Musling, Copenhagen, Denmark

If you ever needed proof that the Scandinavians ‘do’ minimalism better than anyone one else, you need only step into Musling, the new all-day diner from the people behind Copenhagen’s popular fish restaurant Kødbyens Fiskebars.

Converting the space from a former Chinese restaurant – itself located in an early 19th-century city-house – local designers Signe Bindslev Henriksen and Peter Bundgaard Rützou of Space (the sharpshooters responsible for NOMA’s interiors) have kept the palette small- all the better to focus the eye on the hardwood floor, high-table, streamlined barstools designed by Space, and burnished metal trim at the rugged iron-topped bar.

The diner’s location – in Israels Plads square, right in front of the rejuvenated Torvehallerne central food market – means that it’s quickly become a favourite for local foodies hankering for a slurp of oysters or, for something more substantial, teriyaki squid paired with black kale and sour cream, or bright orange piles of bleak roe served with potato, lemon and onions. This being Denmark, sustainable provenance forms the bedrock of Musling’s menu – there is no farmed fish, the greens are mostly organic and the wines natural. In the summer, the best seats in the house are by the open sash windows overlooking the square and food market.