Molskroen

You are met by idyllic surroundings when you step into the three‑winged yellow timber‑framed inn with bright rooms and a view of the water. The hospitality is discreet but ever‑present and meticulously arranged from the presentation of the champagne wagon to the coffee with the well‑chosen after‑dinner drink. An extravagant six‑course menu with everything included costs 2600 kr., which is what one calls a find in this masterclass. The six dishes are today crab salad, steamed plaice, lobster, beef Wellington, cheese dish and strawberry tart, but behind the classic names of the menu hide small gems of good ideas for rethinking. The crab salad is one of the evening’s highlights, with crab meat mixed with ramsons mayonnaise, covered by a paper‑thin layer of cucumber and garnished with lightly bitter small leafy greens and a perfectly matching spoonful of salt‑enhancing osietra caviar. The fat, bitterness, cucumber’s special chlorophyll flavor and the caviar’s salt rise to a higher unity with the fine fruity sweetness of Saar Riesling Scharzhof 2018 from Egon Müller. Overall, the match between wine and food is perfect. For example, the special structure and bitterness in our 2014 Loire rosé glass does something magical with the green peas and a green herb sauce of lemon balm, lemon verbena and parsley, both included in the slightly more modest plaice serving. Many of the dishes are classic, but each has a twist that is both tasty and inspiring, such as the generous appetizers offering half a raspberry with caviar, crown and buttermilk or a perfectly small bao with subdued Indian lamb curry and raita. The three appetizers are where head chef Steffen Villadsen plays and lets the world bring inspiration, e.g., a perfectly creamy pork knuckle with crispy corn kernels, wheat berries and chili. Otherwise, the menu ensures that classic dishes are not diluted, but local vegetables are incorporated in large quantities, with flavors faithful to the fine tastes of the raw ingredients. The menu’s second major highlight is an interpretation of Unika cheese Havgus, served with hazelnuts, browned butter sauce and a good amount of garden herbs. Together with the white glass of Bourgogne 2014 from Leroy, the cheese course becomes a match made in heaven of richness and umami that meets the wine’s own notes with fresher sharpness. It is a meal that satisfies, so halfway we are sent on a walk to the water with a small glass of Taittinger champagne to digest, and later, to make room for dessert, we receive a tour of the wine cellar, which offers crown jewels from both Burgundy and Bordeaux in vintages that are almost indispensable. An evening of goodness with masterful food, excellent wines and service completes the perfect inn experience.