Who could possibly fill the gap left by London’s much-loved Danish restaurant, Lundum’s, which closed its doors in March? Young Danish-born restaurateur Charlotte Kruse Madsen tosses her name into the ring with the brand new Madsen, just a little further down Old Brompton Road, near South Kensington tube.
Ms Madsen trained with Copenhagen’s legendary Ida Davidsen, and together with head chef René Madsen (no relation, it’s like Smith in Denmark) has set herself up in a light, bright, Scandi-blondewood space with suitably Scandi-blonde staff.
Trust the Danes to stay cool even when getting warm – check out the
charming Danish rugs over the chairs on the little streetside terrace.
It’s enough to make you want to go outside and take up smoking.
But
I’ll stay inside, thanks, with a more Danish sort of smoking. Smoked
salmon smorrebrod with mayo and Greenland prawns (£8.50) is freshly
made, nicely presented and very clean-tasting, albeit with far too much
mayonnaise. Another sm’od of boiled brisket with creamed horseradish
(£6.50) is too dry, and a collection of snitter, or miniature open
sandwiches ( 3 for £8.50) is a bit too like jumped-up canapés to fill a
grown man.
For a huge Ida Davidsen fan like myself, it lacks the moist, juicy, generous, lightness of touch of Copenhagen’s most famous smorrebrod queen. So, gap narrowed, but not closed.
Madsen, 20 Old Brompton Road, South Kensington SW7 Tel: 020 7225 2772 www.madsenrestaurant.com
snobbish place. Headchef can't cook as well as his younger sous chefs. A pity but true.
Posted by: Thomas | Friday, 30 October 2009 at 01:32 PM