and tender (until now I've only been lucky with appetizers). My first starter was celery tuber with a puree of flowers - it sounds more exiting that it tasted, and for a moment I dreaded that I was back to odd and uneatable food. Then came the second starter and changed everything - AMAZING! It was a plate full of pumpkin, but with each piece of the pumpkin treated in different ways. There are no words (at least I don't know how to describe it), but it tasted absolutely perfect. The third dish tasted as amazing as the second - at first glance it looked like a plate of risotto, but examined more closely I discovered to my surprise that the 'rice' in the 'risotto' was small chopped mushrooms, covered with larger mushrooms and ashes. It was really a masterpiece. The final dish, the dessert, was really not my cup of tea - layers of thin almond-caramel slices with smoked dessert (really smoked, like sitting-in-a-tent-with-smoking-native-americans smoked) - not nice. I gave up on that and ordered a tea (or so I thought) that turned out to be hot water with apple slices and roasted cherry stones. Tasted weird, but it was ok. If the chef had hold the smoke in the last dessert I would have been all smiles, but all in all and with a few bumps in the road this was one the better dining experiences I've had. read more

This is the first yelp review I've given because this place is not worth the money or it's status. We were excited to try ralæ given the hype, but we were rushed from the start having champagne, bread, and the first course all at the same time, and our dessert, fourth course, after dessert item, and tea all at the same time. Additionally, the food was fine at best. The first course (a cold fish) was the worst thing we ate in Copenhagen. The other courses were the definition of fine. I ate it but it was not the caliber or quality of what the restaurant should be. We ate at Barr and Admiralgade 26, which were amazing. We live in New York City, and have yet to have a meal where we feel that a restaurant was completely overhyped quite like Ralæ. The best part was the tea after dinner. While the vibe is cute, you can find a way better experience for the same value. read more

Wow! This was a great experiance. The food is exellent and also to a good price. The restaurant interior is quite simple, all focus on the menu. read more

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Last night my boyfriend and I booked a late table at Relæ. A while back we were a group of friends trying their Chef's table (Table 0), and we had a great evening and were quite challenged in some of the dishes, but this table is also the more experimental version, and we have since then wanted to try the standard menu at Relæ. We have visited Manfreds many times now, and enjoy their way of handling vegetables every time, so now it was time to try the Relæ version. I do not know why, but I was a little sceptic upfront, maybe I was afraid that the menu was going to be too crazy/weird, since I know, that the kitchen is very experimental, but boy oh boy was I not disappointed leaving Relæ at midnight. Once again Puglisi and his team have managed to make me go home full, happy and a little tipsy. We decided to try everything they offered - the Let's try it all menu, and the evening started out good, as expected, a little vegetable snack, and then a bouillon made from ramson - the Nordic garlic. It was very good and had a rich taste. Onto the 7 courses, which included a wonderful enoki mushroom, sunchoke and walnut dish, quite powerfull, a delicious ragu with perfectly tender squid spaghetti and chicken liver as I recall. I am a big fan of the salty kitchen and I very much liked, that these dished were not subtle in taste. The third course was a challenge for me, because essentially it was a version of the danish dish Øllebrød, which I strongly dislike - I think I have a childhood trauma with this dish. But I must say, putting the thought of the rather sweet traditional version aside, I actually enjoyed the dish. Actively enjoying, not just accepting. It tasted very good, though sometimes I had a flashback which I managed to remove by having some of the also interesting wine. A small note on the wines. They are definitely quite different, but I am a fan of these biodynamic and very organic wines, and what surprises me each time, is that the aroma of the wines can be rather weird - for instance one wine had a little rotten egg smell, but when tasting it, it is very far from, and can be a very good match for the different courses. Only one of the 7 seven wines was not my taste, but otherwise the pairing was very good in my opinion. The "main" dishes were a vegetable dish on celeriac and a chicken dish. The vegetarian one was quite good, since it also involved Havgus cheese, coffee, and a hollandaiseish sauce, the chicken dish was deliciously cooked chicken and sesame seeds, but the parsnip (I think it was) and a green oil, did not have very much flavor. Last but not least, a cheese dish - good :) and two desserts. Unfortunately I am not a big fan of desserts, so my opinion of these are biased, but still, I do not think that these desserts were among my favorites. They challenge you in texture and taste, and is actually the only part keeping me from adding the last star. But again, leaving the restaurant, I was absolutely satisfied and happy. I have a small sitting dance movement which breakes out when I find a dish extraordinary, and for this meal, it made its way through during the squid ragu. read more