With just 20 seats and an open kitchen, Kadeau features a New Nordic set menu, highlighting the Baltic island of Bornholm, where the original Kadeau (complete with on-site farm) stands.

I had to return to Kadeau. My dinner here last year stayed with me and my mind kept returning to this dish or that one. So when I booked Noma again, Kadeau immediately followed. 

Things had changed a bit. Gone was the lounge I started in last time. We were ushered straight to our table, once again shown their wall of jars (with pickled and preserved everything) and the wide open kitchen, welcomed enthusiastically by the chefs.

The two of us were sat at a 4-top closest to the kitchen. The settings were across from each other, which would have forced one of us to have their back to the kitchen. This makes sense for a 2-top, but there were 2 perfectly good seats on the side that faced the kitchen. I found that setup odd and requested that we be sat next to each other, both facing the kitchen. They seemed a bit annoyed by the request, but obliged (including changing the lighting above, which shone down on the placesettings). A rough start for a place whose service was impeccable only a year ago.

It didn't help that we then struggled to find a glass of wine to our likings. Additional tastes were provided, but once again with the feeling of an eye roll. Restaurants of this level should have no trouble with this, focused solely on getting you a glass that you will fully and truly enjoy. 

Service warmed a bit as the night went on, and honestly - the food makes up for it all. Kadeau is the most quintessentially Nordic restaurant I've been to. Such a commitment to the seemingly simple dishes that blow you away with flavor and texture, both bold and subtle. There is such brilliance in each dish's composition. You sense the amount of work and refinement that must have gone into each dish to arrive at this, the dish in front of you. 

While they didn't have that cheese bread from last time (the only dish I have ever requested a 2nd plate of), they did have that signature salmon. What an incredible presentation. They have found perfection and I'm sure it will be a standard on their menu for years to come. It's a dish you tell others about and come back excited to have again. It did not disappoint!

But the star of the night was a dish of fire-dried vegetables (think soft beef jerky texture, like a sun-dried tomato) in a shellfish bisque. You just sit back and marvel at these flavors and what this dish does to you. The smokiness from the vegetables perfectly lifting the shellfish bisque to amazing levels. We kept looking at each other incredulously, our eyes asking "Is this as amazing for YOU as it is for ME? I know! OMG..."

Our overt groans and praise were picked up by the staff and they generously brought us the same dish again.

We were ecstatic. 

While the servers were not as welcoming as I would hope (and they were dressed in dystopian outfits which screamed less Nordic and more Handmaid's Tale), the chef who presented the salmon returned many times to discuss and explain the dishes, clearly excited to share as much as we wanted about each plate and ingredient. His hospitality made us feel truly special and welcome.

For me, this is a can't-miss spot in Copenhagen. If I'm in this city, I'll be in this restaurant. It's special, unique and sure to provide you food memories that last a very, very long time.

I'm so very glad to have returned.

Copenhagen saved one of the best for last. Kadeau is a Nordic-focused restaurant inspired by ingredients from the island that houses its original restaurant: the Island of Bornholm. Of all restaurants I visited, this one seemed the most truly Nordic. The food was simple and elegant yet you tasted the Nordic techniques and the ingredients harvested from that island. This was a special meal and one I would urge you not to miss when you're in town.

The dinner starts in their lounge just beside their beautiful and active kitchen. I had a Gin & Tonic, made with their own brand of gin, which was super floral (just as I like it!) and resulted in a terrific drink I didn't want to end. Various small bites were also provided and set the tone for the evening. The food, the flavors, the plating - all screamed excellence and intelligence.

Service was gracious and centered without being the least bit stuffy. With only 8 tables and a single seating each night, the restaurant almost seemed overstaffed. The team worked cohesively and you never felt for a moment that they weren't in complete control. As one example, I loved the positioning of the single-diner table (mine) pointed at the kitchen. It reminded me of Binkley's and was an inviting place to sit, through the entire dining room seemed to be the same. I will note the the other chair had been removed, as is appropriate.

The food at the table continued to endorse the fact that this restaurant brought intense skill to the table. Craftsmanship at the highest level. The meal resulted in three (yes, THREE) of my favorite dishes ever.

The double-smoked salmon was a wonder, for sure. It was so beautiful to look at and the meat the came out was so incredibly tender and flavorful, paired with terrific compliments. The first dessert was also incredible - flavor profiles I have had many times, but not with this depth of contrast and beauty.

Their bread course stole the show. It was so good I requested a 2nd dish of it - something I have never done prior to today. They graciously agreed and brought me another. This dish is so beautiful and such a tasty joy to eat, it is worth the entire price of admission.

I ordered the juice pairing with the meal - the 4th one I had in Copenhagen. Kadeau's juices were out of this world good. Every single offering was miles better than the other restaurant's versions. These were extremely delicious and super refined.

Service was outstanding. Perfect, even. There was only one flaw the entire night - a small hair I found in the pork dish. I can't decide how enormous a mistake that is. How many demerits, if you will. It's a huge problem at a place like this, for sure. But if I'm being honest, the food was so stellar, I kind of shrugged it off and went on enjoying. I didn't even tell the restaurant about it. The highs were so dang high, this low was easily ignored.

Kadeau is one of the better restaurants I visited in Copenhagen. It flies a bit under the radar, but don't let it pass you by. The experience is absolutely stellar and one NOT to be missed when visiting this city.

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