Noma opened over two decades ago in 2003, when it gained prominence for its unique approach to dining. Their cuisine uses techniques from foraging combined with classic Nordic ingredients, including wild meats such as Sika deer, moose and reindeer. Since opening, they have hosted various pop-up experiences worldwide and begun an online store selling their own merchandise and products. Their tasting menu, which is currently in ‘game and forest season’ is based on local ingredients which change throughout the year, costs upwards of $500. The restaurant has been ranked as the best in the world, including in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014 by Restaurant magazine, and last year topped the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list while also gaining a coveted third Michelin star.

Plans for Noma to live on

Now, the mind behind Noma, René Redzepi has announced that the restaurant will be closing its doors towards the end of next year. However, Redzepi has plans for Noma to live on, as although the restaurant portion will be closing, the brand will continue to exist as a ‘food laboratory’, creating new products and dishes for its online store, titled Noma Projects.

The restaurant famously paved the way for a new style of food entitled ‘New Nordic’ which it will continue promoting through ecommerce. The dining rooms are also expected to return sporadically for one-off pop-up events. Part of the reason for the restaurants sudden announcement is that although their unique attitude to using local ingredients may seem sustainable, the unique creations served at Noma at extremely labour intensive and it is getting harder to compensate workers fairly while maintaining its own high standards. Recently reports arose revealing that Noma used for much of its work and treated foreign workers poorly, although this has now changed it has meant Noma’s monthly expenses have increased dramatically. Before the restaurant finally closes in 2024, Redzepi plans to spend the next two years building a new production facility to assist the Noma Projects endeavours, which will also employ up to 70 people.