Held at the Savoy Theatre in the City of Helsinki, The MICHELIN Guide Ceremony Nordic Countries 2024 was a joyous occasion with much cause for celebration. In what was a banner year for gastronomy across Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, a pair of new Three Michelin Star restaurants were announced. The Inspectors also awarded 2 establishments with Two Michelin Stars and 9 restaurants with One Michelin Star. Read on for a closer look at why each of these places is so special.
New Three Michelin Star Restaurants
Jordnær – Gentofte, Denmark
After a winter stint in St. Moritz, Eric and Tina Kragh Vildgaard have returned to the Copenhagen suburb of Gentofte and elevated their restaurant to even greater heights. With its third Michelin Star, Jordnær takes its fully deserved place among the best restaurants not just in the Nordics but in the world. From minute one, dining here is an outstanding experience where Eric’s cooking and Tina’s hospitality are a pure delight. The understanding of flavour, texture and balance that Eric shows is exceptional. He has both brilliant produce and enormous technical skill at his fingertips – and knows exactly how and when to deploy them for maximum impact. Becoming the third Three Michelin Star restaurant in or around Copenhagen, Jordnær reaffirms the city’s position as one of the Nordics’ premier dining destinations.
RE-NAA – Stavanger, Norway
Named after Chef-Owner Sven Erik Renaa, the pinnacle of Stavanger’s dining scene now becomes the city’s first-ever restaurant to be awarded Three Michelin Stars. Sven’s dishes are based around ingredients of extreme quality, many of them Norwegian seafood, that provide delicious natural flavours for the chef to enhance. He and his team offer a masterclass in how to balance subtle and stronger flavours, while injecting originality into a menu. The overall experience complements the Three Star cooking wonderfully. An open plan kitchen helps diners feel part of the action, while Sommelier/Restaurant Manager Kristoffer Aga ensures that the perfectly choreographed service runs like clockwork and the wine list showcases exceptional depth.
New Two Michelin Star Restaurants
Kontrast – Oslo, Norway
Kontrast’s award of Two Michelin Stars is a testament to the evolution of the restaurant and the dedication of its team. Led by Chef-Owner Mikael Svensson, they display great technical skill and fine judgement across dishes that are driven by their sustainable ethos. A no-waste and overtly seasonal approach is taken to the superb Norwegian ingredients, including the use of state-of-the-art preserving techniques. Just like all the other components, these pickled and fermented elements are exquisitely used by Mikael and his chefs. To make their year even better, Kontrast has also been awarded a Michelin Green Star.
VYN – Simrishamn, Sweden
Achieving the rare and undoubtedly impressive feat of going straight into the Guide with Two Michelin Stars, VYN is the latest restaurant to serve as a platform for its ingenious Chef-Owner Daniel Berlin. Having held Two Stars at his previous, eponymously named restaurant in Skåne Tranås, VYN represents Daniel’s welcome return to the top of Swedish gastronomy. Still settled in southern Sweden, his cooking demonstrates an attachment to the region, with well-sourced local produce forming a large part of the menu. This is used in conjunction with preserved elements and a mountain of technical skill to deliver gutsily flavoured dishes that pack a real punch.
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New One Michelin Star Restaurant in Denmark
Restaurant Aure–Copenhagen
Only open for a few months but already the talk of the city, there’s the sense that something special is happening here in Margretheholm. Chef-Owner Nicky Arentsen has worked at some of Denmark’s best restaurants including Jordnær, a|o|c and Henne Kirkeby Kro – and it shows in his original, impressively refined cooking. There is a great amount of precision applied to the first-class ingredients, be they Skagerrak prawns or Norwegian cod, and a minimalism applied to the presentation. The setting inside a stylish 18th Century building is an added bonus.
New One Michelin Star Restaurants in Finland
Tapio– Ruka
You know you’re having a good meal when you really don’t want it to end. That’s the experience our Inspectors had at this welcoming restaurant in the popular skiing destination of Ruka. It’s become the home of British Chef Connor Laybourne and his partner Johanna, who have created a fabulous dining destination. There is a pared-back style to Connor’s cooking, which emphasises the wonderful purity of the ingredients’ natural flavours – while still containing multiple layers of flavour in every well-constructed dish.
