TL;DR version: Not worth the time and money.
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This was the worst first meal have had in a new city. We were drawn in by the grill buffet for 199 kr, which seemed like a good deal compared to every other menu we glanced at in the Nyhavn area. Smartly enough, though, M changed his mind and opted for the fish and chips entree for 149 kr after we both went inside to check out the buffet. I went for it anyway, thinking it might be fine.
But it really wasn't. Here's why:
- At first glance, my immediate reaction was, "That's it?" There were four grills left, and it wasn't like the grills were keeping the food warm, because when I got back to my table with the food, everything was room temperature at best.
- The salad bar wasn't lacking, but it was lackluster. The only greens available were four pieces of romaine lettuce. The pasta salad was hard and flavorless.
- The meats were overcooked, chewy, and cold. The crispy chicken wings were passable.
- The salmon was also cold, but acceptable after squeezing some lemon juice.
- I was hopeful about the grilled vegetables, which turned out fine. Except that when I got my first serving, the grill was already low on veggies. When I went back for my second serving 20 minutes later, after having resolved to just eat salmon and grilled veggies, they hadn't added any. In fact, they hadn't added anything to the table except some burger patties.
- Because we arrived around 8:45 p.m. (they close at 10), one could argue that the restaurant doesn't want to cook new food and waste it at the end of the day. But the menu boasts, "The grill buffet is always fresh. Our chef is grilling á la minute." What a lie!
I would give this place more than one star if service had been any better. But here's what put me off:
- The server's attitude was unpleasant. When we ordered, I also asked for two tap waters (which took forever to come out, btw). That was the first time I'd asked for something, and even then, she would pause for two seconds, and then flatly say "yes". This happened every subsequent time.
- I tried for almost 10 minutes to get her or her colleague's attention to ask a question about the buffet menu as well as to get additional ketchup for M's entree. I'd made eye contact with both of them, but neither approached. So finally, I walked over, and as they saw me walking over, they said something to each other. I asked if my buffet comes with a starter because the menu says, "There is also the possibility to start with one of our delicious starters." They adamantly said no and stated that the salad bar is the starter. Uh, okay. So I asked for ketchup, and the girl of course paused for two seconds, and flatly replied with "yes".
- I asked for the bill and additional water, and she brought only the bill.
- Not once did anybody go to any table around us to ask if they needed anything or if their food was okay.
Typically, I like to give second chances, but in this case, I'd much rather spend my next couple of days in Copenhagen experiencing better things, food, and people. read more