‘World’s best restaurant’ Noma to close and reopen as urban farm

Chef Rene Redzepi will close his world renowned Noma in Copenhagen and reopen with an urban farm concept. (Reuters)

Noma, the celebrated Danish eatery that won the coveted title “World’s Best Restaurant” four times, will be serving its last meal on New Year’s Eve in 2016.

Chef Rene Redzepi plans to relocate his eatery sometime in 2017 to open an urban farm, inspired by Dan Barber’s renowned Hudson Valley eatery Blue Hill at Stone Barns, reports The New York Times.

“It makes sense to have your own farm, as a restaurant of this caliber,” he told the Times.

The new Noma will eschew tradition tasting menus in favor of seasonally curated plates served in a set. The chef has ambitious plans to open a greenhouse, staff a full-time farming team, and create a large floating fielding on a raft. The menu will totally be dictated by what's available. In the spring and summer, the restaurant will highlight vegetarian fare and in the fall the restaurant will serve wild game with "foraged ingredients."

Before reopening in 2017, Noma will be temporarily relocated to Sydney for a temporary restaurant residency in 2016.

Though some in the restaurant would question Redzepi’s decision to shutter a successful restaurant during its height, the young chef says he is confident in decision to progress and believes the project is part of a natural culinary evolution of his restaurant.

“I have yet to meet anyone who thinks this is a stupid thing,” he said.

Redzepi is largely credited with the revival of Danish cuisine—coined the “New Nordic movement.” Noma was named the World’s Best Restaurant in the annual award hosted by water companies S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna in from 2010 through and 2012 and regained the title again last year.