New MICHELIN Stars are shining brightly over the Nordic Countries in the 2023 selection of the MICHELIN Guide

• Two restaurants newly receive Two MICHELIN Stars,
  one of which goes straight into the guide with this distinction   
• 14 restaurants newly awarded One MICHELIN Star
• 7 new MICHELIN Green Stars are awarded to sustainable role-model restaurants  
• 42 restaurants are added to the selection, which now boasts 271 establishments in total

Today Michelin unveiled its new selection of restaurants for the MICHELIN Guide Nordic Countries 2023 during an event organised for the first time in Finland, in Turku – the country’s oldest city.   

The MICHELIN Guide inspectors have spent another year travelling throughout the five countries that make up the Nordic edition of the MICHELIN Guide: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.

In total, the 2023 edition recommends 271 restaurants, of which 81 are Starred; 34 awarded a Bib Gourmand; and 38 see their outstanding commitment to sustainability recognised with a MICHELIN Green Star.

Two restaurants newly awarded Two MICHELIN Stars:

At the very charming Koan in Copenhagen, Denmark, Korean-born chef-owner Kristian Baumann’s exquisite, creative dishes display subtle Korean influences and there is a purpose to every element on the plate. The MICHELIN Guide inspectors had no hesitation in putting this restaurant straight into the Guide with Two Stars.

The other new Two Star restaurant is AIRA in Stockholm, Sweden. There is sophistication at every turn at this delightful spot by the water. The truly beautiful dishes, whether quenelle with scallops or charcoal-grilled quail, are made up of memorable combinations and supreme ingredients.

With these two additions, the MICHELIN Guide Nordic Countries recommends 14 Two MICHELIN Starred restaurants – worth a detour. At the Three Star level, all four restaurants holding this award have maintained their status, highlighting the very high quality and consistency of their cooking.

14 restaurants newly receive One MICHELIN Star:

Norway has much to celebrate, with 6 new One MICHELIN Stars this year. Five of these restaurants are in Oslo: the very elegant À L'aise uses Norwegian produce to create sumptuous French dishes. Classic Gallic cuisine prepared with equal craft also features at the smart Mon Oncle. A surprise menu with produce from their garden is the appeal at the sweet Stallen which is found within a former stable block. Sabi Omakase Oslo is a sister to the original in Stavanger where the counter seats just 12 and traditional sushi skills are on display, while SAVAGE is tucked inside a hotel, with a menu blending flavours from around the world. Outside of Oslo, K2 in Stavanger is a charming and personally run restaurant focusing on prime produce from the local area.

In Denmark, there are 5 new One Star restaurants: Villa Vest in Lønstrup offers both striking views from its cliffside location as well as superlative dishes. A lack of signs may make ARO in Odense hard to find, but the effort is well worth it because this is a very likeable and unassuming restaurant. Domæne in Herning proves that with the right people you can open a successful restaurant anywhere. Looking like a large wooden igloo, the restaurant adds creativity to its back-to-nature approach. Tri is another memorable setting, in this case a wood and glass structure in the coastal town of Agger, where there’s a story behind each dish. With a change in menu concept and a more casual look than its previous incarnation as Me|Mu, Grand Royal in Vejle still provides its guests with the same high standard of cooking.

A MICHELIN Star in Finland where a restored villa in Porvoo that was once a chocolate factory now hosts the very elegant VÅR.  The chef’s close relationship with farmers, fishermen, hunters and producers is evident in the beautifully crafted dishes.

In Iceland, Blue Lagoon in Grindavík may be one of the country’s biggest attractions, but now its restaurant Moss is also on the map with a MICHELIN Star for those looking for a memorable experience.

In Sweden, Signum occupies a lovely spot on the shores of Landvettersjön lake in Mölnlycke, while the kitchen delivers dishes full of depth and sophistication.

With these new additions, together with the restaurants retaining their awards, no less than 63 establishments are now recommended with One MICHELIN Star (18 in Norway, 21 in Denmark, 6 in Finland, 3 in Iceland and 15 in Sweden).

Seven restaurants see their commitment to sustainability rewarded with a MICHELIN Green Star.

