I would've loved to go to Noma while we were in Copenhagen, but with a picky husband and Sunday to Tuesday travel dates, we didn't even bother trying to make that work. Instead, I booked a table at Barr, the new casual eatery in the old Noma space. It was a good compromise. We got a taste of the Noma empire that Matt B. could enjoy, at a much lower price point, with almost no hassle. I should note that I did make the reservation almost two months in advance, and that there was limited availability even for a Monday night. Still, it was easy to do.
The restaurant was attractive, a cozy, contemporary space decked out in light wood in different textures. There were large windows offering soothing waterfront views. We dined at 8:00 and enjoyed the sunlight and the late sunset. Service was excellent. Our server was welcoming and attentive and very helpful. He advised us on food and drink, and even consulted with the kitchen to accommodate Matt's dietary preferences: they let him get the four-course Barr menu with a major substitution at no additional cost. He was also great at explaining our beer pairings, and even hooked me up with an external battery charger for my dying phone. Barr may be laid back, but the service is top notch.
We started our dinner with a round from the brief cocktail menu. I got the akvavit and tonic, a refreshing drink made with dill aquavit, finished with two ridiculously good sweet and sour gherkin halves. Matt's old fashioned was great, too, a nice mix of whiskey, mead, and beer.
We drank beer with the rest of our meal, opting for two beer tastings to pair with the day's menu. There were two tiers of beer tastings available, as well as a wine tasting, and we decided to try one of each tier--"matching" and "extraordinary," priced at 275 DKK and 475 DKK apiece. (The matching wines were also 475 DKK, which isn't the worst for a wine pairing at a high-end restaurant, but we figured beer was the way to go here.) We ended up trying eight different beers, and I enjoyed all of them, individually and as a varied pairing experience. There were a lot of sours, which weren't really my thing until this trip, but Barr and Copenhagen might have made a convert out of me.
The food was superb, beginning with a bowl of crusty sourdough and dense, country-style rye bread, served with old-fashioned churned butter and pork lard studded with onion. There was an a la carte menu, but the Barr menu was definitely the way to go, with four courses for 600 DKK--not cheap, but not unreasonable, especially in this town. It ended up being more flexible for us than the a la carte menu, where both of our entrées were only available in portions for two.
The first course was the hot smoked herring, a beautiful, savory, tender piece of fish served with fennel, green strawberries, and elderflower. Everything about this was delicious, the fish going perfectly with the crunch of the fennel and the tart young strawberries. Next, we had thin, delicate slices of ribeye cured in black pepper, draped over a bright bed of green asparagus and parsley.
The entrée of the day was white asparagus, but Matt was able to get ribs instead, which were much better for a man who eats vegetables in french fry or condiment form, and otherwise under duress. I was happy to try both, and am grateful to the Barr team for being so wonderfully hospitable. The white asparagus was an exceptional dish--four fat, toothsome stalks finished with black currant leaves, served with side plates of shrimp, ham, hollandaise, and some kind of lovely green sauce. I especially liked the tiny, salty shrimp, which went well with the hulking, mild asparagus. The ribs were also delectable, juicy and tender pork ribs sprinkled with pine, with juniper salt, asparagus tips, and green tomatoes over drained yogurt on the side.
Dinner ended with a rhubarb dessert, a tangy crème fraîche parfait with vanilla and rhubarb and berries. This was excellent, a nice way to round out a hearty meal, light and not too sweet.
We had a fantastic time at Barr and would recommend it to anyone looking for a special dinner in Copenhagen. It may not be Noma, but it's a destination restaurant in its own right. read more