Past Copenhagen’s iconic harbour and the home of restaurants Barr (housed in the former Noma site) and Kristian Baumann’s 108, hang a left and follow the scenic waterfront past some unsightly scrubland to where you’ll eventually arrive in industrial Refshaleøen. A former shipyard and technically an artificial island (with plans to extend and build a fully-fledged fake beach), Refshaleøen is also accessible by boat from central Nyhavn. Rugged and remarkably sparse in infrastructure, the area most recently hit the headlines as the new home of Noma 2.0. They needed the space to build a farm, you see.
Yet chef Rene Redzepi isn’t the only gastronomic magician to swoop in on this patch of restaurant-ready real estate. Cycle as far as the island takes you, heading towards the sloping behemoth of the futuristic Copenhil waste-to-energy power plant, and to where chef Matt Orlando has been cultivating Michelin stars since 2013.
Whilst the loft-style, hyper-sustainable Amass may have upheld its reputation as the Nordic restaurant golden child, in 2019 Matt birthed a second, beer-orientated restaurant business only few yards up the street.
Broaden & Build is the Californian-born chef’s first foray into the brewing world, a pipe dream part-inspired by the San Diego watering holes of his youth. With twenty-two constantly changing taps on offer, Orlando has approached his liquid creations with equal gusto to his food. Pooling the produce grown in Amass’ super allotment positioned outside the front, the Broaden & Build brewery operation is a progressive one, as Orlando and his team strive to develop an ever-changing roster of unconventional and funky flavoured beers. A stout infused with blackened pear, sour ale with macerated fig and plum or a lemon and coffee IPA are amongst the key players proving that chefs can brew too.
The food menu demonstrates the daring techniques that put Amass on the map, but for a slice of the price. Share a selection of dishes to include the fried fermented potatoes with black pepper mayo, the roasted pork with charred kale and grilled onions served with charcuterie.