Modern Nordic cuisine at Kadeau is not a passing trend but a disciplined continuation of Bornholm’s preservation culture, where geography shapes technique and memory defines taste.
Bornholm’s short summers, harsh winters and deep-rooted preservation culture… At Kadeau, modern Nordic cuisine is not a passing movement but the refined continuation of an island’s way of life. For Nicolai Nørregaard, his birthplace is not decorative inspiration — it is methodology.
For Nicolai Nørregaard, Bornholm is not merely a source of inspiration; it is a culinary system. In today’s gastronomic discourse, the word terroir is everywhere. Yet, too often it functions as a narrative ornament rather than a structural foundation. At Kadeau, geography is not an aesthetic reference point but a technical determinant. The place where the chef was born does not decorate the plate — it defines the method.
Bornholm is a small island in the Baltic Sea. Being an island is far more than a romantic postcard image; it means negotiating with climate, managing the seasons, preserving summer for the long winter ahead. In a landscape that closes down during winter, one’s relationship with produce inevitably shifts. Salting, drying, smoking, curing and fermenting are not stylistic gestures — they are daily reflexes. These techniques exist not because they are fashionable, but because they are necessary.
Modern Nordic cuisine is often framed through the lens of innovation. Yet at its core, this cuisine is not new. It is the sophisticated continuation of a preservation culture. Island psychology creates isolation. Isolation, in turn, produces discipline rather than dependency. On Bornholm, summers are short, winters long and seasons fleeting. Ingredients are not simply consumed; they are safeguarded. Preservation is not a choice — it is a survival practice.
Nørregaard’s culinary language emerges directly from these imperatives. He grew up watching his grandfather salt fish, store vegetables and prepare larders for winter. The techniques we encounter on Kadeau’s menu today — salmon cured for three days, mulberries harvested in summer and frozen for later use, quince preserved in marinade, kelp oil, walnut leaf infusion — are not creative conceits. They are the refined memory of an island.
Kadeau’s organisational structure reflects the same cultural continuity. Nørregaard’s decision to make two long-standing collaborators — Francesco “Pancho” Pini and Henrik Jonsson — partners in the restaurant is not a calculated PR gesture, but a cultural instinct. Island communities produce solidarity rather than individual stardom. Bornholm’s social fabric, built on mutual endurance, has here translated into a business model. This partnership underscores that Kadeau is not a singular “chef brand,” but a kitchen sustained by collective memory. Terroir exists not only in the product, but in the relationships. Loyalty extends as much to people as to place.
At the table, this memory becomes visible. Norwegian king scallop was served raw, resting on a thin rye cracker, topped with translucent slices of chestnut. Elderflower-infused butter and kelp salt framed the sweetness, while cream and toasted seaweed oil brought together the dairy softness and mineral intensity of the sea. There was no technical display here — only restraint. The natural sugars of the scallop were protected rather than manipulated.
Northern Norwegian shrimp followed, again raw. Alongside them were tomatoes preserved from summer and dried to intensify their aroma. A delicate interplay of horseradish, rose oil and cream created layers of sweetness, acidity and floral nuance. No virtuosity of cooking was being performed; instead, the season itself was being managed. A summer tomato appeared in February.
The crab course featured Bulgarian Oscietra caviar, yet the true centre was steamed Danish brown crab, marinated with cherry blossom oil and quince juice. Quince here was not decorative acidity but an extension of Northern preservation logic. Pumpkin seeds, half raw and half roasted, added deliberate textural contrast.
The salmon — served in the same form for over a decade — was Bornholm distilled. Cured for three days, cold-smoked over cherry wood and then finished with warm beechwood smoke on the day of service, the process spans nearly a week. This is not a fine dining spectacle; it is an island tradition rendered contemporary. Smoke is not an aromatic effect — it is historical memory.
The same discipline carries into dessert. Mulberries from 120- to 200-year-old trees are harvested at their peak in summer, frozen, then macerated in honey and their own juice. Plums are preserved in vermouth. Mirabelle kernel schnapps and cream accompany the dish. Sweetness is restrained; the effect is lightly fermented, gently alcoholic — like the last days of summer.
What becomes clear at Kadeau is this: For Nicolai Nørregaard, terroir is not an identity badge but technical memory. Modern Nordic cuisine here is not a trend, but the contemporary expression of Bornholm’s preservation culture. Kadeau is not merely a restaurant; it is the disciplined continuity of a place.
True gastronomic identity is built not by distancing oneself from where one comes from but by deepening its memory.
Where to stay?
If you wish to anchor your stay in Copenhagen within a gastronomic context, the choice is clear: Nimb Hotel.
Located inside the historic Tivoli Gardens in the heart of the city, Nimb transforms its privileged position into more than scenic charm — it offers cultural and culinary proximity. Built in 1909, the Moorish-inspired structure, with its white façade, arched windows and elegant towers, extends Tivoli’s fairy-tale atmosphere into architectural form. Inside, Scandinavian restraint meets boutique luxury across just 38 rooms, offering an intimate and refined experience.
Yet to describe Nimb solely through its architecture would be incomplete. In recent years, the hotel has become a significant actor in Copenhagen’s gastronomic calendar. The most compelling example is the Michelin pop-up programme hosted in The Pagoda within Tivoli.
In 2026, The Pagoda will welcome seven restaurants carrying a total of fifteen Michelin stars. Culinary identities from the French Alps to Bangkok, from Berlin to the Swedish forests, will temporarily converge in Tivoli. It is the most ambitious iteration of the pop-up concept launched in 2021.
Coinciding with the MICHELIN Guide Nordic Countries Ceremony on 1 June and the Tivoli Food Festival, 2026 marks a defining gastronomic year for Denmark. As Nimb’s High-End Director, Mikkel Ustrup, notes, the concentration of Michelin-starred talent is no coincidence; international restaurants are now seeking Tivoli as a destination.
Where you stay in Copenhagen shapes how you read the city. If your aim is not merely to visit but to experience it gastronomically, Nimb offers more than accommodation — it grants backstage access to one of Europe’s most dynamic culinary stages.
