Shooting Danish stars at the Michelin Guide Nordic Countries 2022

The Michelin Guide Nordic Countries 2022 covering Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden was unveiled July 4 in Stavanger, Norway. This year, Danish restaurants took home 41 Michelin stars and 15 were awarded with the Michelin Green Stars.

The Danish restaurant noma with co-owner and head chef René Redzepi and restaurant Geranium with co-owner and head chef Rasmus Kofoed has both maintained their third Michelin star. They have thus received the highest honor that can be awarded in the Michelin guide together with only two other restaurants in the Nordic region.

Restaurant Frederikshøj in Aarhus received two Michelin stars this year and has thus come in the company of no less than seven other Danish restaurants that can adorn their entrance with two stars. One of them is Kong Hans Kælder which was the first restaurant in Denmark to receive a Michelin star back in 1983.

Furthermore, Denmark has two new one-starred Michelin restaurants. They are Jatak in Copenhagen and MOTA in Nykøbing Sjælland. They now share the honor with 17 other Danish restaurants which also have a one-star Michelin star. In total, Denmark was awarded 41 Michelin stars at the ceremony – three more than in 2021.

Mentoring new shooting stars

Not only traditional Michelin stars were awarded. Four special prizes were also given during the evening, one of them went to Denmark. Wassim Hallal from Restaurant Frederikshøj in Aarhus, Denmark was awarded the special award for Chef Mentor of the year.

A sustainable mindset

Among the 38 restaurants that received a Michelin green star symbolised by a green five-leaf clover for sustainability, 15 of them were Danish. In that way, the restaurants are recognised for their sustainable credentials. This aligns with Denmark’s reputation as a leading gastronomic destination which has grown out of a culture of sustainability, cooperation and innovation along with an increased terroir awareness and organic mindset.

The history of Michelin

Not everyone knows the first Michelin guide in 1900 was a road guide for motorists, mapping out repair shops, replacement instructions and such – food did not play a big part in it until later. But as motorists travel throughout the country, they need to eat. And so, the Michelin guide began to rate and review restaurants, catering to those looking for a great meal. The idea spread throughout Europe and the world – the rest is history.

Restaurants may receive zero to three stars for the quality of their food based on five criteria: quality of the ingredients used, mastery of flavor and cooking techniques, the personality of the chef in his cuisine, value for money and consistency between visits.

1 Star: A very good restaurant in its category.
2 Stars: Excellent cooking, worth a detour.
3 Stars: Exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.

Source: The Michelin Guide