Epicurus: Copenhagen’s new high-end bet between jazz and fine dining

My visit to Epicurus in Copenhagen came following an invitation, to a project that from the outset seemed clearly intent on being more than just another restaurant. Before arriving, I had assumed that music would take the leading role and that the kitchen would function more as a supporting element, but the reality turned out to be quite different.

Epicurus, clearly inspired by Epicurus himself, is located in Copenhagen’s Latin Quarter and unfolds across two levels. The restaurant dining room occupies the ground floor, while just a few steps below begins the live music space. The division is clear, yet the transition from one to the other has been designed in a way that allows the overall experience to flow without abrupt shifts.

Behind the project are Niels Lan Doky, the internationally acclaimed jazz pianist responsible for the musical programme, Lars Seier Christensen, an investor involved in restaurants such as Geranium and Alchemist, Mads Bøttger, owner of Dragsholm Castle and an established figure within the fine dining scene, and Rasmus Shepherd-Lomborg, creator of Ruby, one of Copenhagen’s most recognised cocktail bars.

The dining room moves in understated tones, with dark wood and lighting that softens as the evening progresses. The tables are properly spaced, and the atmosphere feels calm without turning cold. Music is present from the very beginning, played at a level that allows you to speak comfortably without losing it. Through the speakers comes neo-soul and modern funk, a choice that moves beyond the obvious for a venue built around jazz and shows that the approach is not limited to a single direction. I have to admit I smiled with satisfaction when I heard Adi Oasis coming through the sound system.

I arrived shortly after 5:30 p.m. and began with a signature gin and tonic before leaving the choice of dishes to the chef and the wine pairing to the sommelier. As the evening progressed, the room gradually filled with guests, some there exclusively for dinner, others preparing to continue downstairs.

The meal began with a series of small welcome bites that quickly revealed the kitchen’s philosophy, one centred on ingredient-led clarity. Soon after came oysters from the shallow lagoons of western France, among the dishes that genuinely stunned me. The version with calamansi and chilli was outrageously delicious, while the one with foie gras and yuzu kosho moved in a richer direction, with the fat balanced by acidity and a subtle touch of heat.

A milk bread with aromatic butter also arrived at the table, so delicious that, had restraint not defined me, I would have devoured the entire thing without caring what was still to come. At the same time, the first wine of the evening was a Nussberg Grüner Veltliner 2024, notable for coming from vineyards located within the city of Vienna itself.

The shrimp carpaccio with rhubarb and rooibos tea was one of the most balanced dishes of the evening, and visually one of the most beautiful. The sweetness of the raw shrimp worked beautifully with the acidity of the rhubarb, while the rooibos added a soft, almost velvety quality that tied the elements together without becoming pronounced. A similar logic carried through to the squid, cut into thin pasta-like strips and served with burnt cabbage, smoked cheese sauce and vin jaune. This was paired with a 2023 Chardonnay Du Terres du Mouton from southern France.

For the main course, the chef chose to serve me an off-menu dish, a beef tenderloin cooked medium rare, juicy and with the right texture. The demi-glace, with notes of coffee and cocoa, was remarkably restrained, perhaps even more so than the character of those ingredients might normally suggest, while beetroot brought an earthy balance to the plate. The pairing was a 2021 Pommard En Village from Burgundy.

When it came to dessert, the kitchen moved with notable ease. The apple sorbet with coriander had a clean, refreshing acidity with a light herbal note, while the profiterole with Madagascan vanilla, bergamot and Manjari chocolate balanced sweetness with the citrus sharpness of the bergamot. The bowl of ganache remained at my table, allowing me to pour more and more into the plate, rubbing my hands together in satisfaction.

Dinner closed with a 2023 Clos Saint Sebastien Empreintes Banyuls, a fortified sweet wine that worked naturally with the final dessert and, at the same time, served as a bridge into the next phase of the experience, as, glass in hand, I was escorted to my table in the lower level of Epicurus.

The live room is more compact and structured around the stage. At its centre stands the piano, while the tables are arranged amphitheatrically, within close range of the musicians. Small tables, low lighting fixtures and warm wood tones create an environment that brings you closer to the performance. In a prominent position hangs a painting by Miles Davis, a detail that strongly reinforces the jazz identity of the space.

Once seated, I was handed a separate menu with options designed to accompany the live set. Oysters with caviar, small chocolates, olives and almonds, along with striking cocktails that are clearly not intended as part of a full dinner, but rather to allow you to enjoy the musical experience without distraction. By that point, with my appetite already pushed to its limits, I continued exclusively with wine, although the snacks on nearby tables looked deeply tempting.

On the night of my visit, the programme was dedicated to Prince. On stage were David Haynes, a drummer who previously worked with Prince, François Moutin, one of the most important living bassists, Peter Asplund, the award-winning Swedish trumpeter, and Niels Lan Doky. These are musicians with significant careers behind them, and they gave the evening considerable weight.

The band played for around an hour and a half, approaching well-known Prince songs through the language of jazz. The quality of the performance was high, and the proximity to the musicians changed the way you perceive live music, while the acoustics of the room were more than accomplished. The audience was initially restrained, trying to understand how to position itself within a venue that is neither a pure club nor a restaurant, but gradually, through the energy and encouragement of the musicians themselves, the atmosphere loosened.

The programme changes frequently, almost every ten days, with different thematic concepts and artists. From tributes to performances such as Debbie Sledge, or themed explorations of the James Bond universe, Epicurus does not rely on one specific line-up, but on an overall direction that places jazz on the throne it deserves. What is particularly interesting is that both the restaurant and the music venue stand firmly on their own. You can come just for the food and leave fully satisfied, just as you can attend only the live performance without feeling that anything is missing. When combined, though, the experience gains coherence, duration and a very particular kind of magic.

The Epicurus project could easily have slipped into the cliché of “dinner with music”. Instead, it manages to stand with confidence on both fronts. It is a place that respects the guest who knows how to eat, and the listener who knows how to listen. In a Copenhagen full of major gastronomic concepts, Epicurus adds something that is often missing: rhythm and emotion.