Norrlyst – Bib Gourmand smørrebrød in a house from 1799

On Kompagnistræde, in the old Snarens quarter just a few minutes' walk from Gammel Strand metro, Norrlyst occupies a half-timbered house dating to 1799. It is the restaurant that started what has become the Norrlyst Group, opening its doors in October 2019 close to Strøget and the quay at Gammel Strand, and the group now runs fourteen restaurants across Copenhagen. Norrlyst itself holds a MICHELIN Bib Gourmand, a distinction it has kept every year since 2021 and still carries in the 2026 guide. By day the kitchen serves a modern, seasonal version of smørrebrød; by night it turns into a build-your-own four-course Nordic menu rather than a single fixed tasting. The room itself is small - 26 seats inside, ten more outside - which keeps the experience closer to a neighbourhood table than to a grand dining room.

01The room and the setting

Norrlyst sits in the old Snarens neighbourhood, just a few minutes' walk from Gammel Strand metro, on the corner of Kompagnistræde and Badstuestræde. The building itself is a beautiful old half-timbered house from 1799, one of the merchant houses that still line this part of the Indre By. Inside, the restaurant has room for 26 guests, with another ten seats outside, so it is worth booking a table well in advance when the weather allows for the terrace.

02The chef

The kitchen is led by head chef Fredrik Madsen, who is always looking for new exciting flavours and combinations built around fresh vegetables and herbs. Norrlyst first opened its doors in October 2019, and it is the group's first restaurant, located close to both Strøget and Gammel Strand; the same company has since grown into one city with fourteen restaurants across Copenhagen. For its own kitchen, Norrlyst sources wild herbs picked north of Copenhagen, meat and poultry from Grambogård and Hopballe Mølle, and vegetables grown organically at Kiselgården.

Insider tip

Book ahead – only 26 seats indoors and 10 outside, on the corner of Kompagnistræde and Badstuestræde.

03The cooking

At lunch, Norrlyst serves a modern, seasonal version of the classic Danish smørrebrød table, with each slice matched to a specific aquavit or schnapps made in house. In the evening the format changes entirely: guests build their own four-course menu from separate starter, middle-course, main and dessert lists, with optional supplements such as a lobster salad starter or a seared monkfish cheek. The style favours contrast on the plate - something pickled against something rich, something crisp against something soft - and the card is rewritten with the seasons rather than left fixed year-round.

04What to order

From the lunch card, the Christiansø-style spiced herring arrives with pickled onions, capers and kefir cream, and the hand-peeled shrimp come dressed with a smoked cheese cream, soft-boiled egg and wild-garlic capers. At dinner, the Norrlyst signature beef tartare - finished with tomato emulsion, pickled salad onions, baked tomato and almonds - opens the menu, while mains range from a butter-poached catch of the day with grilled spring onions and a sauce of blue mussels and trout roe, to a beef striploin with Jerusalem artichokes, endive, redcurrants and a sage-scented demi-glace. For dessert, there is a pear sorbet with pear compote, verbena, oat crumble and white chocolate mousse, or a vanilla ice cream finished with caviar, cold-pressed almond oil and roasted pumpkin seeds.

05Wine and drinks

Lunch leans on the house's own aquavit and schnapps, each chosen to match a particular smørrebrød, alongside specialty beers from local breweries. In the evening, the four courses can be paired with a four-glass wine menu, upgraded to a champagne-and-wine pairing, or matched instead with a four-glass juice menu for guests skipping alcohol.

06When to go and booking

Norrlyst opens every day of the week, with lunch served from 11.30 to 16.00 and dinner from 17.00 to 23.00; last bookings are taken at 14.30 and 20.30 respectively. The build-your-own evening menu is priced at 495 DKK per person before drinks. Because the restaurant only has room for 26 guests indoors and 10 outside, it is a good idea to book a table well in advance, particularly for weekend dinners or the corner terrace in summer.

For a weekend. For a lifetime.