A Hidden Courtyard, a French Kitchen and Nearly Fifty Years of Stories

Not every great restaurant announces itself. Some of the finest tables in the world are tucked away down a cobblestone alley, behind an unmarked door, in a courtyard that most of the city doesn't know exists. Restaurant l'Alsace is exactly that kind of place – and for golfers visiting Copenhagen, an evening here is one not to be missed.

Follow Ny Østergade away from Kongens Nytorv and slip into the narrow passage of Pistolstræde. Within a few steps, the city noise fades and you find yourself in one of Copenhagen's best-preserved 18th-century courtyards – all cobblestones and half-timbered façades, with buildings dating to the early 1700s. This is where l'Alsace has stood since 1978, and the setting alone is worth the visit.

In summer, the courtyard becomes one of Copenhagen's most coveted outdoor tables. Guests dine under a canopy of greenery surrounded by cobblestones and 18th-century façades – an atmosphere that feels closer to Colmar or Strasbourg than the Danish capital. When the weather turns, as it will, a beautifully covered terrace with panoramic windows onto the courtyard keeps the charm intact year round. Further inside, the restaurant unfolds through a series of intimate rooms and vaulted niches, past the warmth of a working kitchen, up to a bright mezzanine overlooking the street below. At every turn there is art, old photographs and the quiet sense that this place has lived a rich life.

Nearly Half a Century of French Hospitality

The story begins with an Austrian, Franz Stockhammer, who moved to Copenhagen for love and opened a restaurant for passion. He chose the cuisine of Alsace – France's easternmost region, where the Rhine marks the border with Germany and the food reflects centuries of competing cultures. It was an inspired choice. In the 1970s and 80s, Alsace was where many Danes first discovered French gastronomy on summer road trips south, and Franz brought that memory back to Copenhagen.

Today, visitors planning golf travel to Denmark can combine that same spirit of discovery with some of Northern Europe's finest courses.

Today the restaurant is run by his daughter, Josephine Stockhammer, who has grown up with it as a family legacy. Alongside her stands Franck Dietrich – born, raised and trained as a chef in Alsace itself, and one of Copenhagen's true gastronomic institutions. Franck is not simply a figure in the kitchen; he is the living connection between the restaurant's origins and its present. Regulars who have been coming for decades will recognise him immediately. Newer guests quickly understand why he matters. His knowledge of Alsatian wine and cuisine is encyclopaedic, his hospitality personal and warm.

In 2025, the celebrated Danish chef Thomas Rode joined as a gastronomic sparring partner – a testament to the respect l'Alsace commands within Copenhagen's culinary world, and a sign that this old institution is far from resting on its laurels.

The Kitchen: Where Alsace Comes to Life

Alsatian cuisine occupies a singular place in the French repertoire. It is not the butter-rich classicism of Normandy or the olive-scented cooking of Provence. It is robust, generous and rooted in rivers, forests and vineyards. At l'Alsace, that means river trout and pike-perch, wild game through the hunting seasons, fermented cabbage, pork and mustard, and the earthy depth of autumn mushrooms. Classics like choucroute garnie, coquelet au Riesling, escargots and tarte flambée sit alongside the restaurant's signature Plateau de Spécialités – a spectacular assemblage of regional delicacies that stands in a class of its own.

The menu is not frozen in tradition. Josephine and Franck have carefully modernised the cooking – lighter, more vegetable-forward where the times demand it – without erasing the soul of the region.

The result is a menu that feels honest and alive, anchored in craft and delivered with care. Restaurant l'Alsace sits comfortably within Copenhagen's broader culinary scene, which has made the city one of Europe's most exciting food destinations.

And the wines. Alsace produces some of Europe's most distinctive whites – Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris and Sylvaner – and the wine list here does them full justice. Few restaurants in Copenhagen match this depth of knowledge when it comes to the wines of northeast France.

A Wine Tasting Dinner – Arranged for You

For golf visitors who want to go beyond a regular dinner, Golf Travel Denmark can arrange a dedicated wine tasting dinner at l'Alsace. Guided by Franck Dietrich's exceptional expertise, this is an evening that combines the finest Alsatian wines with a specially curated menu – an immersive journey through the region's flavours, matched glass by glass. It is the kind of evening that makes a golf holiday to Denmark truly unforgettable, and one that guests consistently remember long after the last putt has dropped.

At Golf Travel Denmark, we don't just book tee times – we create unforgettable moments.

From championship tee times and hotel accommodations to gourmet dining experiences like a private wine tasting dinner at Restaurant l'Alsace – we handle every detail. Let us design your complete Copenhagen golf package.