Four times best restaurant in the world by the World's 50 Best, the restaurant Noma (Copenhagen) of René Redzepi, considered one of the greatest current chefs, won its third Michelin star on Monday, after years of waiting.
Classified two stars for twelve years (2008-2020), the flagship of new Nordic cuisine is among the two newly elected to the supreme award of the 2021 edition of the Red Guide Nordic Countries, with the Norwegian establishment Maaemo, in Oslo.
Described as an
“urban oasis
,
”
the Noma is crowned for its
“strong connection to nature”
and because
“its holistic approach sees unusual seasonal ingredients presented in creative and complex dishes
,
”
the
Michelin
wrote
in a statement.
Forced to close for several months during the Covid-19 crisis,
"the restaurant has come back stronger and more powerful"
, greets the guide, who also awarded René Redzepi the Chef Mentor prize
"in recognition of the considerable influence that 'he has exercised over the many chefs who have passed through his world famous establishment ”
.
Read alsoCopenhagen getaway: must-see restaurants
Short for the Danish words "nordisk" (Nordic) and "mad" (food), the Noma opened on a quay in central Copenhagen in 2003, before moving in 2018 to a slightly more remote and wooded area of the Danish capital.
"It is one of the highest mountains in the restaurant world,"
said Chef Redzepi on Instagram, with thanks to all the employees who have visited the restaurant for two decades with a
"P ***" in, we did it! "
.
Named best restaurant in the world for four years (2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014) in
Restaurant
magazine's World'50 Best
- he was more recently second in 2019 - his absence of a third star has long been the subject of debate on the gastronomic scene.
Too bold or too visual, too revolutionary or too irregular?
The reasons for this absence have long questioned.
65 starred tables
With these two newcomers joining Frantzén (Stockholm) and Geranium (Copenhagen), the Nordic countries (Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Iceland) now have four restaurants with three macaroons.
See also Stockholm getaway: must-see restaurants
The 2021 edition also features a new two-star (Kong Hans Kælder in Copenhagen) and nine new one-star (Finnjävel Salonki in Helsinki; Aira in Stockholm, Project in Göteborg, ÄNG in Tvååker, Hotell Borgholm on the island of Öland; The Samuel in Copenhagen, Substans in Aarhus, LYST in Vejle and Syttende in Sønderborg). Nine new restaurants also receive a green star for their sustainable commitments. With these additions or promotions, the total number of starred restaurants is 65, including 49 one-star, 12 two-stars and 4 three-stars.
A consistent vintage which Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guides, praised:
“The quality of the Nordic culinary scene continues to impress and surprise us. The creativity and innovation of these new Michelin stars make them some of the most attractive addresses we have seen. ”