“Pleasure is the beginning and the end of a happy life”, Epicurus wrote. The Greek philosopher and sage, who enjoyed life in the fourth and third century B.C., referred in these terms to the fact that happiness, as he understood it, is based on a constant search for pleasure. Our spiritual guide, despite what it may seem, was a proponent of rational hedonism, shied away from excess, but loved the exquisite. Sober excellence, the conscious and sustainable luxury that is so much talked about today. Elegance, after all.
With beliefs like this, the beloved philosopher would have approved of the latest venue to open in Copenhagen, one that shares his name, Epicurus – an ambitious gastro-jazz venue.
It all began to take shape after the closure of The Standard in 2014. When the once popular Copenhagen restaurant complex ceased operations, Niels Lan Doky, one of the partners, began receiving messages of condolence. Many mourned the loss and told Niels that the Danish capitol needed a place for grown-up, cultivated indulgence, a place to eat and drink well, listen to good music and spend a memorable evening with friends. That note kept sustained in Niels’ head. Until years later.
With nearly ninety jazz albums under his belt as a pianist, producer or otherwise, and with a worldwide prestige, to the point of having been knighted by Queen Margrethe II of Denmark for his musical contribution, Niels Lan Doky eventually decided gather a first-class “band” to compose what has ended up being a culinary-mixology-jazz-temple.
Alongside Niels, three other of the most eminent players in their respective fields in Denmark have come together to found Epicurus. They are entrepreneur and investor Lars Seier Christensen, owner of three Michelin-starred Geranium and two Michelin-starred Alchemist; Mads Bøttger, owner of Dragsholm Castle Hotel and its one Michelin-starred Dragsholm Slot Gourmet, among others; and Rasmus Shepherd-Lomborg, perhaps the most relevant promoter of the Danish cocktail industry, former owner of Ruby and current owner of Victory, a roof top bar that promises to reach the top of the lists. With such an ensemble, the music can’t sound bad.
Epicurus is a multifaceted space with a restaurant on the top floor, jazz room and bar in an intimate, yet very impressive downstairs auditorium with super high ceilings, and a private dining room – the culinary backstage – hidden behind the kitchen.
As Lars Seier states, “Epicurus does not seek to dazzle with fireworks, but to offer an adult, non-ostentatious enjoyment, focused on quality, comfort and atmosphere”. And so it is: the different spaces, linked by an interior design that combines Scandinavian minimalism with Greek-inspired accents – discreet friezes integrated into the wooden walls -, have been exquisitely designed by the Gamfratesi studio – whose portfolio includes collaborations with Bang & Olufsen or Koyori, for example.
The restaurant, run by Mads Bøttger in collaboration with chef Oliver Bergholt, offers a menu of Nordic cuisine and French influence, simple and delicious food without greater technical gestures as it appeals to the most direct pleasure. Delicious openings are the oysters with citrus and pepper or the very tasty gougères – savory choux pastry stuffed with truffle cream and covered with Iberian ham.
The trout sautéed with shiso and toasted lemon results in a refreshing salad, with delicious flavor contrasts. More in the realm of main courses, the tartar with red currants and trumpet mushrooms and the scallop with green apple sauce and caviar are some of those dishes that make you smile because their perfect execution is meant to satisfy you, the diner, not a chef’s ego, while the braised pigeon with mashed potatoes and green asparagus is excellent in its doneness, texture and level of flavorfulness. On the sweet side, a vanilla ice cream with blueberries and white chocolate put the finishing touch to a dinner that runs with serene tempos, designed to encourage conversation, and that can be accompanied by various pairings, including Rieslings, wines from Burgundy and the Loire, Champagne, all in great harmony.
Unlike other restaurants, dessert does not mark the end of the experience at Epicurus. Then comes the music, cocktails and vinyl session. Diners descend to the lower floor – a former military gymnasium with high ceilings converted into an uber-stylish concert room – via a scenic staircase that leads to a room with low tables and comfortable armchairs where they can enjoy an hour of great jazz and, unannounced, a painting by Miles Davis himself, discreetly displayed in a corner of the room.
Today, we have become accustomed to a musician playing two, at most three nights in the same venue. However, in the 1940s and ’50s, jazz musicians made extended stays at a single club, which allowed them repertoire and audience interaction to reach an unusual level of depth. “The music changes depending on the audience. Every night, even with the same program, it’s different,” Niels maintains. This daily evolution makes jazz a living, ephemeral and intensely emotional art.
On a curatorial level, Lan Doky has developed an artistic line in which outstanding musicians reinterpret contemporary songs (Taylor Swift, Oasis, Drake) with classic jazz arrangements. In this way, Epicurus not only honors the legacy of standards, but posits new versions with the potential for transcendence. “The standards of the 20th century were jazz versions of the greatest pop hits of their time. We want to do the same today,” explains the musician.
On the opening day, Niels, seated in front of a Bösendorfer 230 Vienna Concert, the Rolls Royce of pianos, played alongside legendary drummer Harvey Mason and the bass player Felix Pastorious. And magic happened. From celebrated classics, some composed by the performers themselves, to a moving version of Amy Winehouse’s ‘Love is a losing game’, the three masters dialogued with each other and with their instruments, from which they drew heartfelt vibrations. In the meantime… cocktails.
The musical experience, if desired, can be paired with some of Rasmus Shepherd-Lomborg and Michael Hajiyianni’s concoctions. This is a menu of contemporary drinks, built on classic structures, minimalist cocktails made with local ingredients and presented emphasizing their flavor profiles. Strawberry and Fig Leaf is the name of a delicious aperitif that instead of falling into the typical sweetness that strawberry might suggest, explores its tart and astringent side, while Apple and Jasmine, with hints of cherry and blackcurrant, has an aroma, texture and taste of ten, again, on the dry side of aperitif cocktails, but in a way that is not at all aggressive.
Cocktails and interpretation seem to go hand in hand, and at a given moment one can have the impression of having traveled back in time, of having fallen into a cultured Europe that would have avoided the two wars and that was proud to boast of savoir-faire, of glamour, everything turns out like a child with the best genes of the Bauhaus and the most splendid Cotton Club, but with a contemporary touch that makes it all even more… epicurean.
After the performance, the audience can stay, enjoy the DJ’s vinyl session on Fridays and Saturdays, order more cocktails – the bartenders’ hand with the classic recipes is very good – go out to smoke a cigar on the terrace, forget for a few more moments about the outside world while the Bösendorfer 230 rests until the next night like an elegant animal from another time.
Gastronomy, music, cocktails, interior design, all come together at Epicurus to elevate the experience and turn a night out into an art form, an art that is discerning, exclusive, exquisite and at the same time, far from ostentation. An art on which our beloved Greek philosopher would like to found his temple.
Epicurus
Rosenborggade 15, Copenhagen, Denmark
www.epicurus.dk
