Let me start off by saying that I am terribly sorry that these pictures do such a horrible job of portraying the intensity of the scrumptiousness that was these pizzas…
Before going to Copenhagen I had made up a list of “must visit” places. Some were tourist attractions, others were food or coffee places that I had either seen in Somebody Feed Phil, read about, or, in the case of Baest, been told about by a friend of a friend.
To be honest, I didn’t have very high hopes for this place. I love the pizza in Boston & when I need something a little different, New York is just a quick 45 minute flight away.
I was in Denmark, how good could this actually be?
Please see picture below for the answer…
Best. Pizza. Ever.
I’ve eaten a LOT of pizza, so I do not dish out that title lightly. This pizza seriously gave me life (which I needed the first night I went since Carlsberg Brewery messed me up a little…)
A Little Bit About Copenhagen
Prior to my trip I did an obnoxious amount of research on Copenhagen. Normally I just kind of fly by the seat of my pants, but I also normally go somewhere that has been on my bucket list for years. This destination was seriously only chosen because it was cheaper than flying to Santa Fe, so research was definitely needed.
I learned that Copenhagen is one of the most sustainable countries in the world and, thanks to the chefs at Noma as well as other chefs helping to redefine Nordic cuisine, a lot of restaurants were making the switch to source their goods locally.
Baest is one such place.
Their sourdough crust is made in-house with locally-sourced flour.
Most of their cheeses are made (in-house) with milk sourced from cows only 40km away.
To top it all off: their charcuterie is also made in-house! Although sadly I did not have a chance to try it.
Baest is definitely the definition of “hyggelicht”. For those of you that don’t know what “hygge” is (and I’m guessing that’s most of you), hygge has been described as “good times with good people in good places”. Think having hot cocoa by the fire with your loved ones, grabbing coffee at a local coffee shop with friends, or snuggling under a warm blanket during a snowstorm with candles lit everywhere.
Baest is relatively dark with warm glowing lights, people are seated family style and close together, & the temperature is pretty toasty.
Also, unrelated to hygge, I was obsessed with this random poster of Obama.
While in Copenhagen, I developed a new habit: I made every single food choice by asking the waiter, “What’s your favorite thing on the menu?” Baest was no exception, though the answers I was given shocked me a little bit.
Night 1:
“Which pizza is your favorite?”
“Hmmmm…number one.”
“Cool, I’ll have that.”
“Well I should warn you, there’s more sauce than the other pizzas so you’ll definitely need to use both hands…and you may get messy…”
“Even better!”
So surprise 1 was that this was his favorite because 1.) it is one of the two cheapest options on the menu and 2.) it’s honestly a pretty basic sounding pizza…
Before I describe the pizza to you, I need to tell you about Night 2:
“Which pizza is your favorite?”
“Oh definitely the number 1! But you need to get it with the straciatella.”
Two different nights, two different waiters. That, my friends, was surprise number 2.
The pizza is described on the menu as, “tomato, garlic, oregano, and olive oil”; sounds pretty boring, right?
Wrong. So incredibly wrong.
I feel like this deliciousness needs to be described in layers.
Layer 1: The Crust
I am pretty loyal to thin crust; I just feel like the star of the show should be the toppings and a thicker crust takes away from that. Sorry.
The house-made sourdough crust was kind of like a medium crust. It was so unbelievably flavorful, moist, and ever so slightly chewy. I’m pretty sure you could just serve me this crust plain and I would be perfectly satisfied.
Layer 2: The Sauce
Waiter 1 was right: there is definitely a lot of sauce on this pizza. But it’s delicious and tastes so unbelievably fresh. Honestly…it might be better than your nonna’s Sunday gravy. (Relax, I said maybe.)
Layer 3: The Straciatella
Holy mother of God. Where do I even begin?
I didn’t even know what straciatella was until this pizza, but now I’m not sure any other straciatella will ever be able to compare to Baest’s. Straciatella is basically the inside of burrata cheese; it is a soft cheese made of cow’s milk and it is so deliciously sweet and salty. Because it’s so soft (and I’m guessing because it is also made in-house) it makes the pizza a little soupy. It sounds kind of gross, but hear me out! As you go to take a bite, the cheese naturally starts to drip. While some will definitely drip down your hand, it also spreads itself evenly across the entire pie.
Pro Tip: Try your best to get all the excess drips onto the plate, then you can dip the crust into it. You’re welcome.
Want more delicious food in Copenhagen (that won’t break the bank)? Read about the best kebab in Copenhagen here!
Looking for somewhere to drink the night away after this incredible pizza? I HIGHLY recommend Balderdash!
Mad Hatters NYC says
That pizza looks incredible!!!!