To walk into Barr knowing its history is to experience a particular kind of architectural irony. Strandgade 93 in Christianshavn spent a decade as one of the most photographed restaurant interiors in the world — the original Noma, with its exposed beams and industrial waterfront atmosphere. When Noma relocated to Refshaleoen and the Norwegian architecture firm Snohetta completed its redesign of the space, the room that emerged felt simultaneously new and inevitable. The wood-cladding is warmer, the proportions more brasserie, the mood deliberately less ceremonious. And then Barr arrived with its schnitzel and its herring and its extraordinary list of craft beers, and the transformation was complete.
Chef Thorsten Schmidt and partner Rene Redzepi opened Barr in 2017 with a concept rooted in what Schmidt calls "Northern Sea cuisine" — the shared food traditions of Scandinavia, the British Isles, the Benelux countries, and the German north. This means schnitzels of uncommon quality, herring preparations that honour the North Sea tradition without nostalgia, and seasonal vegetables drawn from the same organic supplier network that feeds Copenhagen's better kitchens. The bread deserves particular mention: dense, seeded, properly fermented, and accompanied by cultured butter that makes the case for simplicity.
The beer programme is one of the most thoughtful in the city. More than twenty taps rotate through collaborations with Nordic and Belgian breweries, with seasonal and limited-release offerings that reward the attentive drinker. Barr also maintains a wine list of sufficient quality for those who prefer it, but the beers are the point — carefully matched to food by a team that understands both sides of the pairing.
The waterfront setting in Christianshavn adds a dimension that is difficult to quantify and easy to feel. On summer evenings, the quayside outside the entrance takes on the quality of a particularly civilised party that happens to include excellent food. In winter, the interior warmth and the amber hues of the bar become something else entirely — the kind of room that makes you glad to be inside it.