Hervé M
Google
A beautiful setting, refined cuisine… but service far below Michelin standards
We recently had dinner as a family (two adults and a 9-year-old child) at this Michelin-starred restaurant in Denmark. The place is stunning: the dining room, with its elegant Nordic design, offers a warm and sophisticated atmosphere that immediately puts you at ease. The set menu, which we all chose, featured beautifully crafted and well-balanced dishes.
Unfortunately, the experience was marred by service that fell far short of what one would expect from a restaurant of this level. When the dessert arrived, we discovered it was a cake soaked in rum with a strong taste of alcohol – something we felt was not appropriate for a 9-year-old. We asked the maître d’hotel if there was any alternative, but his response was firm and dismissive, insisting there was no alcohol, with no willingness to listen or help. In a Michelin-starred restaurant, one expects more care and attentiveness, especially when a child is involved.
As a result, our daughter hardly ate any of her dessert, and neither did we, as we don’t like rum either. When the plates were cleared, still nearly full, none of the staff asked why – something that should never happen in a restaurant of this standard. Only after we approached another waiter did we receive a few mignardises – though these were probably the ones that were already planned anyway.
Even though the food itself was very good, the overall impression remains negative. In the many Michelin-starred restaurants we have visited around the world as a family, the presence of a child usually brings extra attention and a warm welcome. Here, we felt quite the opposite: as if we were not truly welcome. For a 1,000 DKK menu, this kind of attitude leaves a much more bitter taste than the rum in the dessert. A real shame, because the cuisine deserved better.