After a full day of sitting inside a darkened tent for the MAD Symposium held in Copenhagen, we were ready for a bit of sun and a meal where we could all sit down and chew over the material we had just spent 8 hours digesting.

Our group of seven hopped in two taxis and puttered past canals and boats, alongside all the bike commuters heading home from work, and evidently following a bunch of other Symposiasts to the wonderful little restaurant called Manfred’s & Vin.

We had heard it was going to be packed so we weren’t certain whether we would get a table or not. The weather was sunny and temperate and it seemed like perfect al fresco weather, so we semi-politely joined a table out front, turning the party of 3 into a party of 10.

Our good looking waiters counted heads, brought wine and started us off with a few nibbles while we waited on the food. It felt like a celebratory night, with colored lights hanging over head, white bubbles on our lips and pickled peaches in the olive bowl! I’ve only ever tasted these gems one other time but their  unique texture,is always incredibly surprising. They look like olives yet crunch like an unripe nectarine. I ordered more.

The food began, and what we thought was going to be a small, peckish meal, turned into an onslaught of dishes. But the food at Manfred’s is light and vegetable heavy. If the dish came with protein, it was a small portion. Dish after dish came out to the table, bright with summer colors and seasoned ever so minimally.

We sat outside for hours, the Nordic sun only starting to fade around 11pm. The long hours of sun trick your body into thinking sleep is for the wicked. So once it started to darken, we moved inside for a touch more wine and a simple dessert of cream and strawberries.

The food was surprisingly simple yet wholly satisfying. After at least ten courses, when at most other restaurants you would feel like waving the white flag in an uncomfortable surrender, we jauntily arose from our table and carried on in Danish fashion, skol’ing our way to a wine bar.

Manfred’s: http://manfreds.dk/