The Danish restaurant Noma, chosen as the best in the world, opens its doors to customers again in Copenhagen. Owner René Redzepi’s behavior towards employees was shocking in March.
Former employees of Ravintola Noma told about their harsh working conditions in March. Picture of the kitchen of a restaurant in Copenhagen in 2018. Tommi Anttonen
Noma, chosen several times as the best restaurant in the world, announced that it will reopen the restaurant in August, according to the US media CNN.
The flagship restaurant with three Michelin stars in Copenhagen has been closed since 2024, but has continued to operate as a pop-up restaurant.
The owner of Noma, star chef René Redzepi said on his Instagram account taking on the role of creative director in the restaurant. He plans to focus on “long-term projects” that utilize insects, seaweed, legumes, fungi and technology.
They will be responsible for the restaurant’s operations in the future Pablo Soto, Mette Søberg and Annika de Las Heras.
The restaurant’s pre-planned menu, including wines, will cost 6,500 Danish kroner, or about 870 euros.
Violence and humiliation
The New York Times published an article on March 7 in which 35 former employees of Noma reported physical and mental violence against them by Redzepi between 2009 and 2017.
Workers reported long-term trauma resulting from intimidation, body criticism and public ridicule. Redzepi threatened to use his influence to blacklist them in restaurants around the world, deport their family members, or have their wives fired from their jobs at other companies.
Redzepi said he did not recognize all the details reported, but understood his actions were harmful to people who worked with him and issued an apology.
Redzepi told The New York Times that he went to therapy and found better ways to manage his anger.