These are our most memorable dishes of 2025. Not always the most technical, not always the prettiest. What they all have in common is that they stuck.
A dish rarely stands on its own. It is the moment you eat it, how you feel, who you are with, the pace of the evening, the music in the room, even the mood you brought with you.
Sometimes the food carries the night. Sometimes the night carries the food. When everything aligns, it stays with you long after the plate is gone.
1. Mushroom Soup at Odette Pop-Up in Copenhagen, Denmark
Porcini sabayon, light on the spoon, rich on the tongue, with maitake bringing that dark, forest depth. Buckwheat added a little crunch and a nutty edge, so it did not slide into pure comfort.
It was warm, comfort food at its best, but with a suit on.
© Iternitty
2. Lobster à l’Américaine at Kong Hans Kælder in Copenhagen, Denmark
A classic French show-off, done without the circus. Sweet, firm lobster, and a deep, glossy sauce built on shells, butter, tomato, and that gentle warmth you get from a splash of brandy. It was the kind of dish that makes you stop talking, just enjoying the moment.
© Iternitty
3. Lemon Pie, Vanilla Ice Cream at Calma in Copenhagen, Denmark
One bite and it was obvious, this was not lemon, it was LEMON. Bright, sharp, and very zest-driven, with the vanilla smoothing the edges instead of covering them up. It carried that same clean citrus hit you get when you pick one on the Amalfi Coast. There is a difference between a lemon and a LEMON.
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4. Wild Strawberries at Jordnær in Copenhagen, Denmark
Stunning, and also slightly rude, because it reminded you how rare wild strawberries are now. But I was happy it was on the dessert list. Tiny berries, huge perfume, sweet, almost floral, the kind that pulls you straight back to childhood and stained fingers.
I could have eaten the berries as they were. The ice cream was lovely, but the strawberries did not need backup.
© Iternitty
5. Margherita Pizza at V.E.S.P.A in Lund, Sweden
Simple, which is why it is hard. Good dough, proper tomato flavour with real acidity, the right amount of cheese, and, most importantly, the crust, crisp at the edge, still soft inside. If you want to judge a pizza place, order a Margherita. One bite is enough to know if they can actually make pizza.
© Iternitty
6 . Fillet of Beef, Sauce Béarnaise at The Hind’s Head in Bray, England
The plate looked like it had given up. Then I took a bite and nearly fell off the chair. Perfect cooking, and that smoky note running through the meat was just ridiculous. Béarnaise doing what béarnaise is meant to do, buttery, herbal with tarragon, and a little sharpness to cut through. Yes, it is Heston Blumenthal’s pub with a Michelin star, so you expect it to be good.
Still, this was better than it had any right to be. And yes, the chips were also divine.
© Iternitty
7. White Asparagus at Friends in Lund, Sweden
This one was as much about the table as the plate. Great company, excellent wines, that calm feeling where you know the evening will be something special. White asparagus with hollandaise is simple on paper, brutal in practice, and this was spot on, clean, delicate, slightly sweet, with that gentle bitterness you want.
Still, the real highlight was the joy of eating together, and laughing too loud.
© Iternitty
8. Sticky Toffee Pudding, Pecan Ice Cream at The Game Bird in London, England
We are not experts on this, you probably need to be British to have strong feelings about sticky toffee pudding. Even so, this was stunning. Deep caramel warmth, buttery richness, but lighter than you expect. The pecan ice cream added a nutty, roasted note and the whole thing disappeared far too quickly.
I would come back just for this, and I am not a dessert person. Benchmark set.
© Iternitty
9. Sunburnt Bikini at Alchemist in Copenhagen, Denmark
A neat little sphere, full of Jamón Ibérico and Gruyère, salty, rich, and gone far too quickly. The mochi shell gives that soft chew, then the filling hits like a luxury toastie in one bite. It is clever, it tastes great, and it sets the tone for the whole Alchemist ride. The food dance begins, the bank app cries, and somehow you leave smiling anyway.
© Iternitty
10. Deconstructed Quail Egg, Garden Greens at Vyn in Simrishamn, Sweden
It is no secret that we love Chef Daniel Berlin’s cooking. It is also no secret that eggs and I do not always get along.
This one was different, creamy and clean, with fresh greens bringing bite and lift, so it stayed light instead of heavy. It tasted like someone had finally explained eggs to me in a way I could accept.
© Iternitty
11. Roasted Label Rouge Chicken with Morels and Vin Jaune at Restaurant Vie in Copenhagen, Denmark
Chicken skin cooked exactly right, meat spot on, and a Vin Jaune sauce that made the table go quiet. Nutty, deep, slightly sharp, with earthy morels doing their thing in the background. One of those dishes that stops conversation, except when my wife asked if I was really going for more, then almost tried to fight me off with her fork.
We went back once more and it was good, but the magic was not quite there. Still, we are not giving up. Just one more time.
© Iternitty
12. Fried Turbot, Pickled Onion Mayonnaise, Pickled Cucumber, Café de Paris Butter at Mutantur in Malmö, Sweden
Yes, it looked a bit messy. But chef Alexander Sjögren slaps the Danes on the fingers when it comes to making the perfect smørrebrød.
Crisp fish, bold, herby Café de Paris butter, then pickles and onion mayo bringing the sharp, sour cut that keeps you coming back. Your mouth wanted more before your brain had caught up. It was not elegant, it was better than elegant.
© Iternitty
And yes, plenty of dishes could have made the cut, another dessert at Jordnær, the pigeon at Udtryk, and a few more I will remember five minutes after hitting publish.
We are also lucky, Copenhagen is basically around the corner, just a short drive over the water and under, and it keeps feeding us reasons to add “just one more”. Still, I stopped at twelve. A top 100 list is not a list, it is homework, and nobody asked for that.
What was your highlight dish of 2025, something you cooked or ate out? Tell us what it was, and why it stuck.
