Restaurant in Præstø, Denmark
One Michelin star, hard to book, worth it.
Frederiksminde holds a Michelin star and an Opinionated About Dining top-400 Europe ranking for good reason: Chef Jonas Mikkelsen's seasonally-driven menu draws from the sea, shoreline, and farms surrounding this small Præstø hotel, and the unhurried service pace earns the €€€€ price for the right occasion. Book well in advance and plan to stay the night.
If you have been to Frederiksminde once, the question on a return visit is not whether the kitchen has slipped — it has not. The Michelin star held in both 2024 and 2025, and the Opinionated About Dining ranking climbing from a 2023 recommendation to a 2025 position of #392 in Europe tells you the trajectory is upward. The real question is whether the service philosophy, the seasonal commitment, and the remoteness of Præstø still add up to a price point worth travelling for. For a special occasion dinner where setting and intention matter as much as what lands on the plate, the answer is yes — with caveats worth reading before you book.
Frederiksminde sits on the water in Præstø, a small town on the south coast of Zealand that most visitors pass through rather than stop in. That geographic remove is not incidental , it is the point. Chef Jonas Mikkelsen works a kitchen that draws its ingredients from the sea directly outside, the shoreline nearby, and farms in the surrounding area. The property has a vegetable garden on site, and the menu structure (called the "Essence" menu) follows the seasons in a way that is more than a marketing position. When ingredients are locally sourced at this level of specificity, the menu genuinely changes as the year turns.
The service style at Frederiksminde is where the €€€€ price tier either justifies itself or does not, depending on what you are looking for. This is a hotel restaurant operating with the attentiveness expected at a country house property , unhurried, knowledgeable about the provenance of what is being served, and calibrated to a pace that suits a longer evening rather than a sharp two-hour sitting. If you are comparing that to the high-voltage precision of a Copenhagen restaurant like Geranium, Frederiksminde reads as warmer and less formal. If you are comparing it to a rural destination restaurant like Henne Kirkeby Kro or Dragsholm Slot Gourmet, the positioning is similar: a property that earns its fine dining credentials through local rootedness rather than metropolitan polish.
The Star Wine List recognition for 2026 adds a practical dimension to the value equation. A wine programme that earns independent recognition at this level is not a minor detail at €€€€ pricing , it means the pairing option is worth considering, not just the food menu. That matters for a special occasion booking where the full table spend is already significant.
We're Smart recognition noted in the awards record is worth understanding: the programme celebrates plant-forward cooking, and Frederiksminde's profile there highlights that vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers are central to the daily offering rather than decorative. The "Essence" menu currently presents as a traditional progression where fish, seafood, and meat share the stage with vegetables, but the kitchen's handling of plant-based elements is clearly a point of distinction. If you are booking for a guest who does not eat meat, this is a kitchen that is more capable of accommodating that than many at this tier , though specific dietary confirmation should be made directly with the restaurant at the time of booking.
Timing your visit matters here more than at most restaurants at this price. The seasonal sourcing model means spring and early summer , when the vegetable garden is producing and the coastal waters are at their most active , will tend to deliver the fullest expression of what Frederiksminde is trying to do. A winter visit is not a lesser experience by definition, but the kitchen's identity is most legible when the surrounding landscape is at its most abundant. If you are planning a special occasion and have flexibility on dates, late May through August is the window to target.
For a couple celebrating something specific, or for a business dinner where a destination outside Copenhagen signals effort and intentionality, Frederiksminde works well. The rural setting, the unhurried service pace, and the connection to place create conditions for a longer, more immersive evening than a city restaurant typically allows. It also means you should plan for an overnight stay , Præstø is roughly 80 kilometres from Copenhagen, and the kind of meal Frederiksminde delivers is not improved by a tight departure time. The property is a hotel, which makes the combination practical. See our full Præstø hotels guide for accommodation context.
For other destination restaurants worth comparing across Denmark, Jordnær in Gentofte operates at a higher technical intensity with two Michelin stars, while LYST in Vejle and Tri in Agger occupy a similar positioning to Frederiksminde , regional, seasonal, and worth the drive if you are already planning a journey. See also Frederikshøj in Aarhus, Ti Trin Ned in Fredericia, Syttende in Sønderborg, Pearl by Paul Proffitt in Kruså, and Domæne in Herning for further regional reference points.
For comparable country-house restaurant experiences outside Denmark, Maison Lameloise in Chagny is the closest European analogue in terms of hotel-anchored, regionally-rooted fine dining at this tier. Frantzén in Stockholm is a useful reference for understanding where Scandinavian fine dining can go at the leading of the price range.
