A good value for delicious Italian food and great service, although some dishes need a little tweaking.
I have cycled past Scarpetta hundreds of times and finally I got to visit. Although Rantzausgade isn't exactly the most beautiful street in Copenhagen, the huge windows are good for people-watching (and they watch you!) and let in a lot of light for taking food photos. To go with the aesthetically-pleasing warm and white decor were servers of equal description. They were polite and friendly and came to take/bring plates in good tempo.
The food itself was great with classic Italian flavours and nothing very experimental besides maybe the presentation. We went with the 5 course menu (275 dkk) which started with white asparagus, small shrimps, and bagna cauda; nicely moreish with the garlic but lightened with lemon and herbs. This was followed by lobster soup with peas, fennel, and scallop. There was sadly no actual lobster flesh in the soup and the scallop was cut into small pieces, but the taste was great and not too rich. Pasta is something I can't skip at an Italian restaurant so I was looking forward to the cavatelli with salsiccia, lovage, peas, and Parmesan. The dish as a whole was excellent; however, there were so many big slices of spring onion that I just had to push them to the side. Maybe I am just acting like a child but I prefer when they are thinly sliced so they are not overpowering.
With this menu our server suggested Nals Margreid 2015 Pinot Grigio (Alto Adige), and I think went well with everything. It costs 75 dkk per glass or 350 dkk for a bottle. There are several whites and reds you can get by the glass, which is always welcome! I was especially happy I had a refreshing white wine on hand when the fourth course arrived; prosciutto fresco with parsley cream and and grilled new onions. I was picturing a light dish with thinly-sliced, cured prosciutto, but what we received seemed to be thickly-sliced pork belly. This was also good but a touch too salty, and would have benefited from a few sparsely-dressed new potatoes or something else to soak up the salt. Our kind server didn't skip a beat when we brought it up and she said she would pass it on to the kitchen.
As for dessert, it looked great but I usually shy from sweets if it is more than a bite. Instead I went with the cheese plate, which costs 25 dkk extra. The cheeses and preserve were average, although one brie-ish cheese was interestingly lightly grilled. It came with a slice of bread that was nicely browned outside and had chunks of dried fruit. I would have liked that the bread in the basket that came with our meal was also baked further, but it tasted nicer than a lot of bread I've had in Italy.
Keep in mind that there is a 25 dkk charge per person for water, although you do get free refills, but it didn't show up on our bill. I am not sure if they forgot to add it or if it comes free when one orders wine. I really don't like when restaurants charge for tap water, even if it is chilled, but I got sparkling water, so I would feel ok with it if we did have to pay. read more