Thursday 29 April 2010

NOMA

Let's hear it for Danish cuisine. The Copenhagen restaurant Noma has just been crowned the world's best, beating the winner for the past 4 years, Spain's El Bulli, into second place.

Noma's rise has been nothing short of phenomenal. Opened as recently as 2003, it got its first Michelin star in 2005 and a second (making it the only restaurant in Denmark to have two) in 2007. It was rated the third best restaurant in the world in 2009, and has now taken over the top spot.

Sadly, that will probably make it even less likely that I will ever be able to eat there. I like Danish food, but Danish restaurants are, by international standards, both scarce and expensive. Wages and staff benefits are very high, regulations are tight, and there is VAT (at 25%) on everything. The sort of family-owned trattoria that makes Southern Europe so delightful - simple food washed down with a carafe of the house wine - just doesn't exist here. There is no way it could make money.

Still, credit where credit is due. Tillykke med prisen, Noma!

Walter Blotscher
Posted by Walter Blotscher at 09:41

2 comments:

  1. Michael3 May 2010 at 17:34

    I conclude that Noma can operate because there are a large enough group of rich people who can pay the 25% VAT and the staff benefits. But is the lack of viable restaurants catering to people who cannot go to Noma a good or bad thing? I supppose bad, but then we would not want low wages to occur. Copenhagen when I was last there seemed to me to have a pretty good range of bars and restaurants. But maybe love blinded analysis.

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  2. Walter Blotscher4 May 2010 at 09:59

    Hi Michael,

    Yes, you are right. And, I suspect, a fair proportion of that group of rich people are tourists.

    Copenhagen does have a pretty good range of bars and restaurants, it is out in the provinces that the selection gets rather dismal.

    Regards,

    Walter

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