History

The restaurant is located in the oldest building in Copenhagen.

The restaurant is located in the oldest building in Copenhagen. Gothic arches, constructed more than half a millennium ago, lend the restaurant its medieval atmosphere. In ancient Danish texts the building is called Wingaard or Mynthergordt, and as Kong Hans – King Hans – minted coins in Copenhagen, this vineyard was probably also the site of the city’s first Royal Mint. What today is the cellar was then the ground floor. It must have been delightful, with a view of the Sound, islets and meadows. Three hundred years later H.C. Andersen lived under the roof of this house in Vingårdsstræde. In “Only a Minstrel” he writes about his small garret:” The view stretched over chimneys and roofs to the soaring church spire where the watchman patrolled. If the wealthy folk who lived beneath him on the first and ground floors had the whole of the merry street to themselves, he had the great vista of the heavens where the stars shone in the clear evening.” In this very building H.C. Andersen wrote, “Love in Nicolai Tower”.

The unique rooms became accessible and the old walls rang with new life when Lene and Sven Grønlykke opened Kong Hans Kælder in 1976.

Since the birth of Restaurant Kong Hans Kælder in 1976 the restaurant has aimed to be among the finest and best in Denmark. The vaulted ceilings give a unique and intimate atmosphere with solid wooden floors and romantic light from candles. From the beginning the idea was to create a classic luxury restaurant without being pretentious and snobbish. This is very much the core of Danish mentality and the restaurant was meant to be a place where the Danes wanted to dine, enjoy and relax. Now, so many years later, the restaurant still welcomes a lot of Danish guests even though the ever increasing number of visitors from all over the world is taking up more and more of the seats at Kong Hans Kælder.