Droolworthy - the covetable soft shell crab 'sandwich'

Oddly enough — considering its proximity to the sea — Copenhagen does not abound in fish restaurants. Not to mention affordable ones. But there’s been a sea change with the recent opening of Kødbyens Fiskebar, a place every fish lover worth his or her sea salt ought to drop anchor.

In Vesterbro, a verging-on-gentrification neighbourhood known for cheapo Asian eateries, renegade art galleries and a dwindling number of dive bars, a certain DIY insouciance permeates the restaurant scene. The same ethos applies to Kødbyen, the former slaughterhouse complex, where you’ll find Fiskebaren. Not that you’d know it without inside knowledge. Deep in Kødbyen, you encounter a space topped with a sculpture of a snorting, defiant bull. This is a fish place? The sign (left over from the days when the space was the city meat market) is likewise cheerfully off-message, proclaiming (in Danish): MEAT AND PORK MARKET.

Inside, the meaty vibe continues to resonate. Gone are the butcher blocks and blood-splattered aprons, but the shiny white tiles walls attest to the space’s beefy past. Instead of the ubiquitous designer light fixtures, the roughened ceiling sports witty miniature meat hooks for hanging coats. In the center of the room, the bartenders pull seafood-matched beers and crisp white wine behind a bar decorated with old door and window frames, while at the other end of the restaurant a busy oyster shucker does his stuff at the raw bar. Apart from a column-like tank hosting a solitary jellyfish (these make a salad-y appearance on the menu), the décor is austere and refreshingly free of piscine kitsch, but the enormous windows do give the place an aquatic feel when it’s raining outside.

On a recent Saturday night the joint was packed, and wait staff moved briskly, neatly attired in black T-shirts adorned with the restaurant’s meat stamp logo in white. Ferrying platefuls of oysters to eager patrons, or crouching table-side to refill a glass of white wine, these servers looked genuinely happy to be exactly where they were – in the city’s hands-down hottest new restaurant.

There’s no doubt that the specialty here is fish. On the bistro-style menu, the rightful star of the show is the deconstructed soft-shell crab ‘sandwich’ (DKK 125), the restaurant’s signature appetizer – or main course for those with more controllable appetites. Less a sandwich than a tempura’d masterpiece anointed with a zingy horseradish sauce, this is the definition of delicate. The menu also boasts hard-to-source sea urchins, scallops, and several types of French oysters. These seem to sell out fast, so get there early if you want to indulge. Other appetizer standouts include razor clams (dressed with fennel and ramson cream) and ceviche of pollock (atop shaved radishes and pansies), both of which were sublime in texture and flavour. You could make an entirely satisfying meal of several of these tiny wonders, and judging by nearby tables, many seem to.

Nor do the mains disappoint. The ingredients are fresh, the portions bang-on, the presentation perfect. Exquisitely executed lemon sole, battered on one side only with the crispest of brown carapaces, nestles happily in a pool of decidedly Parisian beurre blanc (DKK 175). Angler fish in thyme, bedded down with spring vegetables, baked hake in brown butter, mussels in apple cider and the king of every fish restaurant menu, lobster (DKK 450). All cozied up with new potatoes bathed in a divine mélange of cepes, asparagus, mint and hazelnuts. These last are served family style, so you’ll be fighting your dining companion for the final spoonful.

Even the bread deserves raves. With a fantastic hardtop crust shielding chewy, soft white insides, this is no filler-upper but a toothsome dish in its own right. Servers see to it that you’re never bereft of bread, and that’s a comforting piece of knowledge.

The only part of the menu that doesn’t sing is the desserts – there are just two – but you won’t mind. Have another glass of wine instead (Fiskebaren boasts an extensive wine list), and do some people watching (the patron hipness level ranges from achingly to foodie-square). Or simply sit back and plan your next visit to this little slice of seafood heaven.

Long live Kødbyens Fiskebar.

(Monday closed, Tue-Thur 18-24, Fri-Sat 18-03, Sunday 18-23. Appetizers 75-125 DKK, entrees DKK 125-450)

And these urban pitstops just might gain a following now that much of downtown Copenhagen will be covered by free WiFi access later this year.  But of course, Tokyo-based Store Muu Design still has to come up with a docking design for the city’s popular cargotrikes.

Tokyo-based Store Muu Design plucked the heartstrings of Danes when in 2007 they introduced the Lady Bug – tiny artificial ladybirds with the Danish national flag painted on their backs. A Danish flag carrier for your herb garden.

For visuals visit:

http://www.storemuu.com/pitin2.html