Relae: Copenhagen

There’s a refreshing lack of fuss or pretension at this stripped-back restaurant in Copenhagen’s foodie Nørrebro district. Diners help themselves to cutlery from drawers in the simple wooden tables and pour their own wine, while the menu is a straight choice between four or seven courses. Set up in 2010 by Christian Puglisi and Kim Rossen, who both previously worked at Noma, the restaurant’s laid-back, uncomplicated style means the focus is always kept on the food.

Rene Redzepi was undoubtedly a huge influence on head chef Puglisi, who was born in Italy and raised in Denmark, but Relae takes a more flexible approach to local sourcing, creating dishes that are in the New Nordic tradition, but also acknowledge the chef’s Italian background and time spent working at El Bulli in Spain.

The restaurant is certified organic and the menu is updated almost every day with deceptively simple dishes, which maximise the flavour of just three or four key ingredients. Think pickled mackerel, cauliflower and lemon purée or sous-vide chicken with heart, bottarga and sweetcorn. The elegant simplicity of the food is matched by relaxed but efficient service under the watchful eye of Rossen, while the wine list has a strong French accent with natural and orange wines a feature.