Village Idyll and World-class Gastronomy
Søllerød Inn
When you think about the word ‘restaurant’, Søllerød Inn is a place that lives up the word’s original meaning: a place where you are restored . At Søllerød Inn, you are fully restored. You have been full of anticipation in the long wait to get here. You instantly relax once you arrive and remain relaxed the rest of your stay. The next morning, the first thing you think about, is when you can come back.
This special feeling is particularly down to the restaurant boss Jan Restorff. For twenty years, the Faroese man has sought to ensure that Søllerød Inn – in his own words – provides pure ‘personal service’, and his unique way of hosting means that many guests will say they are ‘going to visit Jan’ when they are heading to the inn.
“When I look back at the best restaurant visits I have had, it’s been the great service that has made all the difference. A lot of restaurants around the world make really great food and it’s often the service that takes the experience to a whole new level. Excellent service means a lot to me. I would never accept any of our guests leaving after we have made a mistake without having done something to rectify the mistake. So we are like football strikers, and as much as possible, we try to solve the problem and ensure that guests leave happy and satisfied,” says Jan Restorff.
Food more wonderful than ever
Jan Restorff and his talented staff of waiters can concentrate on providing excellent service because they know the food that comes from the kitchen is of the highest quality. Brian Mark Hansen has guaranteed this since 2013, when he became the inn’s head chef.
“We try to make it as good as we possibly can and everyday we strive to be even better. We do this because we value our guests and want to give them the perfect experience,” says Brian Mark Hansen, who has repeatedly ensured that the inn has retained its Michelin star, first awarded in 2007. And he and Jan Restorff have developed the business into a world-class partnership.
The food has always been excellent at Søllerød Inn, but most people agree it has become even more wonderful because of Brian Mark Hansen. His gastronomic style encompasses French, Nordic and Southern European food, always balanced and delicious, above all because every meal served at Søllerød Inn is based on the finest ingredients available. The juicy, thick white asparagus comes from vegetable guru Søren Wiuff, based at Lammefjord, the pigeons are the very best from France and of course, the hazelnuts come from Piemonte, as do the white truffles when they are in season.
Caviar is a whole special subject at Søllerød Inn, above all because Brian Mark Hansen sources the glistening coarse caviar from Danish importer Gastro Unika who unquestionably has very best caviar in Denmark. He chooses the best eggs from specific fish in Belgium and Bulgaria, which become the special Søllerød Selection. Brian Mark Hansen works with and incorporates the caviar into his dishes.
His Beluga caviar served with caramelised cream has become a new classic, together with his latest creations, tenderloin covered with beet gel, roses and aromatic pepper, and a sauce made from beef bouillon infused with generous amounts of Oscietra caviar.
Classic luxury is an essential part of every visit to Søllerød Inn, but it is always modern, with a sense for constant development.
Even when it comes to vegetarian cooking, Brian Mark Hansen has raised the gastronomic bar to new heights with his straw-baked celery fried in butter, served with a purée of Scorzonera. The Thybo cheese from the Thise Dairy has matured for two years, the croutons are roasted with hazelnuts and there is a generous sprinkling of freshly grated truffle – it is vegetarian heaven.
Extraordinary wine
Jan Restorff is not just a world-class host. He possesses comprehensive knowledge and practical experience in wines. Few places in the world can satisfy wine enthusiasts the way Søllerød Inn can. Søllerød Inn’s wine menu is one of the most celebrated and award-winning in Denmark. The inn’s cellar is stocked with almost every top wine available.
Jan Restorff especially loves wine from Burgundy, which means there is always a good red or white Burgundy on the wine menu, and often wines from Alsace, Champagne, Bordeaux and Piemonte. The combination of wine and food is another example of how Søllerød Inn exist for its guests and not the other way around.
“Some of our guests choose a special wine they want to drink. It may not always suit the food they have chosen. But we can always adjust the sauce a little or do something like that, so that everything works together. Søllerød Inn is not about egos – it’s about giving our guests the best possible experience,” says Jan Restorff.
+ SØLLERØD INN’S OWNER
Lawyer Michael Jordan owns Søllerød Inn and is co-owner of Skoemagerkroen Inn. But in contrast to most investments, for Michael and his wife Birgit Ilkjær Jordan, it is not about cold hard cash. On the contrary, it is about a passion for keeping old, historic places alive and giving people the opportunity to experience worldclass gastronomy.
Why did you choose to invest in Søllerød Inn?
Many years ago my wife and I became interested in gastronomy and how great service and the right settings affects your experience. Originally it was my brother who bought the inn and I invested in the business in 1999. My brother died in 2006 and since then, my wife and I have run the business. We do it because we want to protect the special places that are threatened and we have a huge respect for passionate people who work in the restaurant business. They are among the few who are driven by what they love doing.
Also in 2017, you invested in Skoemagerkroen Inn, making it really cool. Why?
I lived in central Zeeland for many years, so I’ve known about Skoemagerkroen Inn since I was a young man. It was sad to see how it had become neglected and went into liquidation. So when we met Poul Bøje Nielsen and learned about his dream of reestablishing the inn, we quickly devised a plan for how it could be done and we’ve followed the plan ever since. A lot of roadside inns across the country have closed down in the last few years and that’s a shame. There hasn’t been a place like this in Central Zealand for many years, so we’re glad we can give people the opportunity to experience such a historic place, where they can enjoy excellent food and extraordinary service.