Denmark has come remarkably far since 1603,The best places to eat in

Since The Killing became a DVD hit, Copenhagen has experienced a resurgence in interest

NOMA's unusual Scandinavian dishes have earnt it the title of best restaurant in the world

NOMA's unusual Scandinavian dishes have earnt it the title of best restaurant in the world

Denmark has come remarkably far since 1603, the year in which playwright William Shakespeare had someone damningly utter in Hamlet that 'something is rotten in the state of Denmark'.

Rotten? He must have had someplace else in mind.

Tucked away in the smallest, yet most densely populated country in northern Europe, Denmark is the Scandinavian marvel whose thunder is often stolen by its larger neighbour, Sweden.

But when the violent crime series The Killing began to do the rounds earlier this year (subsequently becoming a TV box set must-have sensation), the Danes swiftly acquired their very own recognition and began to give the Swedes – and their popular Wallander series – a run for their money.

How facetious, however, to speak of Denmark in terms of its media. This is, after all, the land that brought us Lego, provides us with Carlsberg and Tuborg beer, delectable bacon, Lurpak butter, Danish pastries and the fairytale 'Thumbelina' author, Hans Christian Andersen.

More recently, it has acquired fame and adulation for NOMA, the two-Michelin star and multi-award winning restaurant located within an 18th century warehouse in the Christianshavn neighbourhood of its capital, Copenhagen.

What more can one say than to expect the unexpected of Rene Redzepi's array of fantastical food during a NOMA outing – one reason perhaps, why it's almost impossible to reserve a table unless done so months and months in advance.

But what's the fuss? Well, to be served live Fjord shrimp, deep-fried reindeer moss, carrots and radishes embedded within edible soil and grass, not to mention the snails that the diner fishes out from within a beautiful vase of Nasturtium flowers, might just be one way of ticking all one's culinary must-dos in one sitting. It is a real treat and undoubtedly one of the city's most-talked about attractions.

What else is good?

That said, Copenhagen's food does not start and end with NOMA's molecular gastronomy – after all, the restaurant is less than a decade old.

The Danes have long been famous for their smørrebrød (which translates as 'butter bread', but to you and me, it is better known as an 'open sandwich').

A smørrebrød, served atop or beside baskets of fresh rye bread, is a dish with endless guises. Some plates come adorned with thin slivers of raw beef, others with seafood, hard boiled eggs, radishes, pickles, while larger platters carrying whole skin-on herrings and hot, salted plaice are commonly enjoyed at frokost, or lunch.

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