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Published on December 29, 2007

Why would a perfectly successful English chef leave Britain and embark on a journey into the mysteries of Nordic cuisine and culture?

They say behind every great man stands a woman, and Paul Cunningham is no exception: when he met his wife Lene in Cheltenham, a small English town in Gloucestershire, he fell in love with both the girl and her country. Two decades later, his humbly-named restaurant (Cunningham claims "Paul" refers to his architect Poul Henningsen, but he's not fooling anyone) in Copenhagen has become an institution, attracting the city's intelligentsia and occasional members of the royal family.

Set in a spacious 20th-century, glass-domed building by the lake in Tivoli Gardens, the contemporary but stylish exterior is but an invitation to enter a spectacular white, steel-framed dining room with apparent superstructure and modern furnishing. The menu varies frequently; Cunningham confesses to writing a new tasting menu every two weeks to stay in touch with the seasons, but always skilfully combines Danish specialities with foreign influences.

Make sure, if you can, to reserve the famous Chef's table, which gives a full view over the kitchen.