Restaurant Spontan is summed up best by two notions: innovative beers and outstanding food. Perhaps urban coolness should be added as well, but let’s keep it to two. I really really like this restaurant and this is coming from a person who without a doubt is a ”wine person”. So if you are a ”beer person” and also like sharp and exceptionally tasty food, then give Spontan a try.
Spontan is a brewpub and is part of BRUS which is a beer lover’s paradise. It is a microbrewery, it’s a shop, a casual eatery, it’s a bar and then there is also a restaurant. And at the epicentre of all these different activities are innovative and tasty beers.
We pass Restaurant Spontan on our Urban CPH running tour, and especially when we pass on a sunny afternoon/evening, when people are drinking outside the premises, our guests find it slightly difficult to withdraw the temptation of cold beer and continue their guided run towards Ungdomshuset, Mjølnerparken, the grave of Hans Christian Andersen and Jægersborggade.
If you haven’t already put Brus and Spontan on your to-do list here in Copenhagen, then please read on to discover why we included Spontan also in our list of favourite restaurants in Copenhagen 2017. My best recommendation is to book your table straight away and I wish a you great night.
Restaurant Spontan – the food
The food at Spontan is seasonal and based on local produce. While one may expect pub grub, then Restaurant Spontan offers high quality dining in a very relaxed and homely atmosphere. The pride themselves on what they call ”tasty creations and aesthetic snacks”. And the food is indeed tasty and incredibly pleasing on the eye as it arrives toyour table.
I have been at Spontan a couple of times now and both times I have truly enjoyed the food. I like food that boasts lots of fresh and crunchy vegetables and both times I was not let down. Also, I really like meat and at Spontan I last time had slow roasted beef, and it was amazingly tasty. Not just tasty – but really really tasty.
Restaurant Spontan offers a la carte and tasting menus of either four or six dishes. I can warmly recommend those tasting menus and for visitors from abroad this assures you that you get a taste of everything and also the dishes that the kitchen themselves believe complement each other well. With the tasting menu there is the option to order either a beer or wine menu to accompany your meal, and as those of you that have been running with me – my mantra is: always go for the drinks menu :). In this instance I would recommend the beer menu, but more on that later.
The head chef is Christian Gadients who used to work at Marchal – The Michelin restaurant located in Hotel d’Angleterre. So if my above description has not assured you of the high level cooking, then the chef’s credentials hopefully has :).
Restuarant Spontant – the beer
Beer drinkers,this is your Nirvana. If you walk into the premises via the shop, then you already know you are in for a treat with all the speciality beers being lined up after each other. BRUS and Restaurant Spontan are as mentioned owned by the brewery To Øl, but this does not mean they only sell or serve their own beer. Great and unselfish move that ensures that you truly are lost for choice.
It is as mentioned possible to order a beer menu with your food and this is truly a fantastic experience. The beer is paired with the food which means that we for example had a beer that had been on Chardonnay caskets to accompany our starter with scallops and with the dessert came a beer that had notes of coffee and cream. Very very very good pairing and interesting and fun beers for both the expert beer drinker and the ones with less expertise.
Spontan also offers a wine menu and wine by both the glass and bottle, but when in Rome do as the Romans, right? So I would recommend the beer menu.
Location
Restaurant Spontan is located at Guldbergsgade on Nørrebro, right next to Empire Bio, Kiin Kiin, Bæst and De Gamles By. It is a hotspot in Copenhagen and an area I personally enjoy cycling the 7 km bikeride from home simply to enjoy this very cool and relaxed area. We pass Spontan on our Urban Copenhagen running tour.
The area offers plenty of places to enjoy a pre and post dinner drink (in case you would like to try some other places) and I can warmly recommend also venturing to Nørrebro for simply a stroll, shopping spree etc. It is an area with refreshing diversity of cultures, of ages, of social levels, of shops, of restaurants etc. It is simply just a fantastic area and a visit will also treat you to a view of ”everyday life” in Copenhagen, which is somewhat difficult to get a feel of if you stay within the City Centre.
And if you end up staying at Brus/Spontan to the early hours, then Nørrebro will with guarantee be able to cater for that 3 am kebab – you will actually be spoilt for choice.
I used to live in Nørrebro and obviously totally biased – can you tell ? 🙂
That is it folks – Restaurant Spontan is once again one of the restaurants that come with my warmest recommendations. The running tour guests of ours that after their running tour have ventured to Spontan and Brus have not been disappointed and in fact only overly excited. I even got a late night email from a guest who followed our recommendation and replied back thanking us and raving about the place. Judging from the number of spelling mistakes my guess is that the guest had had a few drinks that evening at Restaurant Spontan 🙂
Thanks for reading this far and happy running and happy eating,
Lena
photo credit: facebook page of Spontan.
NON – TOURISTY COPENHAGEN