We headed to Copenhagen to visit Geranium, a three-star Michelin Guide restaurant that is one of the world's top gastronomic destinations. Behind its success is Rasmus Kofoed, one of the most respected chefs of our time, whose influence is evident in every detail of the place. Together with sous-chef Jaroslav Blažek, we had the opportunity to taste the seasonal tasting menu, which is not just a series of courses but a complex story where nature meets precision, creativity, and a deep respect for the ingredients. Geranium is not just a gourmet experience; it's an inspiration worth sharing, resonating in every other meal or gastronomic thought.
Nordic Precision with a Human Face
The Geranium restaurant, located on the eighth floor of the Parken football stadium grandstand in Copenhagen, is one of the absolute top restaurants in the world. It holds three Michelin stars and regularly features in the World's 50 Best Restaurants, often within the top ten. It is helmed by acclaimed Danish chef Rasmus Kofoed, the sole holder of a bronze, silver, and gold medal from the Bocuse d'Or. Kofoed's vision of Nordic cuisine combines precision with a deep respect for nature and ingredients. However, Geranium is not just a formal shrine to fine dining; it is a restaurant that understands its purpose and doesn't waste time or energy on things that don't matter.
"Rasmus thinks it's definitely not necessary. If someone comes here, they know why," sous-chef Jaroslav Blažek replies with a smile when I ask why there is no mention of the Michelin award on the door.
Just walking into the restaurant is an experience. At the entrance, you are greeted by an usher who opens the door and escorts you to the elevator. On the eighth floor, you are met by two hostesses who, after a brief introduction, take you to your table. Geranium does not change reservations during the evening. "You sit down with us at, say, 6:30 p.m., and in order for you to have some quality time together, we can't afford to do double seating because dinner normally ends at 11 p.m.," Blazek explains.
The interior is minimalist, elegant, and calm. Soft wood tones, grey fabrics, and light from the stadium blend with the soft lighting of the room. The space allows what is happening on the plate and among the people to stand out. The atmosphere is friendly, informal, and full of kind attention.
We start the evening with a few glasses of champagne, then move on to Bott Frigyes wines. They are my favorites, and it gives me great pleasure to discover them on the wine list. It's really extensive, by the way. "The Geranium wine list is a really thick volume," I remark with a laugh.
Menu as a Journey - From Sea to Meadow
The tasting begins with a series of appetizers. The first is called "Danish Tradition": herring and oysters in crispy seaweed with dill and aquavit. "We start with a kind of Danish tradition. You probably know it; it's a kind of Danish cuisine. And it's not exactly flowery. It's a copy of kind of everything else around, but they have smørrebrød, which is actually a kind of sandwich with fish. At the very bottom, we have tartelette, which is made from seaweed. Inside we put pickled elderflowers. Then we have a mix made primarily of herring, that's lightly seared and salted so that it can open up that flavor palette before you get the whole menu. The dish is combined with crème fraîche, and we have stalks of dill and oysters. It's topped with a slice of cucumber and kohlrabi to give it some extra crunch. It's finger food, so I recommend eating it in one or two bites, it's up to you," says Jarda. The flavor is iodine-rich, refreshing, slightly smoky, yet very crunchy.
The second bite is a layered appetizer of fish roe, milk, and curls. On the bottom is the juice of caddis, green apple, and smooth parsley; in the middle is "silk milk" milk sealed with gelatin, flavored with dashi and on top is a lightly seared Bleak fish roe. "I've tried googling it and I've tried GPT, but I can't find it in English. It evokes a monkfish, but it's such a big fish, so it's definitely not one. There's nothing scary about a fish this big," says Jarda. Dashi adds an umami note, all eaten with a spoon that connects the layers into a harmonious bite.
