Iluka
Fish and Seafood - sustainably caught and exceptionally prepared
Near the Copenhagen harbor promenade, a few steps up on Peder Skrams Gade 15, you enter Iluka.
A floor-length red curtain along one side of the room hints at an elegant theatrical production.
Indeed, the carefully selected and lovingly prepared seafood and fish we enjoy deserve this special presentation.
On the right, the room is bright and welcoming, with warm, unpretentious wooden furniture and a white-tiled bar.
This is how we experience our visit to Iluka - exquisite and refined, yet relaxed and familial.
The name Iluka comes from the Aboriginal language and means "by the sea."
Chef Beau Clugston, who grew up on Australia's east coast, chose this name for his restaurant for a reason.
At Iluka, he combines the natural ease of a coastal dweller handling the freshest fish and seafood with the experimental spirit and culinary artistry from his years at Noma.
The Île de Ré oysters that begin our seven-course menu are sweet and salty, meaty and firm, tasting wonderfully of wind and sea.
The squid mousse with wild broccoli, currants, Danish seaweed, and a samphire and lavender sauce is excellent.
Each course, which can also be ordered à la carte, continually surprises us not just with its delightful flavors but also with the marvelous interplay of different textures.
For dessert, we crack through a layer of meringue and grated milk with our spoons, under which Mayan red chocolate sorbet gently melts, while the dill oil adds an unexpectedly refined note.
Sipping refreshing natural wines, we watch Beau Clugston at work in the semi-open kitchen, while the attentive team keeps a close eye on us, ensuring we feel perfectly at ease throughout the evening.
