My Week Eating at the New 'Noma 2.0': Is It Worth the $700 Tasting Menu?

I’ve been obsessed with Noma since I watched the documentary Ants on a Shrimp years ago. René Redzepi’s Copenhagen restaurant basically invented modern Nordic cuisine — foraging, fermentation, that whole vibe. When Noma closed its original location in 2024 and announced it would reopen as “Noma 2.0” in a new building in the Christianshavn neighborhood, I knew I had to go. I booked a table for June 2026, five months in advance, and paid the $700 per person deposit without blinking. My bank account is still recovering. But was it worth it? Let me tell you everything.

The Space: Minimalism Meets Mad Science

The new Noma is housed in a former warehouse on the waterfront, with massive windows overlooking the harbor. Inside, it’s all pale wood, concrete, and glass. The kitchen is open, so you can watch the chefs working — it feels like being inside a laboratory. There’s a room dedicated entirely to fermentation, with bubbling jars and strange smells. The tables are spaced far apart, which feels luxurious. It’s serene. Until the first course arrives.

The Menu: 18 Courses of Pure Chaos

Noma changes its menu seasonally. I visited during the “Ocean” season, which focuses on seafood and seaweed. The first course was a single oyster served in its shell with a frozen elderflower foam. It was perfect — briny, cold, and floral. Then came a dish of raw scallop with fermented gooseberries that tasted like the ocean had been turned into a sour candy. A course of dehydrated shrimp heads that crunched like chips. A bowl of mussels in a broth so rich I wanted to drink it.

But here’s the thing: not every course is delicious. Some are challenging. There was a dish of sea urchin roe mixed with ants (yes, ants) that tasted like grass and metal. I didn’t love it, but I respected it. Another dish was a piece of cod skin that had been fried and served with a powder made from dried fish bones. It was aggressively fishy. I could only eat one bite. But that’s part of the experience — Noma isn’t trying to please everyone. It’s trying to make you think about what food can be.

The Service: Attentive Without Being Cloying

The staff explained every course in detail — where the ingredients came from, how they were prepared, why they were chosen. One server told me the ants were harvested from a forest in Sweden by a forager who has been working with Noma for a decade. That kind of dedication is impressive. The pacing was perfect: 18 courses over 3.5 hours, never rushed. My water glass was never empty. The bread station had six types of house-made bread, and I ate way too much of the rye sourdough.

The Verdict: Is It Worth $700?

I’m going to be honest: $700 is an insane amount of money for a meal. No matter how good it is, that’s more than some people’s rent. But if you love food — I mean really love it — Noma 2.0 is an experience you won’t forget. It’s not just dinner; it’s a performance, a science experiment, and a love letter to the natural world. I left feeling inspired, full (but not stuffed), and grateful. Would I go again? If I won the lottery, absolutely. But for most people, once in a lifetime is enough. And I’m okay with that.

If you’re planning a trip, book now. They’re sold out through October 2026. And bring your appetite for the weird stuff.