Best restaurants in Aarhus

Frederikshøj

★★ Michelin€€€€Creative

Located within the former staff lodge to the Royal Palace, this elegantly stylish restaurant comes with floor-to-ceiling windows that afford views over the gardens and out to sea. A fun evening is on offer here, courtesy of both the charming service team – who inject a little humour into their interactions – and the chef, who reinterprets classic French recipes in a playful way, while also adding some nods to Danish tradition. Flavours are punchy and a perfect match for the colourful and, at times, intriguing presentation.

Domestic

★ Michelin€€€€Modern Cuisine

This restaurant sets itself the challenge of using only Danish ingredients – hence the name – so expect lots of different techniques and imagination in their dishes; naturally, fermentation plays a part, with jars neatly arranged around the dining room containing pickled produce ranging from green strawberries to chive flowers. There’s a relaxed atmosphere, with burnt oak tables, wool blankets and candles, while the period Latin quarter property has been everything from a school to a dairy.

Substans

★ Michelin€€€€Creative

There’s something of a futuristic charm to this newer area of the city set between skyscrapers and residential buildings overlooking the port. Locate one of the latter, Pakhusene, step inside the lift and hit ‘F’ to reach the 11th floor; here you’ll find a small room where tables line the floor-to-ceiling windows to one side and the open kitchen occupies the other. The Chef’s Tasting Menu is made up of familiar Danish flavours, with dishes ranging from bread with brown shrimps and horseradish to red deer, plum and truffle, and finishing with the likes of Jerusalem artichokes, kefir and apple.

Gastromé

★ Michelin€€€€Modern Cuisine

One of the city’s most elegant restaurants, Gastromé sits within a smartly refurbished villa dating from 1911. The focus here is on the glass-walled kitchen, where luxurious ingredients – including those from their mini farm – are prepared using complex, modern techniques. The result is refined, elegant cooking that has a wonderful balance of both textures and flavours – some leaning towards local traditions and others of a more international bent. You might find grilled scallop with dashi, tomato and radish or wood pigeon with blackberry, pickled beetroot and parsnip.

Pondus

Bib Gourmand€Modern Cuisine

The little sister to Michelin-Starred Substans is a simple place set beside the canal in a historic part of the city. Glasses and wine bottles grace the shelves, and exposed brickwork and unfinished floors set a relaxed, unpretentious mood. The food is a perfect match for the surroundings, with the colourful dishes showcasing organic Danish produce and representing great value – you might find cured hake with capers and relish, followed by spice cake with figs, ice cream and caramel sauce. In summer, you can dine alfresco on the pavement terrace.

Restaurant ET

Bib Gourmand€French, Danish

The setting ticks all the boxes: an elegant 19th-century house with a peaceful terrace located in a charming cobbled courtyard, and a location close to Aarhus Harbour yet also within easy rich of the city’s main streets. Regional ingredients are to the fore in generously proportioned, good value dishes that lead with a Gallic edge. Alongside the likes of grilled entrecôte and crème bûlée you’ll find their own reinterpreted version of Danish stjerneskud – a hot and cold open breaded fish, salmon and shrimp sandwich. Wines from their exclusively French cellar include around 70 options by the gla

Restaurant BAVN

€€Traditional Cuisine

Take the 29 second ride to the 44th floor of Denmark’s tallest building, where you’ll arrive at Restaurant BAVN, which boasts stunning 360° views over the city. Head for the enclosed terrace for some truly Instagrammable shots, then take your seat in the understated dining room, where tables topped with colourful schnapps glasses set the tone. Traditional Danish dishes follow the seasons and are generously proportioned – this includes some superb sandwiches at lunchtime, with the fried herring with soft onions and gooseberries a must-try.

Atelier 33

€€French

Bouillabaisse, Paris-Brest and a great selection of burgundies… with a menu like this, it’s hard to believe you’re not in France. Classic bistros and brasseries are the inspiration behind this charming place with a warm, friendly atmosphere. Danish produce is nevertheless at the heart of the cooking, which provides well-executed and satisfying versions of these traditional dishes. The lunch menu includes lighter bites like a croque madame, while at dinner you can pick between the à la carte and a surprise 4 course seasonal menu.

Hærværk

€Danish

A group of friends run this laid-back restaurant, which has something of a bohemian feel thanks to its collection of cookery books, sheepskins and modern art. To say that the set surprise menu is seasonal would be an understatement. Top-quality local and organic ingredients set the tone, and the dishes feel pure, allowing said ingredients to take centre stage in their natural form. Expect delicious salad leaves and the likes of line-caught wolffish with green asparagus, followed by rhubarb tart with rhubarb sorbet and lemon verbena ice cream. Modern, natural wines make the perfect accompanimen

Molskroen

€€€regional

A stylish seaside inn set within the Mols Bjerge National Park plays host to this restaurant, where a spot on the charming terrace is a must when the weather is right. The décor keeps things neutral, with fresh bouquets of flowers dotted around the room adding to the atmosphere, but still leaving the focus on the food. Modern menus take their influences from far and wide, and dishes could include the likes of halibut sashimi with apple and pickled greencurrant; black lobster with a pork head tuile and fermented tomato sauce; or, one of their highlights, squid “cacio e pepe”.

🕐 Mo-Sa 18:00-22:00

Moment

€€€Creative, Modern Cuisine

A welcoming glow draws you towards this restaurant, as you navigate the dark streets of the small hamlet of Rønde. It’s clear that nature runs through Moment’s veins: its permaculture garden guides the menus, the chefs explain the philosophy behind every dish and there’s a remarkable selection of natural wines. Depending on the day, you can choose between a short and a long version of the tasting menu, where well-presented recipes give prominence to different produce at different times of year, focusing on vegetables in summer and wild game in autumn, through dishes such as wild deer, ramson a