Boiled beetroot from East Garden Farm follows. "It's a small farm, organic, and it's very unusual because you can't buy onions from them, you can't buy garlic from them, you can't buy carrots from them, but they have amazing mustard flowers, for example, or they offer different sprouts..." The beets are cooked in their skins, topped with apple gelato and a sauce of fermented stock, horseradish, and lemon. The result is a dish that is earthy, acidic, full of minerality, and life.
Then comes the perfect potato waffle with peanuts, fermented walnut leaf cream, and Imperial Golden Bulgarian caviar. "It's not as salty, it doesn't have that fishy, distinctive taste and I especially like the color," says Jarda. The color is light golden, and the taste is mild, non-invasive, and perfectly balanced.
A vegetable starter with marinated zucchini, lemon verbena, goat cheese gratin, and seaweed pearls brings lightness. "We use quite a few vegan elements in this dish here, herbs, because they're in season now and there are countless varieties... Mizuna for example. It's slightly spicy, but nothing that's overpowering." The taste is umami, fresh, acidic, and prepares the guest for more technical courses.
Background and Philosophy: Quality as Religion
In the middle of the evening, Jarda takes us through the background. We wander through a small wine shop with a selection of bottles like Château Petrus or Dom Pérignon, and continue to the so-called Inspiration Kitchen a replica of the main serving kitchen for private events.
As we talk, we come across Geranium's guiding principles: seasonality, purity, sustainability. "All the vegetables that come to Geranium must be organic. Anything that touches on any chemicals in any way is not good enough... We'd rather change the whole meal because of that than use something that's not 100 percent." And on herbs? "Geez, we could be here until midnight... They're all caterer girls who know just about everything about herbs... They only supply top restaurants like us, Noma, Alchemist, Jordnær."
The main courses follow. The kohlrabi with apple, nut oil, and caviar is spicy, slightly fermented, and perfectly balanced. Jerusalem artichoke with walnut, fermented cabbage juice, and truffle brings earthiness and richness. The bread that comes afterward fried bread with cheese, bread with onions, butter with mushroom dust is warm, fragrant, and captivating.
The scallop with blackcurrants is the highlight of the evening. "It's a kind of black skin made from dried currant puree... We confit the scallop in nut butter... drizzled with a sauce made from mussel broth infused with orange roe." The sea halibut stuffed with fins, with a sauce of pickled elderflower and seasonal mushrooms, almost acts as an illustration of the art of layering flavors. "The only thing not fresh on this plate are the pearl onions they're pickled, and the older they are, the better they are."
The final vegetable course "today's harvest" combines wild broccoli, green asparagus, wild garlic, flowers, Danish cheese oil, and caramelized onion chips. Each leaf, each stem has a purpose, as Jarda explains to us with care.
Sweet Spring and 50 Shades of Chocolate
There are three desserts, and they are all distinctly different. First comes a combination of chamomile, green strawberries, and buttermilk. "Soft, creamy buttermilk at the bottom of the plate, on top of marinated green strawberries with hints of vanilla... all topped with a mousse of caramel and vanilla." A light, ethereal, delicately floral course.
The second dessert is chocolate with Jerusalem artichokes, plums, and cereal coffee. Two pralines, dark chocolate mousse, milk chocolate rose, salted caramel, lemon and Jerusalem artichoke ice cream, and finally a chocolate bomb with pink peppercorn. "50 Shades of Chocolate," jokes the staff and that's exactly what this complex and technically brilliant course is.
The third dessert is a tart with sunflower seeds, yogurt, and glazed rhubarb. Blackcurrant leaves and thyme top the tart. It is served as "sharing," with vanilla yogurt separately. "Sharing is caring," Jaroslav Blažek concludes our evening with a smile.
Geranium is not just about food. It's about philosophy. It's about a relationship with nature, about respect for the craft, about the authenticity present in every sentence, in every ingredient, in every look. Compared to New York's Eleven Madison Park, Geranium has a much more relaxed atmosphere. Maybe it's the Nordic spirit. Maybe it's the fact that it offers conversation instead of formality. Maybe it's the fact that no one pretends, because everyone knows why they're here.
