Smørrebrød restaurant in Nørreport, Copenhagen

Selma

A Swede Rewrites the Danish Lunch

4 of 5

It takes a particular nerve for a Swede to set up in Copenhagen and show the Danes how to make smørrebrød. Magnus Pettersson has that nerve. Selma, his place on Rømersgade a few steps from Torvehallerne, calls itself a humble attempt to capture the essence of the open sandwich. That is the kind of modesty that usually comes right before somebody does something very confident.

The confidence is on the plate. Herring alone comes five ways on the current card: dill with Västerbotten, rose hip with Mac Khen pepper, fried with lingonberry and pickled potato, matjes with brown butter and anchovies, and the spiced herring from Christiansøpigens with cress, chives and horseradish. Then the kitchen stops pretending these are sandwiches. Grilled and confit sweetbreads with cep and savoy cabbage. Hokkaido pumpkin with chanterelles and autumn truffle. A dessert named for the Ingrid Marie apple, with chanterelle, milk and rye. The produce comes from named farms and fishermen, and the card moves with them.

Twelve taps pour local beer, the wine comes from small producers, and some of the snaps are made in house. The Michelin Guide lists Selma, and a good many people in this city will tell you it makes the best smørrebrød in town, which in Copenhagen is a fighting claim. Lunch runs Wednesday to Monday until four. Book, order a herring and the sweetbreads, and let the server choose the beer.

Order this

Christiansøpigens spiced herring with cress and horseradish, Fried herring with lingonberry and pickled potato, Grilled and confit sweetbreads with cep and savoy cabbage, Ingrid Marie apple dessert with chanterelle and rye

The damage

$$$

Go

Lunch, Wednesday to Monday, booked

Find it

Rømersgade 20, 1362 København K

Website

selmacopenhagen.dk