Gwendal Poullennec added “When it comes to sustainability practices, restaurants in the Nordic countries are true leaders and an inexhaustible source of inspiration. So many restaurants in this region display a level of commitment, expertise and integrity that can only act as an example to everyone and shows just what can be achieved when it comes to dining habits in the future”.

Reflecting this, seven restaurants have been awarded a MICHELIN Green Star for their dedication to a more sustainable ethos, bringing the total number of MICHELIN Green Stars in the Nordic countries to an impressive 39. The new MICHELIN Green Stars go to:

Bistro Lupa, Copenhagen, Denmark
Kadeau Copenhagen, Denmark
Kadeau Bornholm, Denmark
NOVEL, Aarhus, Denmark
K2, Stavanger, Norway
JORD, Linköping, Sweden
VÅR, Porvoo, Finland.

Michelin Special Awards

With its Special Awards, the MICHELIN Guide shines a light on talented professionals in Michelin-recommended restaurants who raise the gastronomic experience to a higher level. In doing so, they demonstrate how varied and exciting the hospitality industry is to work in.  

This year the Michelin Young Chef Award goes to Jalmari Kunnas, from Demo restaurant in Helsinki. Jalmari returned to this iconic restaurant in 2021, after a period spent broadening his horizons in other kitchens. At a relatively young age he manages the kitchen and also ensured the restaurant retained its MICHELIN Star in this year’s selection.  

The winner of the Michelin Service Award is Mia Kondrup who leads the service at À L'aise restaurant in Oslo (which was newly awarded a MICHELIN Star this year). The inspectors were particularly impressed with the passion of the service team, how they reflect Mia’s own enthusiasm and how everyone works so well together to enhance their diners’ experience.

Emma Ziemann from ÄNG restaurant (One MICHELIN Star) in Sweden wins the Michelin Sommelier Award.  Emma’s easy-going manner puts every customer at ease and her wine pairings range from Jura wines to local apple ice wine. The pride she has in the impressive cellar – for which she took over responsibility just over a year ago – is clear to everyone.

In addition to new Stars and Special Awards, the MICHELIN Guide inspectors have recognised seven restaurants with a Bib Gourmand for their good food at moderate prices (2 in Denmark; 4 in Sweden and one in Finland), bringing the total number to 34. The new ‘Bib’s are varied and diverse and include juju, a contemporary Korean restaurant in Copenhagen and Triton, a neighbourhood restaurant in Stockholm with a great value set menu.

The full MICHELIN Guide Nordic Countries 2023 selection will be available on the MICHELIN Guide website https://guide.michelin.com/ and on the MICHELIN Guide App, available for free on iOS and Android; where users can research restaurants via their locations, cuisine types, or additional features.

The Nordics restaurant selection joins the MICHELIN Guide selection of hotels, which features the most unique and exciting places to stay in the Nordic Countries and throughout the world.         

Every hotel in the Guide is chosen for its extraordinary style, service, and personality — with options for all budgets — and each hotel can be booked directly through the MICHELIN Guide website and app. The selection for the Nordic Countries features this region’s most spectacular hotels, including sustainability pioneers like the Walaker in Norway, standouts from our ‘Plus’ collection like Ett Hem in Stockholm and Hotel Sanders in Copenhagen, modern architectural marvels such as ION Adventure and UMI Hotel in Iceland, and far-flung locations providing front-row seats for the Northern Lights like the Arctic Treehouse Hotel in Finland. 

The MICHELIN Guide is a benchmark in gastronomy. Now it’s setting a new standard for hotels. Visit the MICHELIN Guide website, or download the free app for iOS and Android, to discover every restaurant in the selection and book an unforgettable hotel.

The 2023 restaurant selection of the MICHELIN Guide Nordic countries at a glance:

271 recommended restaurants, of which:

4 Three MICHELIN Star restaurants
14 Two MICHELIN Star restaurants (2 new)
63 One MICHELIN Star restaurants (14 new)
39 MICHELIN Green Star restaurants (7 new)
34 Bib Gourmand restaurants (7 new)