THEME: Restaurants

Which type of music should you play if you wish to enhance the taste of the spicy soup or delicious creamy chocolate you are serving? And what has bad acoustics to do with certain flavors?

Charles Spence, professor of experimental psychology at Oxford University, explains what the latest scientific research has uncovered about the intricate connections between our ears and our taste buds.

>> Read the interview and test your own musical taste

What do you get when you mix an office workspace with a coffee shop or café? The answer is a ‘coffice’.

The unique office environment Eminent, which is situated in the Malmö district of Hyllie, has such a coffice. Mixing work and relaxation requires considerable thought and care, explains one of the architects behind the project.

>> Read the interview

The headquarters of the Alnatura organic supermarket chain are located in Darmstadt, south of Frankfurt. And the office building – like the rest of the company – is anything but ordinary. This also applies – naturally – to the building’s restaurant.

In this interview, the interior designer Lena Götze from haas cook zemmrich STUDIO 2050 talks about the ideas behind the restaurant design.

>> Read more about the restaurant

If noise mars the dining experience, the restaurant’s overall rating may suffer, according to food writer Morten Vilsbæk, a member of the Danish food critics’ association Danske Madanmeldere.

Busy bistros and basement restaurants in particular should pay close attention to the acoustics.

>> Read the interview with the food writer

Anders Busk Faarborg – designer, TV presenter and owner of the design company All That Matters (ATM) – has designed the interior of the ÅBEN beer bar in the heart of Aarhus, Denmark’s second-largest city.

Here, home-brewed beer and the design of the bar go hand in hand. And considerable care and attention have also been devoted to the acoustics.

>> Read about the ÅBEN beer bar

After working as a chef in Japan, Mads Battefeld returned home to Denmark with the dream of establishing an authentic Japanese sushi restaurant.

Assisted by the architect Anni Baun Danielsen, he has now realised his vision in the form of the exclusive restaurant Sushi Anaba in Copenhagen’s Nordhavn district. The interior design is distinguished by its simple, raw look.

>> Read the interview with the architect

The food and wine scene in Aarhus is both vibrant and varied. From trendy cafés and wine bars in the cobbled streets of the Latin Quarter near the city centre to gourmet restaurants in the new Aarhus Docklands district.

This guide gives you an overview of eateries in Aarhus that – in addition to their gastronomy – have also gone out of their way to create a pleasant atmosphere with superior acoustics. Bon appétit!

>> See the guide

Copenhagen offers top-class food and wine – and a number of the city’s restaurants have made good acoustics part of the experience. A wise choice, because research shows that sound impacts our sense of taste.

See our guide to Copenhagen restaurants and cafés with superior acoustics. Enjoy!

>> See the guide

Culinary excellence, Danish designer furniture and black-painted Troldtekt acoustic panels were the key ingredients that Noma used for its pop-up restaurant near Sydney.

For ten weeks, the restaurant served specially developed creations with an authentic Australian identity. All the tables were reserved in just 90 seconds, and 27,000 would-be diners had to reconcile themselves with a place on the waiting list!

Imagine if recipes included not only a list of ingredients but also a recommendation for the best music to play while eating.

According to Charles Spence, professor of experimental psychology at Oxford University, acoustics, noise, and background music have a significant impact on the way our senses perceive what we eat and drink.

Having lived for five years on an old Dutch customs boat in Aarhus, Preben Hald and Tina Steen had the idea of running a café on the water. Such were their ambitions that they decided to buy a small ferry, and convert it into a restaurant.

After a total makeover lasting several months, the boat now has a professional kitchen, oozes charm and even boasts a public bar. Now, diners can board Black Louis (Sorte Louis) and enjoy food prepared with fresh Danish raw ingredients in a welcoming and friendly atmosphere.

Rising 106 metres into the air, the main tower at Christiansborg Palace – home of the Danish parliament, or Folketinget – occupies a prominent position in the Copenhagen skyline.

During its restoration, the architects became aware of the huge potential of the large tower room with its eleven-metre-high ceilings. The space has now been transformed into an exciting restaurant, with public access to a large viewing platform.