Noma Reboots Operations in Copenhagen After Misconduct Scandal

Copenhagen fine-dining flagship Noma is attempting a comprehensive operational restart following severe misconduct allegations that led co-founder Redzepi to step away from daily management.

Under executive head chef Pablo Soto and head of research and development Mette Brink Søberg, the kitchen is pivoting from its historical three-season structure to a fluid model dubbed the 12 seasons of Noma. The new format replaces fixed seasonal menus with monthly iterations dictated by shifts in local Scandinavian weather, micro-foraged ingredients, and seafood harvests including brown crab, pike perch, and wild shrimp.

The transition marks the restaurant’s first major operational reset since Redzepi announced his exit from daily kitchen operations in March. The departure followed an investigative report by The New York Times detailing years of verbal abuse, physical assault, and systemic workplace hostility spanning from 2009 to 2017. Redzepi, who shifted into a creative director role, publicly issued an apology while acknowledging the necessity of fresh leadership.

Despite the public fallout, demand for bookings remains high. Reservations are nearly filled through October at 4,500 Danish krone ($686 USD) per person, with wine pairings priced at an additional 2,000 krone ($305 USD).

Soto confirmed that management completed an internal audit and introduced new oversight mechanisms to monitor staff working conditions. The workplace adjustments align with a broader industry-wide reevaluation of the traditional brigade de cuisine hierarchy—a rigid organizational model that long normalized extreme stress and grueling schedules in high-end kitchens. As part of these broader labor reforms, Noma previously abolished its reliance on unpaid intern labor, establishing paid stipends in 2022.

First opened in 2003, the venue transformed global fine dining by centering regional foraging, preservation, and hyper-seasonal New Nordic ingredients. Its influence helped it top the World’s 50 Best Restaurants List five times and secure three Michelin stars in 2021.

However, the reopening kitchen will operate without its famous three-star status. Noma opted out of the 2026 Michelin Guide after prolonged operational pauses and a pop-up project in Los Angeles left it unable to fulfill the guide’s minimum operating day requirement for the year.

Food correspondent Tom Sietsema indicated that the restaurant’s legacy of culinary innovation will likely sustain public interest, provided former leadership remains strictly removed from operational oversight.