The ROOM by Kozeen Shiwan – Helsinki
‘Theatrical’ is a word that gets thrown around in relation to a lot of restaurants these days, but it has never been more apt than when describing The ROOM. More than just a platform for Kozeen Shiwan’s cooking, it is a stage for the man himself. Engaging with guests, bigging himself up like an MC and delivering his dishes with a flamboyant touch, Kozeen provides a dining experience unlike any other. Born in Sulaymaniyah in northern Iraq, he recounts the story of his life through his cooking, which transcends the immersive setting and proves to be truly impressive.
New One Michelin Star Restaurants in Norway
Bar Amour – Oslo
While much attention may be given to this restaurant’s location inside a rumoured former brothel (a fact firmly embraced in the interior décor), there should be an even greater focus on the superb cooking that Carlos De Medeiros and his team are producing here. There is great refinement in every dish, with each combination of flavours and textures proving to be wholly harmonious. Some nods to a nose-to-tail ethos add further depth and interest to the dishes. The service team run the place impeccably well too, enhancing the overall experience.
Hermetikken – Stavanger
There are few restaurants in Norway with a greater focus on wine than Hermetikken, which is owned by its passionate sommeliers and boasts an impressively large, wide-ranging list that has a slight US emphasis. The cooking more than stands up to this quality, with Chef Stuart Barber leading a team that showcase a great deal of skill through their delicious dishes. Despite having worked as Sous Chef at The Fat Duck, there’s nothing too elaborate about Stuart’s cooking, with the focus on superb execution, quality produce and expertly judged contrasts.
Iris – Rosendal
It is one of Chef Anika Madsen and her team’s greatest achievements that the quality of their cooking can still leave such a strong impression in a setting this memorable and eye-catching. Located inside an extraordinary ‘floating’ structure anchored in Hardangerfjord, Iris is a true dining destination. Anika’s cooking has an original streak – including the use of overlooked ingredients like Norwegian cuttlefish – and delivers real depth of flavour in the sophisticated combinations. The experience as a whole is immersive and cleverly conceived, making it a must-stop for gastro-tourists.
New One Michelin Star Restaurants in Sweden
Celeste – Stockholm
One of three new One Stars for Stockholm this year, Celeste is a tucked-away restaurant on the 8th floor of the Batteriet building. After being led up from the courtyard, the main event takes place at six tables in front of the open kitchen. Precise cooking from Chefs Ludwig Tjörnemo and Michael Andersson ensures the fine produce gets the treatment it deserves, and they show great generosity in their offering – the menu may be set, but don’t be surprised to receive the odd extra course or drink along the way. As the busy bar next to the dining room would suggest, co*cktails play a big role too.
Dashi – Stockholm
Becoming Stockholm’s second Japanese restaurant with a Michelin Star, this venture is propelled by Chef-Owners Harry Jordås and Nathan Turley. While neither of them hail from Japan, they have created an exceptional homage to its cuisine through their detailed dishes and passion for their craft. The whole restaurant has been a labour of love for the pair, who did much of the building work on this tiny former deli themselves. Their hard graft has now paid off, with the Michelin Inspectors impressed by the delicious cooking and the engaging, authentic experience they’ve created.
Seafood Gastro – Stockholm
If you like your Michelin Star restaurants at the luxury end of the spectrum, then this is the one for you. Run under the auspices of Mathias Dahlgren – with Staffan Naess and Jonas Hedenqvist in the kitchen – there is a formal elegance to the room and an undeniable opulence to the menu. Whether it’s caviar, langoustine or turbot, you’re likely to encounter premium ingredients of exceptional quality – cooked with both strong technique and a good understanding of the produce. The seasoning is spot on, everything is well-balanced and each dish comes with a high level of finesse.
Discover all the winners in The MICHELIN Guide Nordic Countries 2024:
New Bib Gourmands
New Green Stars
Special Award Winners
Full List of Starred Restaurants
All Additions to The Guide
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Hero Image: Hermetikken
Written by The MICHELIN Guide Nordic Editorial Team
