If booking a table at Noma seems too daunting or requires too much advanced planning, then Restaurant 108 is the next best thing. It’s a spin-off from Noma, and much more accessible. So accessible in fact that we rocked up for lunch one Saturday in August and they could fit us in without a reservation!

You see when I come home to Sweden I have hardly any time to myself to plan things like this, so this annual trip to Copenhagen with Maria and Daniel (aka the best tradition ever!) is all about spontaneity. We get in the car shortly before lunch time and decide there and then where we are going to go. Sometimes we call ahead but most of the time we just rock up and hope for the best. Luckily this works well in Copenhagen, where I feel people live more in the moment, than say London or Stockholm where you really have to book restaurants far in advance to not miss out.

And for us it just means the day is a very free-spirited one, with no time constraints or musts. We just go with the flow and we all love it!

But back to our lovely lunch. We got seated straight away, at a wooden table by the windows where there was a nice breeze from the open windows and doors letting some air circulate on this warm summer’s day.

We preferred to sit inside as this was fine dining and the sunshine would too quickly spoil the food, but there was a cute little terrace just outside over looking the cutest house boats on the canal, which we made sure to check out later.

The interior here is just as airy and clean as one would expect from a Danish restaurant offering new Nordic cuisine, and it feels like an almost tranquil space. The tables are fairly far apart and there is space for the waiters to do their dance in between table with such finesse it’s a treat to see.

Happy with our choice of restaurant (and that they had room for us!) we toasted with wine and beer and patted ourselves on the back.

Then the bread and butter arrived and we congratulated ourselves once again but it was out of this world good. The bread was still warm from the oven with a nice crunchy crust but the inside was all pillowy and soft and airy. And the butter (or was it really soured cream? It was so light it was hard to tell!) with its lovely tanginess was the perfect pairing.

Give me good bread and butter and I need nothing else to be happy!

But we had ordered a few other things and it would be a shame not to taste them!

My first plate of thinly sliced radish on top of smoked sturgeon looked very austere, but as you lifted up the radish slices you glimpsed the richness of what was inside. The smoked sturgeon yes, but also pumpkin seeds for texture and a rich but light sauce to bring it all together. Oh, such joy it was to eat this! Tender subtle flavours that just lingered in your mouth afterwards extending the experience.

But the next course was even better! It was the most perfect lamb tartare I’ve tasted in my life (and I have eaten a few tartares to know what I’m talking about!) and it was just pure heaven. The meat was soft and light and full of flavour and the herbs and seasoning just added layers and layers of flavour and texture I tried to savour it for as long as possible.

Meanwhile Maria ate this wonderful monk fish with herbs and flowers from the garden -probably the prettiest main course I’ve ever seen!

But I was happy enjoying my tartare in slow motion, savouring every moment and every bite!

As much as I loved the airy dining room, I also loved the rust coloured cosy loos, and just had to snap a selfie to remember this lunch by, because I think my face says it all; pure happiness and contentment!

Then I stepped out in the sun on the terrace where my friends were waiting and we got back in the car searching for more food related adventures. Yes, much more to come, so stay tuned!

Restaurant 108, Strandgade 108, 1401 Copenhagen, Denmark