One of the world’s most famous restaurants is closing. Known worldwide for its unique cuisine and repeated top accolades, Noma will serve its last meal next year.
Top Restaurant In The World
Known for inventing New Nordic cuisine, Noma has been widely applauded since opening 20 years ago in Copenhagen, Denmark. Its main focus of using locally-sourced food brought diners unique dishes like reindeer brain custard and edible pinecones. The name comes from a mashup of the Danish words for Nordic (Nordisk) and food (mad).
Noma consistently ranks high on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, most recently nabbing the number one spot in 2021. But in an effort to continuously reinvent food, Noma will be shuttering its doors at the end of 2024.
“To continue being Noma, we must change… Winter 2024 will be the last season of Noma as we know it,” the restaurant’s representatives wrote in a post on Instagram. “We are beginning a new chapter.”
Food Lab
While the space will no longer be open for diners, Noma will continue its tradition of creating unique foods by becoming a giant food lab, named Noma 3.0, set to open in 2025. According to its social media channels, the restaurant will be “transforming into a giant lab, a pioneering test kitchen dedicated to the work of food innovation and the development of new flavors, one that will share the fruits of our efforts more widely than ever before.”
Noma’s executive Chef Rene Redzepi says he and his team have been cultivating this idea for the last 2 years, since being hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. He wants the new food lab to be a place for education and exploration.
“Our goal is to create a lasting organization dedicated to groundbreaking work in food, but also to redefine the foundation for a restaurant team, a place where you can learn, you can take risks, and you can grow!” he said.
Don’t worry, though, if you have a craving for reindeer ragu or crispy marigolds, the restaurant will open up for special occasions but will no longer be the sole focus of the team.
If you are heading to Denmark to dine at Noma before it closes, here’s what to know before you go, our recommendations for the rest of your trip, and the best way to get around the city.