The Danish chef known for his delicious, provocative cuisine – which focuses on taste, an immersive restaurant environment and food as a force for change – launches restaurant Alchemist 2.0 in Copenhagen this spring, where ambitious 50-course suppers will be served. Here he shares his insider foodie guide to the city

Breakfast worth getting up early for
I love The Corner at 108, a tiny coffee shop in Christianshavn run by the team behind restaurant 108 (set up by Kristian Baumann, ex-Noma). Minimal Nordic decor mixes with a French bakery feel, courtesy of a long counter and chalkboard menus. It’s a cosy spot with big windows to watch people walking along the waterfront. The sourdough bun with cheese and whipped cream is my go-to. Juno in Østerbro is the best for perfect croissants and kardemomme snurrer (cardamom buns).

Best places to try smørrebrød
Smørrebrød – open sandwiches made here with dense rye bread then topped with pickled herring or cold cuts – are quintessentially Danish. Traditionally the bread is big, although lots of fancier places have shrunk the size down to dainty, but in Jutland where I’m from it can be practically pizza-sized. For something traditional try Told & Snaps, a snug basement in Nyhavn. Order the pickled herring and caper smørrebrød with a glass of aquavit. Selma (pictured below) is more refined, offering classic bases topped with a beautiful, textured beetroot salad. At Palægade the pickled herring with deep-fried egg on top is great.

Best for a business lunch
You know you’ll always get a top-quality meal at Bistro Boheme, a French eaterie serving up classics such as clams, snails, beef tartare, and truffle soup. With seating for around 200, the atmosphere is buzzy, a little like stepping into a Parisian restaurant. Must-try is chef Per Thøstesen’s decadent signature dish, the Thøstesen’s fried egg, served on potato and truffle purée, confit of duck and truffle sausage.

Where to impress on a date
Mielcke & Hurtigkarl is an amazing fine-dining Asian restaurant in the Royal Danish Botanical Gardens. Decor is grand, with hanging chandeliers and carved leaves across the walls. When I was last there one dish that stuck with me was the takoyaki with bonito flakes on top – a Japanese street food snack. They’re fried pancake balls, a little like a savoury version of Danish æbleskiver, which have apple in the middle and icing sugar on top.

Best for grab and go
Street food market Reffen (pictured below) is close to my new restaurant, Alchemist 2.0, and there are stalls from all over the world. My favourite is Dosa Corner, which creates South Indian pancakes with a garlic and coconut dip.

Hip hangout where children are welcome
Barabba is helmed by Italian chef Riccardo Marcon, who worked at 108 for a long time, and his pasta is delicious. The interior is bright – a pink wall here, a purple wall there – and the music loud, so it doesn’t matter if the kids are noisy. The lobster linguine won’t disappoint.

Foodie souvenir to take home
It’s divisive, but salted liquorice is a Danish must-try. We love it! To my mind liquorice cannot be salty enough, but many people hate it. Try the liquorice chocolate-covered balls from Lakrids by Bülow – there’s a shop at the airport. Another good souvenir is a chocolate bar by Danish chocolate master Mikkel Friis-Holm from Torvehallerne food market. He treats cocoa beans in the same way as a winemaker, fermenting them in a way that creates dramatic flavours.

Cool cocktail joint
For creative drinks nowhere beats Ruby (pictured above), which makes seasonal cocktails, so in winter you can expect things such as the Frederiksdal Cobbler (Danish cherry wine, spiced rum, fresh oranges and maraschino white cherry liqueur). A popular one on the menu year-round is the 866, which blends Campari, grapefruit juice and dill aquavit, with a salt rim. It feels like you’re visiting a regular apartment, but inside you stumble upon a tucked-away gem.

Dining experience worth leaving town for
Around 10km north of the city is Restaurant Jordnaer – which means ‘down to earth’. Run by foodie couple Eric and Tina Kragh Vildgaard, it received its first Michelin star after just 10 months. The cuisine focuses on farm-to-table ingredients with a French-Asian feel; expect scallops with nashi pear and yuzu, langoustine with miso, followed by rum baba with pineapple and coconut.

Interview by Ianthe Butt

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This article has been tagged Food + Drink, Destination