Scandinavia

The White guide and the Michelin guide Nordic cities are the two main guides available.

The White Guide describes itself as the  the only authoritative restaurant guide covering the entire Nordic restaurant scene: Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Iceland and the Faroe Islands and it probably is.

It divides restaurant into categories depending on a score which is marked for food; maximum score of 40 points, beverages; maximum of 40 points, service; maximum of 25 points and setting and atmosphere; maximum of 15 points. Refer to White Guide’s  system for assessing restaurants.

International master class

Restaurants where the kitchen achieves outstanding and original cooking. The overall experience is at a very high level. Ranked according to food rating. Minimum of 80 points of which 36 must be for food. There are over 100 current masters with the top 30 considered master class category.

The current top 30 Masters:

1. Noma, Copenhagen, Denmark

2. Esperanto, Stockholm, Sweden

3. Fäviken Magasinet, Åre, Sweden

4. Geranium, Copenhagen, Denmark

5. Maaemo, Oslo, Norway

6. Mathias Dahlgren – Matsalen, Stockholm, Sweden

7.  Oaxen Krog, Stockholm, Sweden

8.  Daniel Berlin Krog, Skåne Tranås, Sweden
9.  Restaurant Frantzén, Stockholm, Sweden

10. Gastrologik, Stockholm, Sweden

11.  Gothia Towers Upper House, Gothenburg, Sweden

12. Studio, Copenhagen, Denmark

13. Operakällaren, Stockholm, Sweden

14. Frederikshøj, Aarhus, Denmark

15. Kong Hans Kælder, Copenhagen, Denmark

16. PM & Vänner, Växjö, Sweden

17. Ruths Gourmet Restaurant, Skagen, Denmark

18. Søllerød Kro, Holte, Denmark

19. AOC, Copenhagen, Denmark

20.Kadeau, København Copenhagen, Denmark

21. Mielcke & Hurtigkarl, Copenhagen, Denmark

22. Kadeau, Bornholm Åkirkeby, Denmark

23. Amass, Copenhagen, Denmark

24. Marchal, Copenhagen, Denmark

25. Relæ, Copenhagen, Denmark

26. Falsled Kro, Millinge, Denmark

27. Ylajali, Oslo, Norway

28. Hotell Borgholm, Borgholm, Sweden

29. Olo, Helsinki, Finland

30. Restaurang Vollmers, Malmö, Swede

The Michelin guide Nordic cities was published in February 2015.

This is the first year Nordic cities get their own guide, as previously all the Nordic capitals have been included in the Main Cities of Europe Guide. It is a bit limited and has failed to award a single third star to any of the Nordic restaurants. It also is pretty light on with restaurants in Oslo and Helsinki and excludes remote places with worthy and wonderful restaurants like Faviken Magnifest. It has been said that it is little different to The Main cites of Europe guide other than the addition of Malmö and Aarhus.

List of Stars  in the Nordic Cities Guide 2015.

Norway
Two stars: Maaemo
One star: Statholdergaarden, Ylajali & Fauna

Stockholm
Two stars: Frantzén, Mathias Dahlgren-Matsalen & Oaxen Krog (new)
One star: Ekstedt, Esperanto, Gastrologik, Mathias Dahlgren-Matbaren, Operakällaren & Volt (new)

Gothenburg
One star: Thörnströms Kök, 28+, Sjömagasinet, Bhoga, Koka (new), SK Mat & Människor 

Malmö 
One star: Ambiance à Vindåkra (new), Bloom in the Park (new), Vollmers (new)

Copenhagen
Two stars: Noma, Geranium & a|o|c (new)
One star: Clou, Den Røde Cottage, Era Ora, formel B, Grønbech and Churchill, Kadeau, Kiin Kiin, Kokkeriet, Marchal, Relæ, Søllerød Kro & Studio at the Standard

Aarhus 
One star: Frederikshøj (new), Gastromé (NEW) & Substans (new)

Helsinki
One star: Ask, Chef & Sommelier, Demo, Luomo & Olo

 

Noma Japan, February 2015, where every morsel was savoured and umami from each dish, lingered so intensely that to take a bite of the next offering was almost sacrilege.  You knew you would have to say goodbye to a new best friend to make way for the next. Exploring the street food and food halls of Tokyo, provided the matrix to begin to understand what Rene Redezpi’s genius set out to achieve. At the end, I asked “What did you think about the food?'  “incredible”  Massimo Bottura, Osteria Francescana, Modena, Italy