'Assortment of marinated herring, 18.50€.'
The Maison du Danemark’s downstairs restaurant is suddenly cool thanks to its masterful redesign. Classic forms like Jacobsen’s egg-chair, Boje Estermann chairs and Nanna Ditzel’s round banquette crested by a sculpture of cylindrical lights make it a living design museum, plus there’s a wooden terrace with a lush jungle of plants for the last warm days. The food is no less impressive, and the maître d’ wasn’t joking when he said we’d ordered too much: portions are truly Viking. Among the fine offerings are a plate of smoked herring in different flavours (orange, fennel, curry) and the ‘unilateral’ salmon, a huge pink slab that comes off in firm chunks from its crispy base. Meat-eaters should not miss the tender reindeer steak, served with cherry compôte, peaches, apricots and an aromatic salad with sage flowers. You’ll be encouraged to drink beer or vodka, but decent wines are also served by the glass, such as the Château Cagnan Bordeaux, a perfect match for the reindeer. At lunch the place fills up with cigar-smoking heads of industry, so come late, or better still, in the evening when a trendier crowd enjoys the artfully lit garden atmosphere.