Noma closed in its final incarnation in January 2024, but its legacy defines Copenhagen's entire food identity — and the alumni restaurants (Empirical, Lyst, Hart Bageri, Koefoed) continue the revolution.
Why It Belongs on the List
René Redzepi's Noma was the most influential restaurant of the 21st century — four times named the World's Best Restaurant, the originator of New Nordic cuisine, and the reason Copenhagen became the world's most food-obsessed small city. Noma itself closed in January 2024 and is being reimagined. The legacy lives on in dozens of alumni restaurants: Empirical (cocktails and fermentation), Hart Bageri (the world's most talked-about bakery), Lyst (new Nordic fine dining), and the fermentation-focused Food & Biotech Laboratory continuing the research. To experience the Noma philosophy, visit Hart Bageri on Grønnegade for breakfast.
What Stands Out
- Noma closed January 2024
- Most influential restaurant of the 21st century
- Legacy lives on in Hart Bageri, Empirical, and Lyst
- Birthplace of New Nordic cuisine
- Hart Bageri for breakfast