The Michelin tour of Aarhus, Part 2

Continuing our quest to find the best eat in town, we visited Aarhus's other Michelin "Bib Gourmand," Hæværk, last night. The restaurant can best be described as cozy, intimate, informal, and trendy, in short, the definition of the Danish concept hygge. The restaurant recently changed their tasting menu to pre-dinner snacks and 5 courses including a choice of dessert or cheese platter for 450 kroner (approx. $68 US). Going meat-free (but still eating fish) was easily accommodated.

Seating along a raised table at which parties were separated by stacks of cookbooks

Hæværk isn't your usual restaurant. There is no menu, and your chef will surprise you dish by dish. The restaurant works with local ingredients that may be limited in quantity, so you might not even be eating the same thing as your neighboring table. Course after course continued to surprise and impress us with the expertly balanced blends of flavors, textures, colors, and spices. We found the service to be friendly, if a bit slow, and (as per the Danish norm) very skilled in English.  No longer the novices in tasting menus that we once were, we restricted our wine pairing rather than trying to keep up glass per course. This way, we and our wallets can really appreciate every last course, and can even afford to add on extra sweets and coffee/tea guilt-free.

Our Hæværk tasting menu

Overall, I was very impressed, and frankly surprised that Pondus and Hæværk had even been placed in the same category. No question as to the winner of my Michelin Bib Gourmand competition. The only thing left to ask is when we can make our next reservation!