I’ve often walked past BioMio restaurant, but never actually dined there. So I must admit that I was a little thrilled to go there with my partner one chilly Tuesday evening to try it out.

The restaurant is situated in the iconic Bosch building, and because it is listed, the interior cannot be changed drastically and the outer facade has remained unchanged for decades. This goes some way to explaining the open plan and raw design of the place. Despite its minimalist look, the decor of Bio Mio is very inviting: there are long wooden tables and barstools, stainless steel lampshades and an open-plan kitchen. The tables are long and relatively few because guests are expected to share tables, but the place can seat up to 250 people, so on a busy night there’s a jolly atmosphere of people sharing a dining experience.

When we enter we are greeted by a smiling waitress who presents us with a chip card and shows us to our table. The chip card is our key to getting served. Once you know what you want, you go up to the kitchen and place your order. Your food and beverages are registered on your card, and at the end of the evening you simply present your card to pay. I imagine this sounds like a work of genius to those going for dinner with bigger groups, as each person can get their own card: no messy ‘splitting the tab’ at the end of the night.

We start by ordering drinks while we think about what food to have. Because it’s a Tuesday and I’m pretending to be a responsible adult, I order an apple juice, but my partner opts for a beer. The juice is delicious and I can taste right away that it’s not what you get at your local supermarket; it’s flavourful and tart, just like real apples. The beer is a New York Lager, the product of a local brewery called Nørrebro Bryghus, and my partner is quite pleased with it.

While looking at the menu and trying to make up our mind, we notice the portions being served at a neighbouring table are huge so we decide to omit the starter and go straight for a main. After all, I’ve heard such good things about their desserts that I’d rather reserve some appetite for those.

The selection of food is not too big, but everything looks interesting. The food seems to be inspired by Asian cuisine, but all the ingredients are Danish and seasonal. As a result, the menu changes four times a year to accommodate the seasonal changes. Additionally there is a separate menu that changes monthly.

I order a BioWok, a stir-fry with chicken and seasonal vegetables. My partner opts for a dish of the monthly menu, a grilled cow. I have to admit I’m a bit put off by the word ‘cow’, but the waitress happily explains that it’s good quality meat and part of a bigger animal-welfare project. The meat comes from a farm that buys calves from dairy farms and lets them have a happy life where they graze outdoors until they’re slaughtered aged approximately two years old.

I’m a little jealous when my partner’s plate arrives with a good looking steak on a bed of cauliflower gratin and garnished with hazelnuts. As it turns out, it tastes amazing too and, despite being cow meat, is actually quite tender. My jealousy is quickly forgotten when my plate arrives heaving with stir-fry vegetables and noodles. As soon as the plate is put in front of me, a delicious aroma of spices and herbs fills my nostrils. The taste is also amazing. Chicken and wholewheat noodles immersed in vegetables, cashews and a mouthwatering blend of herbs – I detect coriander, lemongrass and black pepper.

We decide to finish our evening with a dessert. My partner orders the apple compote with crumble and whipped cream and is quite pleased. I opt for the cheesecake and hands down, it’s the best cheesecake I’ve ever had. It’s light with a silky texture, without being too creamy. The creaminess is perfectly complemented by a tangy berry compote and crunchy oat crumble.
We leave BioMio replete, with big smiles and a food-high. Also, knowing that everything on the menu is 100 percent organic means that we feel slightly better about the amount of food we’ve devoured. It may not be the fanciest restaurant around, but the food is delicious and the service impeccable and I, for one, am sure to visit this place again soon, and I suggest you do too.

BioMio
Halmtorvet 9, Cph V
Open: Mon-Wed 12:00-22:00,
Thu 12:00-23:00, Fri12:00-24:00, Sat 11:00-24:00, Sun 11:00-22:00
Cuisine: Organic
Top Dish: Cheesecake  
Price Range: starters from 55kr, mains 165kr, desserts 45kr
www.biomio.dk