If the walls of Hotel D’Angleterre could speak, so the website proclaims, they would tell fairy tales of passionate love, lavish banquets and unparalleled grandeur. To be sure, the luxurious and very stylish hotel has an air of fantasy and an appearance that takes your breath away. It’s so huge that you can’t get far enough away to take all of it in at one glance – not in the centre of town – and the newly-renovated facade is a dizzying grid of finely ornate windows. Because visiting celebrities almost pick D’Angleterre by default, you willingly believe that the walls have seen a thing or two in their day.
One dimension of D’Angleterre is Marchal, the in-house restaurant where the elegant and quality-conscious get a crash-course in Danish cuisine – with a few French overtones. Led by the Michelin-awarded Ronny Emborg, the restaurant is a soothing oasis in the hectic midtown area and strikes an agreeable balance between feeling tucked away from the crowds and affording an exclusive view of the life outside (the square of Kongens Nytorv diagonally opposite Nyhavn).
Marchal is best characterised as a modern mix of formal elegance, meticulous etiquette, convivial service and cool design details all round. From the all but monochromatic materials of the comfortable and spacious 90-degree sofa corner in which we were seated to the cutlery (Arthur Price of England) and stemware (Riedel), the room gave off a confident air of composed luxury – suggesting an interior designer who knows his art deco and sleeps well at night. The absence of white tablecloths was a telling and inspired touch, not least as it enabled a table mat that attracted more attention than table mats can generally hope for.
You don’t need me to tell you that a liberally poured glass of Pol Roger champagne can blow your spirits well beyond a state of perfect contentedness. I’ll say it anyway. In such instantly induced states of bliss, my companion and I got ready for six consecutive courses, which were moderately-sized and priced at 150-160kr. The versatile menu contains nine of these, which makes it easy to order according to appetite or wallet. More substantial meals can be had for around 500kr.
The array of treats that came our way was so steeped in originality that the highlighted details below are really just the tip of the iceberg. But first things first: pairing nicely with an almost mango-yellow 2011 Marc Kreydenweiss Pinot Blanc from Alsace, we found an excellent starter in the half-a-dozen salty razor shells with green strawberry, pickled radish and ‘snow’ of horseradish. While the horseradish was as texturally radical as it was essential flavour-wise, things got even better with the next course, the Norway lobster on a bed of very tasty tomatoes marinated in a special vinegar-augmented cream. At the time I thought the dish too small – a silly response but what can I say? It really grew on me. Kudos for featuring tomatoes so prominently in a lobster dish.
Time and again, I was impressed by the level of the spoken English in which each course was introduced. Well, it’s a hotel restaurant, right? – so you’d expect it. All the same, it made a nice impression.
My next high was the mouthwatering charcoaled tenderloin, paired with a 2013 Marchesi di Barolo Paiagal Barbera d’Alba. Interestingly, we were offered Burgundy stemware because, we were told, a large goblet is particularly conducive to bringing out all the subtle flavours of the wine.
The two desserts were nice codas – and the 2007 Sauterne nothing less than splendiferous – but let me fast-forward to our last hurrah in the adjacent hotel bar.
It’s the kind of bar so gorgeously lit that you notice it as you enter. The gleaming bottles behind the softly curving bar become an eye-popping kaleidoscope even before you see them through the bottom of your glass, and a pleasant calm prevails in the old-school bar ambience – the perfect setting for a nightcap.
Depending on your wallet, I warmly recommend this one. Over six charismatic courses bookended by a glass of champagne and a pitch-perfect mojito, Marchal has packed a gastronomic pleasure cruise as accomplished as it appeared effortless and as tasteful as it was tasty.
Marchal
34 Kongens Nytorv, Cph K;
3312 0095, info@dangleterre.com
Open: daily: Sun-Thu 18:00-22:00, Fri-Sat 18:00-23:00
Cuisine: Nordic and French
Top Dish: Charcoaled tenderloin
Price Range: 500-900kr, excl wines www.marchal.dk
