After reports of abuse in decades past and a pop-up in Los Angeles, the former “Best Restaurant in the World” returns to Copenhagen.Priya KrishnaJune 12, 2026Noma, the acclaimed restaurant founded by chef René Redzepi and marred by allegations of kitchen abuse, will reopen in Copenhagen on August 5th.The restaurant closed at the end of 2024 and continued as a pop-up in Los Angeles that began in March and ends on June 26. Earlier this year, The New York Times reported allegations of physical and psychological abuse against Redzepi based on interviews with more than 35 former employees.Rene Redzepi will return to Noma in August.Laura L.P. HDG PhotographyRedzepi announced the decision to reopen in an Instagram post, which showed him walking down a tree-lined street in Los Angeles. In it, he described Noma’s new leadership team, which includes Mette Brink Søberg as head of research and development, Pablo Soto as executive head chef and Annika de Las Heras as the new chief executive. Redzepi will assume the title of creative director.“I myself will be focused on long-term projects,” he said in the post, a role that will include technological projects and innovations with insects, seaweed, legumes and fungi that guests at Noma will be able to try.“I myself will be focused on long-term projects.”Rene Redzepi, on his return to NomaAs reported in March, Redzepi had became notorious among kitchen workers for inflicting physical and psychological abuse that went beyond the norms of an industry plagued by toxic workplaces. Dozens of employees said that between 2009 and 2017, he hit, jabbed and shoved workers for minor errors, and punched them when enraged by an infraction. He threatened them with blacklisting, deportation and public shaming.Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox.Sign upIn response to the allegations, Redzepi stepped down from leadership. The Los Angeles pop-up lost several corporate sponsors, including American Express and Blackbird. Protesters also gathered outside the event in its early weeks.Redzepi and chefs working in the Noma kitchen in 2010.In a separate news release regarding the reopening, the company said, “These past months have brought moments of real challenge for our team. This spring have led us to reflect more closely on who we are, what matters most, and where we want to go next.”Noma, which opened in 2003, is one of the most famous restaurants in recent history, putting Copenhagen on the map as a global dining destination and cementing Redzepi as a household name among restaurant enthusiasts.The new Noma in Copenhagen — which will be housed in its existing space at Refshalevej 96 — will have a seasonal menu priced at 4,500 Danish krone (about $1000 AUD) that changes every month and is “shaped by ingredients, landscapes and ideas that inspire us in that moment,” the release from the restaurant said.“Our ambition remains the same as it has always been: to keep exploring, to keep learning, and to continue to become the best version of Noma we’ve ever been.”New York TimesFrom our partners