A short distance north of Copenhagen you will find Klampenborg. There, in a small beech forest by the sea you will find a little red cottage; it is almost like out of a fairy tale. The cottage was built in the eighteen hundreds, when several cottages were added there as holiday homes for the bathing and hunting guests from Copenhagen. Back then it was far away from Copenhagen, now it is only a 20 minutes car ride from central Copenhagen. In the red cottage food was served even back then as lunch for the hunters.

In 2010 Anita Klemensen and Lars Thomsen found the Red and the neighbouring Yellow Cottage. They liked the restaurant and area and set forth to create their restaurant. They created a minimalistic interior in black and white, but which is still cosy with forest themes in chairs and the staff’s clothes. It is a small dining room which makes you feel like you are in someone’s home. This also makes the service very attentive since the front of the house has full overview of what is going on.

Both Anita and Lars are Chefs, they met while working together at 1. th where Anita was Head Chef. Lars and Anita do the menu together even if Anita has a more say for the sweet side having also been Pastry Chef at Søllerød Kro. The menu is a choice of tree, five or seven dishes. There is a good matching wine menu, but also a well thought out juice menu. For example Anita’s delicious chocolate cake was excellently matched with either Danish cherry wine or elderflower berry Juice. The water is bottled on site. The menu changes every month.

At service Anita is more at front of the house while Lars moves back and forth between kitchen and table service. The food is in a way classical and maybe heavy, but in a light way. To a piece of meat you might have a Bordelaise sauce, but with some green tomato in it for freshness and only accompanied by some root

fruits for crunch and taste. So great tasting classical heavy cooking, but in a light way. The menu is seasonal and the ingredients are mainly from small Nordic producers. The small appetisers before the menu are real treats.

So either take a taxi or the local train to Klampenborg. Head towards the sea and when you see the Little Red Cottage prepare yourself for a cosy and great tasting evening. Anita and Lars will take care of you.

Written by Joakim