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This Ancestrale Copenhagen Restaurant Review is from our recent repeat visit to Copenhagen. Also see our many other restaurant reviews from around the world.
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Ancestrale Copenhagen Location and Hours
Ancestrale is located at Oehlenschlægersgade 12 in Copenhagen's Frederiksberg neighborhood. It's open exclusively for dinner, from 5:30-11pm Monday-Saturday, and closed on Sundays. As most tables seat 2 or 4 and there's only seating for 45 guests, it's best to make an advance reservation.
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Ancestrale Menu and Food
Ancestrale offers a very seasonally driven menu that emphasizes fresh and sustainably sourced vegetables and fish, so don't come if you're looking for meat dishes. We opted for the 5 course seasonal menu, but in the future I might instead go a la carte, since I enjoyed some courses more than others. My husband took the wine pairing, but it's a good thing I didn't, since the pours were generous and I ended up sharing several of his glasses.
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While not complimentary, it's worth ordering the bread and whipped butter if you don't opt for the tasting menu, since it's a great way to start off the meal.
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The salted perch with kohlrabi and lovage was beautifully plated, although it was my least favorite of the courses; I like the idea of kohlrabi and lovage more than the actual taste, although the crisp texture was ideal for a warm summer evening.
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The Green Asparagus course, on the other hand, was perfect, both in its pretty presentation and its contrast of textures. The asparagus was perfectly blanched to crisp-tender, and the garlic sauce it was presented with was utterly addictive.
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The ricotta gnocchi served with meaty wild mushrooms and crisp potatoes, all in a hay cheese sauce, was my favorite course of the evening. It was an upscale version of one of my favorite mushroom and potato dinners in Russia, after foraging for wild mushrooms (which I was terrible at–pro tip: definitely go with experienced foragers who ensure that you don't keep or cook poisonous specimens). I was surprised by how well the sweetish wine my husband was served went with this course.
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Our main course was glazed ling cod, served with buckwheat “risotto” and fish skin that had been turned into something resembling prawn crackers. Very enjoyable, especially the glazed fish, although as I've never been a fan of prawn crackers I didn't enjoy the garnish much.
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There was quite a hiatus between our fish main course and the dessert, so much so that it almost seemed as if they'd forgotten about us, but more likely the kitchen was busy executing the dishes of guests who were in the beginning or middle of their meal. Finally our final course of dessert came, however, and it was the perfect summer dessert: rhubarb crisp with a refreshing and herbaceous sorrel ice cream, crowned with crisp dehydrated rhubarb.
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The Verdict
We generally eat quite informally in Copenhagen, as we've been rather disappointed with our Michelin star restaurant experiences. Ancestrale is one of the few fancier places we'd happily return to again and again, thanks to its superb seasonal menu, excellent wine pairing and array of natural biodynamic wines, friendly service, and fair pricing, especially in an expensive city. Recommended.
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