If you call yourself a foodie, watch all MasterChef Australia episodes (even re-runs), and are constantly on the quest to explore new cuisines, then you’re no stranger to Noma. Ranked ‘World’s Best Restaurant’, for five years, Noma in Copenhagen is on every foodie’s ‘restaurants to try before you die’ list. So, with heavy hearts, we come bearing devastating news, that Noma will shut down in 2024. Read on to know more.
Why Is Noma The World’s Best Restaurant?
Danish chef, René Redzepi established Noma with a dream to reinvent Nordic cuisine. The talented chef often hailed as a culinary genius by his contemporaries, combined the Danish words “nordisk” (Nordic) and “mad” (food) to name his restaurant, Noma. In 2010, the restaurant ranked No.1 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. Since then, Noma went on to snag the title for five years, including most recently in 2021.
But how did Noma, nestled in a quiet corner of Copenhagen, not just survive but thrive in the overly competitive global food space? Chef René Redzepi focuses on celebrating local seasonal produce and constantly served innovations on tables. Moreover, he designed the restaurant to focus on offering a top-notch, exuberant dining experience for patrons. In fact, guests reserved their tables for Noma 6 months in advance. And even booked tickets only after their reservations were confirmed. That’s the enigma about dining at the world’s best restaurant.
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Noma designs their menus around Denmark’s three distinct seasons. They serve seafood from January to June. And then a completely vegetarian menu from June to September. Finally, a carnivore extravaganza from October to December. Noma’s dishes are often hailed for offering a sensory (sometimes mindboggling) experience to diners. Here, food often looks like other food. Take the case of a dish that looks like shrimp — but it’s actually made from gooseberries and rose hips — or a cake shaped like a plant pot.
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Chef Ranveer Brar Also Loves Visiting This Restaurant
The Danish luxurious restaurant has had many fans from across the world, even MasterChef India judge and renowned chef Ranveer Brar. The Indian chef revealed to Curly Tales that he has often travelled to Denmark just to dine at Noma. He even calls Noma’s founder and head chef René Redzepi, his great friend. Chef Ranveer Brar hailed René Redzepi’s understanding of flavours and tastes. In his words, it shakes one up from the inside and that’s what Chef Ranveer, really likes.
Noma To Shut Down In 2024 For Reinvention
Now, that you have a glimpse of the Vatican of the food industry, you’d understand that it’s truly heartbreaking that Noma will close its doors in 2024 after glorious years of service. Noma took to Instagram to announce that Winter 2024 will be its last season. But this isn’t the end. The Scandinavian restaurant will be back with a new chapter, Noma 3.0 — a giant lab dedicated to food innovations and developing new flavours. The good news is they may also open pop-ups across the world, like the one in Kyoto this year. So, it’s not the end foodies. Picture abhi baaki hai!
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Netizens Have Bitter-Sweet Reactions To This
But the Internet is absolutely devastated by the news. Noma shutting down in 2024 came as an absolute shocker as many are sad that they may not get the opportunity to dine at one of the world’s best restaurants. Here are some of the reactions by Twitteratis on the closure of Noma.
Noma is closing, but the final seating will be unforgettable pic.twitter.com/gEQW5PY1q3
— Anna Peele (@bananapeele) January 9, 2023
Look back at the original #Noma #restaurant @ReneRedzepiNoma location in Copenhagen. pic.twitter.com/nlYfz4pXq5
— Daniel Krieger (@smoothdude) January 9, 2023
It was impossible to get a reservation at Noma, the Copenhagen restaurant, one of the world’s best and a top destination for food tourism. Now it has announced it will permanently close. There’s hope: it will shut only in end 2024. Then it’ll become an experimental kitchen. pic.twitter.com/TN8eeYAJ2y
— Gaurav Dalmia (@gdalmiathinks) January 10, 2023
While there were many Twitteratis who shed tears about Noma closing, there were others who weren’t too surprised by the news. They drew attention to the many allegations faced by Noma over the ill-treatment of its employees and its awful work conditions.
Everybody: freaking out about Noma closing
Me: having already heard countless stories about their horrible work conditions
— Samy (@samyzfoodies) January 9, 2023
noma closing is insane. the current most influential restaurant and chef acknowledging the work culture they helped to establish as unsustainable and abusive is long overdue will hopefully lead to drastic changes industry wide
— ian (@mybadlmao) January 9, 2023
As a Food Writer, whose profession and passion revolves around food, Noma has certainly intrigued me, and many like me. And while I may not be able to experience Noma as it was before, someday I’m at least hoping Noma expands its innovative pop-up scene to India where we’d get to experience the most talked about gastronomical innovations.
What do you think about Noma shutting down? Let us know in the comments below.
Cover Image Courtesy: @nomacph/ Instagram