RESTAURANT
A night without worries

"Rock Island" stands above a dark passage in the middle of Islands Brygge, a former working-class neighbourhood at the harbour of Copenhagen. Pencils of the brand viking were once produced in the spacious industrial halls, but today these creative people of all kinds serve as studios, for example the textile designer Margrethe Odgaard. Dull basses from the practice of a metal band sound from the upper rooms of the brick building. Saws screech in the basement. If you dare to enter the corridor, it ends along graffiti-diversified walls at an industrial elevator. It takes some overcoming to step into the antiquated elevator and close the large swing doors behind you. With this you now jerk up to the first floor and then to stand in front of a steel door, which doesn't look very inviting thanks to the flat covering with all kinds of stickers. All the greater is the surprise effect when it opens: A decorated intermediate door made of solid oak wood offers the last barrier behind it and at the same time the entrance to the restaurant Alouette, french for "larch".

Barely a year old, the hidden jewel was recently awarded a Michelin star. The New York chef Nick Curtin, his wife Camilla Hansen and the kitchen chef Andrew Valenzuela want to offer their guests "a night without worries", in a relaxed, familiar atmosphere, with high-quality food and a special interior. And they have succeeded: In the Alouette you sit under a generous glass orangerie and look over to the open kitchen, where the chefs prepare the daily changing five-course menu with international appeal. Each course is a feast for the senses, created from high-quality ingredients – many of which come from the own greenhouse. The icing on the cake for the dishes is not only the perfect wine, but also a fine touch of surprise. Like the echoes of apple and smoked bacon in the butter, which is served with warm, lightly salted white bread.

The 150 square metre room with its dark oak wood, lava stone and numerous mirror surfaces offers 50 seats and radiates the charm of the glamorous era of Art Déco. The entire interior concept, from the tables and chairs to the wall decorations and the loudspeakers, comes from the workshops of the neighbouring KBH Københavns Møbelsnedkeri, which manufacture their products by hand. "Like us, they like to go a mile extra to create something special," says Camilla Hansen. With its own design studio and a wood and metal workshop, KBH has been offering tailor-made interiors with a timeless elegance inspired by historical times since 2006. For the Alouette, they have created a concept for fine dining that looks warm, calm and elegant. Thanks to this special atmosphere and all the culinary delights of the evening, as a guest of the restaurant you feel so comfortable and carefree that you are very unwilling to make your way home afterwards. "We couldn't have wished for a better result," Camilla Hansen sums up.

Sturlasgade 14P, 1.
2300 Copenhagen, Denmark
Phone: +45 31 67 66 06