Pricey, Seasonal Pies @ Copenhagen’s Surt

Last year I visited Copenhagen for the first time. While the city is synonymous with fine dining, pizza doesn’t really come to mind when you think of “low brow” food in the city. Sure there are Danish hot dogs and bakeries abound. But you don’t see many slice joints around the city. I wanted to try one pizza place while I was there and my research led me to Surt (Bag Elefanterne 2) a wood-fired Neapolitan-style spot. The pizzeria was opened in 2019 by a Sicilian-born chef and is known for its sourdough crusts and seasonality.

What’s Unique? To paint you a picture of Surt… it is the kind of pizza place that lists its suppliers on its website. That’s right. Rest assured, their pork products are sourced from pigs who “live an outdoor life in the picturesque Northern Funen” and their greens come from a farm that “uses vertical farming methods.” This attention to quality comes through in the final product: pizza. I’d heard that food was expensive before going to Copenhagen, but the sticker shock was still inevitable. The pizza we ordered (which was intended to feed one person) was the equivalent of $37 USD. My friend and I also ordered bread and a salad. The bill was $78. This is not abnormal for Copenhagen, but would put Surt up there with New York’s most expensive pizzerias.

What To Eat? There were five seasonal pies on the menu the night I was there and my friend and I opted to split a Hindsholm (Buffalo mozzarella, leeks, fermented chili, pork sausage, parmesan 30 months). Note that they were out of pork sausage, so replaced it with pepperoni cups. These are definitely personal pies and in retrospect, I wished we’d ordered a second pie. The Hindsholm was delicious — light and airy, with bonus points for the generous grind of parm to top it off. So many of the other pies sounded and looked delicious too including the Zucchine (Buffalo mozzarella, dry chili, mint, squash, garlic).

What To Know Before You Go? While I loved the food at Surt, the overall experience was uneven. The service was particularly slow (even by European standards). Sourdough focaccia took over 30 minutes to arrive at the table — and it didn’t entail any type of special preparation. It was just room temperature bread (albeit delicious room temperature bread). What I might remember most about Surt is the ceiling light that was shining directly in my face the entire meal (I had to put on a baseball cap). For a restaurant that places so much attention on the details of its food, this seems like an oversight. Sure, I could have complained. I could have moved seats. But at a restaurant that serves $37 pies, I would expect a stronger focus on hospitality.

Pricey, Seasonal Pies @ Copenhagen’s Surt

Last year I visited Copenhagen for the first time. While the city is synonymous with fine dining, pizza doesn’t really come to mind when you think of “low brow” food in the city. Sure there are Danish hot dogs and bakeries abound. But you don’t see many slice joints around the city. I wanted to …