Copenhagen restaurant Geist by Bo Bech

The open kitchen at Geist

I was in Copenhagen last summer and couldn’t get reservations at Noma. I tried again this summer but it was closed for summer holidays! Needless to say that I was disappointed but there’s no need to dwell on that, especially in a city like Copenhagen where good restaurants abound. So I took my friend’s advice and decided to give Geist Restaurant a try. Geist is Bo Bech’s newest restaurant in the heart of Copenhagen and has been open since this past April only. Bo Bech is one of Copenhagen’s most famous chef, having earned a Michelin star at the now defunct Paustian. I hadn’t heard or read anything about Geist so the whole experience was a complete surprise, which only added to its charm.

The night started with a blind date, yes yes, as I said in my previous post, I shared this lovely meal with a complete stranger, a friend of a friend who I had never met before but nothing like a good meal between two foodies and a couple of bottles of wine to break the ice!

Beautiful view of Kongens Nytorv square

We were seated at the bar along the window that faces Kongens Nytorv square, the perfect spot to watch the dusk setting down at around 11pm! I do love those long Danish summer nights! The restaurant is sober and comfortable, with a big bar area and the dining room area centering around the big open kitchen. The menu is just a list of dishes that are not divided into traditional appetizers and main meals. Our waitress informed us that the further along down the list you order, the larger the serving would be. So we ordered two dishes closer to the top of the list and two others from further down the list.

No mind blowing culinary revelations here, just simple food very well prepared and beautifully presented. This is not meant to be a Michelin-star caliber restaurant, just a great accessible restaurant where you can sense the chef’s passion for Nordic ingredients and cuisine.

View of the bar area at Geist restaurant

The restaurant has become quite popular and a favourite in the few months it’s been open. It was packed on the night that I went so reservations are highly recommended. This may not be the number one restaurant in the world but it is an absolutely great dining experience that I highly recommend.

Note: You will not be hearing from me for the next couple of weeks. I am still on holidays but I do promise to come back with a few posts on Barcelona and maybe even London once I go back home to Montreal. In the meantime, I wish you some good eats!