We decided to celebrate Swedish Midsommar, also known as the summer solstice, at Dragsholm Slot and booked the Gourmet Package. This included an overnight stay, a dinner with 5 snacks, 5 mains, and two dessert dishes, and, of course, breakfast.
Denmark has some excellent restaurants outside Copenhagen, and this time it was Dragsholm Slot’s turn. We hoped for a redemption from Søllerød Kro, and yes, we got it. The service was friendly, attentive, and on point.
White Asperagus – Caviar – Pistachio – Elderflower Vinegar
The gourmet restaurant is tucked away in the castle’s basement. The dining area is in the vaults with whitewashed thick walls, creating a cosy and historic ambience. Down the stairs and to the left, with the bar to the right. The bar is like a little snug with inviting armchairs and where the restrooms are.
Comparing the service to Søllerød’s is like comparing a Trabant to a Bentley. But how was the food? Thank goodness the gold and the ornament porn were absent. The ingredients are mostly fresh produce from around the area, like new potatoes, greens, and venison hunted on their grounds.
While the dishes were good, the accompanying sauces were too strong and salty for our taste, taking the spotlight away from the main ingredients and making the dish unbalanced. This was especially true for the Turbot dish, where the fish should have been the hero. One exception was the venison dish; I could have licked the plate clean of the sauce.
Danish Blue Lobster – New Potatoes – Wood Sorrel – Hemp
We often have issues with fine dining restaurant chairs. If a dinner takes 3-4 hours, you want to sit comfortably. This is often overlooked by restaurants, and at Dragsholm Slot, they should take a moment to reflect on this. The chairs, similar to the ones in the Bistro, are guessed to be designed by Carl Hansen & Søn.
After driving to the Castle, having almost a two-hour lunch, and then dinner, my back protested after one hour. I do not care if they are national design icons—change them.
When it comes to choosing the wine in the beginning, it is almost sacrilegious to choose anything but a French bottle when you are here. The wine list is amazing, and the cellar contains something like 10,000 bottles. Yet, we chose a Spaniard! I thought they would throw us out, even if it was on one of the last pages. Flor de Pingus 2014, Ribera del Duero.
On the contrary, the sommelier persuaded us to take the 2014. Thank you! The wine was perfectly tempered and in its best state. It is rare to taste a wine at its peak. The stars were aligned. Some might say the wine is still young and needs more age. Nonsense!
Sommer Buck – Stuffed Morrel – Batak Pepper
First time
1-Star
Dinner
Airy
Impressive, mostly French wines. 57 pages. Around 10,000 bottles in their cellar.
Only for the wine list.
Maybe, we can’t decide.
Did you agree or disagree with our insights? Discover a new gem or avoid a potential disaster thanks to our review? Drop your thoughts below – let’s keep it real and insightful.