I love finding new, hidden gems in Copenhagen.
Especially if that involves a delicious dinner!
This past weekend, my boyfriend and I were gearing up for a lazy Saturday night on the couch, when two friends texted to see if we were up for meeting them for dinner. They had a restaurant in mind, so we hopped out of our sweatpants and into the car to meet them there.
The restaurant they picked is a relatively new addition to the busy and popular restaurant scene on Vesterbrogade: Bestik Bar’n’Grill opened in February just down the street from the New Theater. They are still fine-tuning their concept, and – like most new restaurants – have faced a challenge or two attracting customers, especially walk-ins; which is not surprising considering that they’re neighbors to big shots like Madklubben, Halifax, Restaurant LêLê, and LêLê Street Kitchen. And the menu they have posted outdoors doesn’t really do them any favors, either – it’s not very stylish and calls to mind every beach-side grill restaurant you’ve ever been to in a touristy vacation town.
BUT – and this is a big but! – I strongly encourage you to not let that be the reason you choose to continue walking, because the food was really incredible. The dishes, plating, and interior were all of a super high standard, and at really fair prices, this is a restaurant I will gladly recommend to anyone – it certainly exceeded my expectations!
The interior is stylish and elegant, but still cozy. Big plus for the black tiled walls, I just love that look!
While we were still studying the menu, the chef came out with a little appetizer: black salsify in filo dough with a cream of ramsons (from Bornholm!) and water cress. I love anything I can eat with my fingers!
Between the four of us, we had ordered a bit across the board, so we decided to just go for wine by the glass. I chose one of the house whites, a Sauvignon Blanc, which was very nice and crisp. I actually liked it so much I stuck with it through the night.
After we had ordered, we happily nibbled away at the excellent bread – it was toasted in butter, so what’s not to like? Then our starters arrived.
I had opted for the scallops with green apple, mussel foam, dill oil, and water cress, which was absolutely divine! I couldn’t stop dipping my bread into the mussel foam, scooping up every last drop.
My friend got a delightful mushroom consommé with a raw egg yolk in the middle; absolutely beautifully plated and served. The boyfriend opted for the cured salmon with wasabi and was completely convinced as well.
For mains, Bestik is running a system similar to most Copenhagen steak houses: you choose your meat and add sides, veggies, and sauces. I’m a bit torn on whether I think this concept works for Bestik – they may want to create their own combinations for the menu, but on the other hand, I love being able to mix-and-match.
My choice fell on the cockerel breast with chimichurri and a tomato salad with balsamico dressing, and the boyfriend and I shared a serving of the homemade croquettes.
The chicken was amazingly juicy, with crispy skin and loads of flavor, which was complemented really well by the chimichurri – I don’t think a heavy béarnaise or pepper sauce would have worked here.
The boyfriend, being the carnivore that he is, chose the ribeye steak, which he said was exceptional in quality and cooked to perfection. I wouldn’t be able to say, since he refused to let me try a bite!
The honorary mention goes to the homemade croquettes, which I could happily stuff my face with for all eternity.
Please also note the absolutely gorgeous stone tableware!
We took a look at the dessert menu, and us girls were definitely in the mood for a little sweet treat! I got a deconstructed cheesecake with a berry sorbet and crumble, which tasted delicious, but was the only dish that night that I found too big. I managed to finish it with some help of the boyfriend – some of us actually do share!
My friend got arguably the most beautiful dish of the night: caramel ice cream with dulce de leche and blackcurrant jelly. So pretty – and scrumptious!
With warm and full bellies, we headed back out into the night to find the nearest sports bar that was showing the disastrous Germany-England soccer game… but that’s a story for another time!
I’m really glad I found Bestik, which exceeded expectations in every possible way. I do believe they have some work to do to refine their concept and outside appearance, as they may be “scaring away” some customers with a not-so-stylish menu card and the name “Bar’n’Grill”. I think that concept doesn’t really reflect the high quality and high standard of the food, which was such a pleasant surprise. That being said, I would choose Bestik over their next-door neighbor, Madklubben, almost any day of the week (no, I don’t hate Madklubben or their food, but I believe Bestik is the better overall experience).
We paid about DKK 450 per person for 2.5 servings (we shared desserts) plus two glasses of wine each, which I find very fair. Water is free and refreshed continuously – a small service that too many restaurants seem to have given up these days!
So for your next dinner out, why don’t you give Bestik a try?
Bestik Bar’n’Grill Vesterbrogade 58, 1620 Copenhagen bestikbar.dk
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