Chef René Redzepi to open Noma pop-up in London

The chef of what’s been called the best restaurant in the world will be opening a pop-up version of his Copenhagen restaurant Noma in London this summer to mark the Olympic Games.

Best known in the culinary world for pioneering the foraging movement in which chefs use hyper-local ingredients like wild herbs and plants, chef du jour René Redzepi will be exporting his acclaimed restaurant Noma to London’s luxury hotel Claridge’s for 10 days.

The pop-up -– a first for Redzepi -– will give Noma fans a better chance at snagging a seat at what’s become one of the most coveted and exclusive dinner reservations in the world.

Like its predecessor El Bulli, which paved the way for Noma to top the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list after it announced its closure and relinquished its stronghold on the title, demand for reservations has skyrocketed.

At one point last year, 22,000 people logged onto the restaurant’s online system for a chance to score one of 264 tables, Redzepi had tweeted.

Noma has topped the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list for two years running and Redzepi was also named one of Time magazine 100 Most Influential People in the World this month.

Meanwhile, Redzepi will create a five-course menu that will reflect the signature flavors and dishes from Noma  using local, seasonal British ingredients, says Claridge’s.

It’s not the first time a master chef has been recruited by an iconic London establishment to open a temporary outpost of their Michelin-standard restaurant.

Last fall, Thomas Keller recreated his Napa Valley restaurant The French Laundry at Harrods for 10 days, flying in fixtures, fittings and his signature dinnerware to replicate the original experience in exacting detail.

Meanwhile, “A Taste of Noma at Claridge’s” will be open for lunch and dinner in the hotel’s ballroom from July 28 to August 6. A five-course menu is priced at £195 (239€).

For more info visit www.claridges.co.uk/atasteofnoma.