Restaurant RADIO: A down-to-earth introduction to modern fine dining

Every month the menu at Restaurant RADIO changes to reflect the produce of the season, putting it at the forefront of an innovative and sustainable menu. But while RADIO’s kitchen is filled with ambition and enthusiasm, the vibe at the modern and informal eatery is friendly and relaxed.

A thoroughly contemporary establishment, Restaurant RADIO takes its name from its location in the neighbourhood of Frederiksberg, next to the former headquarters of the Danish Broadcasting Corporation, ‘Radio Huset’. Having first opened its doors in 2011, RADIO is the brainchild of NOMA co-founder Claus Meyer, former NOMA deputy Jesper Kirketerp, and Rasmus Kliim, former assistant chef at Geist. Together the three visionary chefs wanted to create a place, where they could share their passion for excellent local, seasonal produce, and make this affordable to a much wider audience. Think Michelin star quality at the cost of a decent pub lunch.

Starter of lightly smoked trout, pig’s trotter, gelatinous sherry vinegar, Jerusalem artichoke, and celeriac.

Let them eat truffles and caviar

Head chef Patrick Godborg has been at the helm of RADIO since 2021; his focus is solely on creating great food. In other words, this is not an ego-driven vehicle for a chef hell-bent on reinventing the wheel, but a restaurant where flavour and quality are key. With many years of experience in some of Denmark’s most prolific restaurants, there is no doubt Godborg is an outstanding chef. To prove it, he has a “Restaurant of the Year” and a Michelin star to his name and has won several chef competitions in Denmark over the years. But for him, it is no longer about intricate menus and experimental cooking, but about a desire to make food that follows the changing seasons as closely as possible and to be truly sustainable, creating exciting dishes that do not cost the earth. Since Godborg joined, the values at RADIO have not changed. “But there may be more caviar and truffles on the menu now” he laughs. This is a place not just for the elite foodies, but for anyone interested in fantastic, locally sourced food.

The front of Restaurant RADIO during evening service.

Menus reflect the changing seasons

To secure the very best in seasonal, Danish products, RADIO sources its raw produce from local suppliers. “Currently our menu is pescetarian,” Godborg says. “And during the summer, we hardly ever feature meat on the menu.”

The menu changes every month, providing a welcome challenge to the kitchen as well as an educational experience for guests, who will only ever be served dishes created from seasonal, sustainable, local produce. Indeed, the RADIO team strongly believes that creating great food goes hand in hand with excellent produce, expert skills and techniques.

Restaurant RADIO on a sunny autumn day with the blackboard of October’s ingredients.

Godborg works closely with sous chef Emil Maimann, and together with the rest of the team at RADIO they design a menu of new dishes each month. “Everyone can chip in,” he says, explaining that all staff write ideas on a communal wall in the kitchen. This then becomes the starting point when creating the next menu. “We are a little spunky,” he says with a laugh, describing how much fun they have with the process. “And we always keep an eye on what is happening on the food scene which keeps things modern.”

Head chef Patrick Godborg and his team in the kitchen.

The fact that everyone at RADIO loves playing around with flavours clearly manifests in the evolving menus and flavour combinations. Godborg creates many dishes based on memories and experiences, good as well as bad ones. “Once I got lost in a forest in Norway and ended up having to eat this tinned dish with fish balls in curry sauce,” he says. “It is the worst meal I have ever had.” Nonetheless, inspired by this dish Godborg has created a delicious dish of, exactly, fish meatballs in a curried sauce fit for a restaurant. “I like the process of inventing new dishes, but more than anything, I love seeing our guests enjoying the food. That is what it is all about!” he says.

Godborg’s dish with beetroot, hibiscus, lavender, lovage, and sherry.

Food snobbery is on the way out

“We are essentially a beginner’s level introduction to fine dining,” Godborg says. This means there are no rules in the kitchen, and the atmosphere in the restaurant is unpretentious. High-quality craftsmanship and produce are paired with a relaxed and modern approach to dining out. ”The snobbery surrounding fine dining is slowly on the way out, and our guests seem to prefer to eat out more often and less expensively, rather than a very expensive meal on a rare occasion,” he says.

Cheese dish with Unika chese, caramelised pear, hazelnut, miso, and crumpet.

This trend chimes perfectly with the informal and unpretentious high-end dining experience that is the unwavering characteristic of Restaurant RADIO. Here, chefs love to create playful, inventive budget-friendly food and everyone is welcome to sample their ever-changing exciting seasonal dishes.

The first desert at RADIO with caviar, Basque cheese cake, and walnut milk.

Web: www.restaurantradio.dk/en/
Instagram: @restaurantradio
Facebook: RADIO

The ownership of RADIO is evenly split between Noma founder Claus Meyer and the LOCA Group (‘Love before cash’), which puts sustainable gastronomy at the core of all its businesses with the tagline ‘every meal matters’. LOCA: locarestauranter.dk/en/ about-loca/