Explore the full picture for your trip: our full Præstø restaurants guide, bars guide, wineries guide, and experiences guide.
Booking difficulty is rated Hard. Frederiksminde is a small property in a small town with a Michelin star and a climbing OAD ranking , those are not conditions that produce easy availability. Plan well in advance, particularly for weekend dates and the peak summer season. There is no booking method confirmed in our data, so go directly to the venue to confirm current reservation procedures. Given the rural location and the length of meal this format implies, booking a room at the hotel on the same night is strongly advisable.
Quick reference: Michelin 1 Star (2025) | OAD #392 Europe (2025) | €€€€ | Præstø, Denmark | Booking: Hard , reserve well in advance.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frederiksminde | Modern Cuisine | €€€€ | Star Wine List (2026); Hotel Frederiksminde has it all: the sea, nature, authenticity, tranquility, a vegetable garden, a kitchen that follows the seasons, and a clear sustainability plan. All ingredients are locally sourced—coming from the sea, the shore, the land, and nearby farms. Chef Jonas Mikkelsen is the culinary magician of the restaurant, making full use of the natural riches around him to delight his guests. Naturally, vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers play a major role in the daily offering—and are presented with great taste. For now, the “Essence” menu is still structured in a traditional way, where fish, seafood, and meat share the stage with vegetables. But perhaps, chef, it’s time to also offer a pure plant menu? At We’re Smart, we believe this wouldn’t be a challenge for your talent!; Opinionated About Dining Top Restaurants in Europe Ranked #392 (2025); Michelin 1 Star (2025); Opinionated About Dining Top Restaurants in Europe Ranked #425 (2024); Michelin 1 Star (2024); Opinionated About Dining Top New Restaurants in Europe Recommended (2023) | Hard | — |
| Geranium | New Nordic, Creative | €€€€ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Noma | Creative | €€€€ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Koan | New Nordic, Kaiseki, Creative | €€€€ | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Alchemist | Progressive, Creative | €€€€ | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| a|o|c | New Nordic, Mediterranean Small Plates, Creative | €€€€ | Michelin 2 Star | Unknown | — |
A quick look at how Frederiksminde measures up.
At €€€€ pricing with a Michelin star held consecutively in 2024 and 2025, and an OAD ranking climbing to #392 in Europe, the value case is solid for a tasting menu format built around hyperlocal, seasonal produce. If you are driving from Copenhagen specifically for this meal, it is worth the trip — the kitchen's sourcing discipline and recognition from multiple independent bodies justify the spend. Geranium or Alchemist in Copenhagen carry more global prestige, but Frederiksminde costs you less in total outlay once you account for city pricing.
Dietary requirements are not detailed in available records, but the kitchen's documented emphasis on vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers alongside fish, seafood, and meat gives it structural flexibility. check the venue's official channels before booking to confirm how they accommodate specific restrictions — a kitchen operating at this level and sourcing this intentionally is generally well-positioned to adapt, but confirmation is on you.
There are no comparable Michelin-starred alternatives in Præstø itself — this is the reason to come to the town. If you want a similar seasonal, locally focused tasting menu in a smaller Danish setting, the comparison is more about geography than style. For Copenhagen-based alternatives at a comparable level, Koan and a|o|c offer distinct formats worth considering before you commit to the South Zealand drive.
Group capacity specifics are not available in current records. Frederiksminde is a small hotel-restaurant property in a small town — assume limited covers and limited private dining flexibility. For groups of six or more, contact the restaurant well in advance; a Michelin-starred room with a small footprint will not hold large parties without advance arrangement.
Yes, if the format suits you. The 'Essence' menu is built around seasonal, locally sourced ingredients — sea, shore, land, and nearby farms — with vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers as central elements rather than garnish. That approach is backed by consecutive Michelin stars and a We're Smart Green recognition. If you prefer à la carte flexibility, this is not the right venue.
The tasting menu is the format here — individual dish ordering is not the structure at a kitchen operating at this level. The 'Essence' menu is what earns the Michelin star and OAD ranking, so book around that. Specific current dishes are not available in advance records; treat the menu as chef-led and seasonal.
Yes, and more so than a Copenhagen city-centre restaurant for the same spend. The hotel property in Præstø gives you a setting that is quieter and more focused than a busy urban dining room — the OAD citation specifically references tranquility and authenticity alongside the food. For a milestone dinner where the full evening matters, not just the meal, this format works well.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
