Sampling Smørrebrød...

I had a lunch date yesterday with my Significant Other at Restaurant Schønnemann, which specialises in traditional Danish Smørrebrød.  This was something we had wanted to experience in a "proper" restaurant before we left, and my personal Copenhagen Restaurant guide (my friend Laura) had recommended this place as the one to go to over other perhaps slightly more famous smørrebrød restaurants in town.  I am so glad she did, this place is great and both the atmosphere and the food are really good.  It opened in 1887 and you kind of feel that some of the original customers are still visiting, with big groups of old friends meeting to discuss politics over a plate of stjerneskud and a huge øl, all washed down with aquavit of course!   Some looked quite amused at me taking pictures,  but I pretended to be a "new to Denmark" tourist which usually works.

Trying to decide from such an extensive smørrebrød menu was slightly difficult, but we started with herring as it's the done thing apparently.  Our curried herrings were served with capers and half a boiled egg.  This came with gorgeous bread with the traditional spread of pork fat mixed with rosemary and salt to accompany it (which is actually quite good in this particular restaurant, even if it sounds revolting.  Eat too much of it and your arterys might not thank you though!)...

 

Next up I opted for "Simon's Favourite", which consisted of bread fried in butter (which might have swung it for me), topped with smoked salmon and creamed spinach and with a poached egg balanced on top.  It was amazing...  I am not sure who Simon is/was, but he has/had excellent taste.   My other half had "Thomas's Spare Rib" (poor Thomas) which was roasted pork spare rib served with beetroot and mustard, and more of that lovely bread...

I will be happy now if I don't visit another Smorrebrød restaurant in our time left here, I am not sure it would be as good as this place!

Skål indeed!