LYST* – Vejle, Denmark November 2024

I have long wanted to write a review of this overlooked and underrated restaurant in Danish gastronomy.
When we talk about good restaurants in Denmark on this sub, the conversation often centers around Copenhagen, which is understandable given the accessibility.
However, I want to advocate for this restaurant, which is located in Vejle and is actually quite easy to reach from Copenhagen – it takes two hours by train and then a ten-minute walk.

The restaurant is situated in the architectural gem Fjordenhus, which opened in 2019 – designed by the world-renowned artist Olafur Eliasson, with all the interior made bespoke for the building.
The owners of the building and the restaurant are part of the LEGO family, and the kitchen is led by the Danish-English Daniel McBurnie, who previously worked at the 2* AOC in Copenhagen. Daniel was nominated as best chef 2023 at The Best Chefs Awards.

The ambitions for the restaurant are sky-high – it aims to be Jutland’s first three-star restaurant and one of the world’s best. Let me spoil it right away: it is not there yet – far from it – but it is clear that this is a restaurant with great potential.

My visit took place in November 2024, which clearly influenced the dishes. As you will see, it was not a feast of vibrant colors and blossoming vegetables, but rather a true reflection of the Danish season – root vegetables, fish, shellfish, and game.
Regarding the experience itself, I want to start by saying that the service was at a 3* level, which makes sense as they received the “Best Service Award” from Michelin for the Nordics in 2024.
Over the 5-6 hours the experience lasted, we were guided by a competent, professional, and, not least, warm and personal staff.

You begin by being greeted by a host outside, who offers a tour of the building and an explanation of the architecture, while you enjoy a small refreshment – unfortunately, I have forgotten what it contained, but it was a kind of warm berry juice – not particularly memorable and probably the weakest element of the visit.

After a tour that lasted about 15-20 minutes, we were shown into the first dining room, centered around a large circular bar, where the actual meal began, consisting of around 20 servings with a focus on simplicity and Nordic ingredients.
Here, amuse-bouches were served, perfectly accompanied by the best biodynamic champagne I have ever tried (see photos). The highlights here were venison tartare and fish cake with king crab.

Next, we had a brief detour to the balcony overlooking Vejle Fjord – here, Danish caviar on local seaweed was served, and it was one of the highlights. The freshness and light salty flavor made it some of the best caviar I have tasted.

Afterwards, we took our seats in the main part of the restaurant in extremely comfortable chairs, with ample space between tables and partially shielded by what resembled sails from a ship. From time to time, the staff would push these sails to illustrate the wind – mostly a gimmick, but it did make the guests smile.

Here, I want to mention the highlights, which were lightly seared Danish tuna, grilled Danish blue lobster with wasabi hollandaise, chawanmushi, and a sourdough toast with Danish mushrooms topped with something as exotic as Danish truffles. All of these dishes were at least 2* level. Unfortunately, there were also low points, the worst being the dish with baby squid in a sauce/soup of browned butter and melted cheese. It was far too rich, and the squid was completely overpowered by the taste of butter and cheese. The idea was probably for the squid to function as a kind of pasta, but the dish simply did not work and was the ultimate low point of the evening.
The remaining dishes were good but not particularly memorable.

After the main course, we were led back to the bar where we started and finished with three desserts, all of which were solid but not outstanding.
The evening concluded with petit fours accompanied by fantastic coffee.

In summary, I would say that the food at this point is at a 1*, maybe 1.5*, and on some dishes 2* level, but at no point did we experience anything that could be described as a true 3* serving.
As an overall experience, however, I would say the place is at a 2* level, because as a complete experience with the fantastic surroundings and service, they are already well ahead of many 2* restaurants in Denmark.

What does the restaurant lack in order to earn more stars?
I think the dishes are lacking in presentation. I understand that they want to keep it simple and don’t want to decorate the dishes – I respect that, but there is a lack of wow factor, as you might also see from the photos.
Additionally, the quality of the dishes is too inconsistent, especially in terms of taste and finesse.

However, I would not hesitate to visit again, as it is clear that this is a kitchen still finding its footing and trying out different things.
As a total experience, there are not many places that can do what Lyst can. It is somewhat like a mini version of Alchemist mixed with AOC and Jordnær’s Asian techniques – and this, combined with the fantastic surroundings, means I can confidently recommend the restaurant to others who dare to venture outside Copenhagen.