Marchal restaurant can be found located inside the beautiful Hotel d’Angleterre in Copenhagen. Having heard exceptional things, we were delighted to be visiting and to have an opportunity to find out for ourselves what it was like; and it is our pleasure to confirm that this restaurant is a very special place indeed.
The interiors are opulent and elegant, with a relaxing colour palette of light blue, grey and beige hues with accents of purple. With the tables adorned with crisp white linen and polished cutlery, the interior design of this restaurant really sets a flavour of what is to come. This restaurant is a great achievement of Jean Marchal and Maria Coppy, a couple of joined forces to create a restaurant that later developed into this wonderful hotel.
When we arrived we were greeted by a friendly member of the team who showed us promptly to our table. We were lucky enough to be seated on a table that had great views through the pass and into the kitchen, which allowed us to watch the Chefs creating wonderful dishes.
To begin our evening, we indulged in an aperitif of two fine glasses of Billecart-Salmon Brut Rose NV Champagne, which we sipped whilst enjoying a couple of choices from their snacks menu, including two of their Perle blanche oysters "Bloody Mary" with Piment juice, celery and Tabasco served on ice; as well as the mousse of duck liver, pepper, grapefruit and apricot. These small delights were decadent and full of flavour and set us up very nicely indeed for our meal ahead.
“The service throughout our entire evening at Marchal was by the book, and we were left wanting for nothing.”
As starters, I went for the sole with Jerusalem artichokes, margamotte and sauce blanquette. The fish was simply divine and cooked to absolute perfection. My partner decided on the lobster with pumpkin, pickled orange zest and ginger beurre blanc. This interesting flavour combination worked exceptionally well, with the zesty citrus flavours working in harmony with the lobster and buttery sauce.
For our main courses, we simply had to share their famous dish titled "Canard a La Presse", which is for two people to share. For those of you who have no idea what this title means, it essentially consists of fried duck breast served with a duck jus. Prepared tableside, the entire duck carcass is pressurised with a screw to squeeze out the blood. The blood is caught in a silver gravy boat and is used in the sauce for the dish. The experience of this dish is a theatrical performance, resulting in some of the finest cuisine we had the pleasure to experience whilst in Copenhagen. If you want to be wowed then this is the dish for you, it really is a memorable experience.
For dessert, I decided on the Panna Cotta with vanilla and blood orange granite. My partner went for the dark chocolate mousse with cherries, caramel, candied almonds and cherry sorbet. These desserts were wonderfully presented, indulgent, rich and delicious; everything one could wish for in a dessert. As our wine choice, we opted for a bottle of 2012 Famille Perrin Chateauneuf-du-Pape Les Chapouins Vieilles Vignes, Rhone, France, which is an exceptionally well balanced wine that certainly hit the spot; with lots of red berry flavours and a great depth.
The service throughout our entire evening at Marchal was by the book, and we were left wanting for nothing. In fact, the entire experience was faultless from the dishes to the drinks and even the atmosphere. We were really rather impressed by this restaurant and would highly recommend it as an excellent choice should you find yourself in Copenhagen. We simply cannot wait to return.