Applaus and Nam behind: A new Spanish tapas restaurant is opening in Aalborg

Written March 7, 2022 kl 10:53 am by Shellie Boudreau

They have a total of five restaurants in Aalborg.

Now some of the city’s most experienced restaurant owners are opening another spot.

Aalborg can soon expect to dine at an authentic Spanish tapas restaurant, so there will be no need to fly south for the food and atmosphere. Instead, you can enjoy jamón serrano, chorizo, shrimp, calamari, seafood, and everything else from the Spanish kitchen.

Indeed Mads Hyllested and Kim Jeppesen thought Aalborg deserved a little bite of Spain.

Mads Hyllested is known for his famous restaurants Applaus and Bistro Dejavu, located by Ved Stranden.

Kim Jeppesen and Anne Menendez are known for Restaurant Nam on Vesterbro and Restaurant Menendez. The three of them also co-own Restaurant SMAEK.

Now they will open a delicious new place in April, and yes, the address will be “Ved Stranden.”

This is where five out of all six restaurants will be. Ved Stranden is home to most of these restaurants and is only a few hundred meters from each other.

Known for tapas already

The premises are already known for tapas. Perhaps you can recall that the address used to house the tapas restaurant CanBlau.

Since then, the sushi restaurant Yummi took over and was unfortunately struck by the Corona crisis. Thus, the premises needs a kick-start.

So when the opportunity presents a new restaurant will flourish, and we can look forward to dining at “Roxana,” the new Spanish tapas restaurant.

“We have always loved Spanish cuisine and especially enjoy sitting and trying several smaller dishes.

Our impression is that Aalborg is missing this experience, and the time is right for a Spanish tapas restaurant to blossom.

Many places in Aalborg offer some fantastic Italian cuisine, but there is little focus on Spanish tapas.

There are so many delicious Spanish tapas dishes and so many authentic options that would appeal to many – from Sangria to wine,” Mads Hyllested explains to MyAalborg.

Loads of inspiration from Spain

CanBlau created tapas that was a mix of Nordic cuisine, and they closed in Aalborg in 2019.

This means Restaurant Pingvin is the only place, which currently offers a tapas-like experience in Aalborg, but in their case it’s not Spanish.

This is why Mads Hyllested and Kim Jeppesen are opening a tapas restaurant with a sharp focus on Spanish cuisine. The plates will include inspiration from tapas bars from Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga, and many more.

“We spent considerable time travelling in Spain to gather as much inspiration as possible.

Our latest tour was in Madrid, and we are confident the people of Aalborg will be ready for Spanish tapas.

The price range will be so everyone can join, and we put together delicious menus with several servings so people can get a good all-round experience of Spanish tapas,” Hyllested says.

On the weekends, they plan to expand with cocktails and perhaps live music in the later hours.

“We hope to create a place of good food, drinks, and atmosphere with a little extra something for the mood. We will offer good deals on cocktails and wine so one can stay and enjoy the whole evening.

We can easily see evenings with live music or a DJ, so people can kick back, have fun and stay a few hours and soak in the Spanish vibes,” the well-known Aalborg restauranteur says.

Same street and same owners for restaurant number five

When the restaurant opens on the street Ved Stranden 5, this will mark the team’s fifth restaurant on the same street. The fifth restaurant will create incredible synergy, according to Mads Hyllested and Kim Jeppesen.

“Ved Stranden is the leading street for restaurants in Aalborg.

We can feel a massive flow of people passing by in the evening, and many people like walking in without a reservation.

It makes a lot of sense for us to open here, especially considering staffing, storage, and sharing of resources.

We can also refer guests to our other restaurants if we have a full house one evening.

So we are excited that all is going in the right direction, and we are aiming to open in mid-April if all goes according to plan.

We also hope that the people of Aalborg are open to the idea, appreciate the concept, and willing to join us for the evening and to see what we can offer,” Mads Hyllested says as his closing remark.