Restaurant in Copenhagen, Denmark
Serious seafood, no ceremony required.
Iluka is a Nordic seafood restaurant in Copenhagen led by Chef Beau Clugston, ranked on the Opinionated About Dining Europe list three years running (2023–2025). It's the right booking for a date or small celebration where you want precise, seafood-focused cooking in a quiet, intimate room — without the booking difficulty or ceremony of Geranium or Alchemist.
Iluka is the right call for a date night or small celebration where you want serious cooking without the theatrical ceremony of Copenhagen's bigger-ticket rooms. Chef Beau Clugston runs a Nordic seafood kitchen at Peder Skrams Gade 15 that has earned three consecutive years on the Opinionated About Dining Europe list — ranked #117 on arrival in 2023, climbing to #128 in 2024, and improving again to #123 in 2025. That's a consistent upward trajectory, which matters when you're deciding whether a restaurant is worth your time. If you want fish cooked with real precision in a room that feels like a grown-up dinner rather than a performance, book here.
Iluka runs Tuesday through Saturday, evenings only from 5:30 PM, which tells you something about its register: this is a dinner destination, not a drop-in. Expect a focused, quieter room rather than the high-energy buzz of Copenhagen's more casual harbour spots. The atmosphere leans intimate — suitable for two people who want to actually talk, or a small group marking something worth marking. It is not the place for a loud table of eight. Solo diners will find it workable but should read the FAQ below before booking.
With a 4.5 Google rating across 335 reviews, Iluka sits in territory where service is expected to carry weight. Nordic seafood at this level , in a city with Geranium and Koan setting the benchmark , demands a front-of-house that can explain the sourcing and pacing without making you feel managed. The OAD recognition suggests the kitchen is consistent enough that service is the differentiating variable. At Copenhagen's fine-dining price tier, you should expect attentive but unobtrusive , and Iluka's sustained ratings suggest it delivers that without the stiffness you sometimes encounter at more self-consciously grand rooms. It earns its place in the conversation without requiring you to dress for a state dinner.
For context on how Copenhagen's seafood-led cooking compares internationally, Le Bernardin in New York represents the benchmark for formal seafood service; Iluka operates with a Nordic informality that most diners will find more comfortable. If you've experienced the tasting-menu format at Lazy Bear in San Francisco, the communal energy there is a contrast to Iluka's quieter, more personal pitch.
Iluka sits in a strong peer group in Copenhagen. Geranium and Koan both operate at higher ceremony and almost certainly higher price; if you want the full tasting-menu ritual with wine pairings and a formal arc, those are the rooms to consider. Alchemist is a different proposition entirely , a conceptual evening that lasts three-plus hours and asks for full commitment. Iluka is more accessible than any of those, both in booking and in tone. Kadeau is the closest stylistic comparison , Nordic produce-led cooking in a composed room , and choosing between them comes down to whether you want the seafood focus Iluka offers or Kadeau's broader island-larder approach.
If you're planning a wider Denmark trip, Jordnær in Gentofte is worth the short trip from the city for serious seafood in a Michelin-starred setting. Further afield, Frederikshøj in Aarhus, Henne Kirkeby Kro, and Dragsholm Slot Gourmet in Hørve represent Denmark's broader fine-dining reach. For the full picture on where to eat, sleep, and drink in the city, see our Copenhagen restaurants guide, hotels guide, and bars guide.
Iluka's menu details aren't published in advance, which is standard for Nordic tasting-format restaurants at this level. The kitchen is built around Nordic seafood under chef Beau Clugston, so expect the menu to follow seasonal catch. Trust the format rather than trying to steer it — that's the point of a place ranked #123 in Europe by Opinionated About Dining in 2025.
The venue data doesn't specify a dress code, but a restaurant operating evenings-only Tuesday through Saturday in central Copenhagen at OAD Top 125 level generally rewards dressing up a little. Think polished casual at minimum — a step above what you'd wear to a neighbourhood bistro. If in doubt, lean neat rather than formal.
Nothing in the available data rules out solo dining, and Nordic seafood restaurants at this tier in Copenhagen often have counter seating that works well for one. It's worth confirming directly with the restaurant at booking — evening-only hours from 5:30 PM suggest a considered, unhurried format that suits solo guests who want to eat seriously.
Koan and Geranium both sit above Iluka on ceremony and almost certainly on price — book those if you want a full production-level experience. a|o|c is a more relaxed option if the format matters less than the quality of produce. For a comparable seafood focus with Michelin credentials, Jordnær in Gentofte is a short trip from the city and worth comparing on your specific criteria.
Lunch isn't an option — Iluka runs evenings only, from 5:30 PM Tuesday through Saturday, with Monday and Sunday closed. If your schedule only allows a daytime visit to Copenhagen, you'll need to look elsewhere. For dinner, Tuesday and Wednesday tend to be easier booking windows at this type of venue than Friday or Saturday.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
