Tartaaaaareee: A guide to Aalborg’s best tartare

Minced beef that is eaten raw. That is in short what the word “tartare” covers.

Perhaps you are amongst those who shy away from slightly red or pink meats. Maybe you saw the episode where Mr. Bean had a most unpleasant serving of red meat.

The episode follows Mr. Bean’s hilarious attempt to get rid of the meat in the most creative and absurd measures – including the waiter’s’ trousers, the salt bowl, and in the bags of the restaurant’s guests.

The city’s best tartare?

If the Mr. Bean episode scared you for life, we understand. In any case, we aim to convince you to give this fantastic dish another chance.  There is a possibility that you will be pleasantly surprised.

Tartare is minced or thinly sliced beef, cut from the highest quality. The meat is entirely fresh, thus there is no risk.

Good Danish restaurants typically serve stirred tartar, seasoned to please.

In Aalborg, there is a range of restaurants serving tartare so we asked our talented friends from Gastromand to help guide our gourmet experience.

Our friends recommended the following locations: Prinses Juliana, Bistro Dejavú, Mortens Kro, Restaurant Struktur, Restaurant Fauna, and Bistro 59*.

So we set out on our gourmet experience Tour de Tatare in Aalborg.

NOTE: None of the restaurants in this guide paid us to visit or covered our bill.

“The one with the best side of fries”: Prinses Juliana

Prinses Juliana is North Jutland’s gourmet ship that floats alongside the harbour and serves exquisite cuisine.  Here you can order tartare for lunch or dinner.

Alfa omega is a tartare made from good-quality beef.  In this dish, tartare is cut from the tenderloin of Danish Jersey cows from Himmmerland.

Prinses Juliana serves their tartare in a classic style. The tartare is minced beef, rounded, and paired with a fresh vinaigrette salad. The vinaigrette has a good bite.

Juliana’s Tatar is stirred tartare, and the meat is cut more coarsely but is as soft as butter.

There is a delightful taste of tarragon flavour, and the dish is topped with large capers. Overall an incredibly light and fresh classic tartare dish.

… You should consider this tartare if you are in the mood to pair the meat with a satisfying potato– the option of fries complimented the dish perfectly and was one of the best we have tried.

These fries were seasoned perfectly and created a whole other experience by offering a soft yet crispy bite. There is also a good portion of aioli on the side. Yum!,

Where: Prinses Juliana, Vestre Havnepromenade 2, 9000 Aalborg
When: Lunch and dinner
Price: 189 kr. (including french fries and aioli)

“The pimped up one”: Bistro Dejavú

At Bistro Dejavú, they also use Jersey-tenderloin beef from Himmerland, but that is where the similarities stop.

Instead, Dejavú departs from the classic method of stirred tartare with capers, mustard, onions, cognac, etc.…

The fresh meat is cut coarsely and folded over in a pinch of salt and heavy Italian olive oil.

The dish is pumped up with toppings of egg yolk, cream of herbs, pickled onions, and chips. For the evening meal, the taste is rounded out with grated truffle and frozen foie gras.

“We transformed a traditional Danish-inspired tartare dish from the old days and pimped it up for a more modern experience,” the owner of Dejavú, Mads Hyllested, explained as we enjoyed the innovative version.

This innovative version flawlessly combines the five tastes (bitter, sweet, sour, salty, and umami). Once you taste, you will be hooked.

… You should choose this dish if you want a pure taste of the most delicate quality meat and feel like pampering your taste buds with foie gras and truffle delicacies.

Where: Bistro Dejavú, Ved Stranden 7D, 9000 Aalborg
When: Lunch and dinner
Price: 95 kr (lunch) / 125 kr. (dinner)

“The light one”: Mortens Kro

In Aalborg, Mortens Kro is synonymous with gourmet, but they know more than just serving delicious delicacies to those near and far.

At Mortens Kro, you can get some of the city’s best Danish-style open-faced sandwiches (smørrebrød), which you can enjoy there or as a takeaway.

The lunch menu has one of our absolute favourite rye-bread offers: homemade rye bread with stirred tartare made from beef thighs.

This favourite is topped with mustard cream, red beets, radishes and pickled onions, and hazelnuts.

The consistency of the tartare is fine. Very fine indeed. Just like pâté. The combination of the velvet-like tartar is matched with a crispy and freshly baked rye bread resulting in delicious bites.

The dish is carefully garnished with tweezer-like precision. The toppings are placed perfectly, ensuring every bite is exquisite.

… You should choose this tartar if you are experimenting with the dish for the first time. You will get a classic Danish rye bread and stirred tartare of fine quality.

Where: Mortens Kro, Mølleå 2-6, 9000 Aalborg
When: Lunch
Price: 75 kr.

“The classic one”: Restaurant Struktur

Restaurant Struktur in Vesterå has a formiddably amazing tartare. We do not need experts from Gastromand to explain as we are regular connoisseurs of this dish.

Here, at Struktur, you get a classic stirred tartare.  Coarsely cut with a good bite. The capers are large, and herbs are freshly abundant.

Moreover, the salad is an incredibly delicious side with a robust vinaigrette complementing the classic tartare.

At Struktur, french fries are included in the price, and we did not mind this as they are excellent.

Also, at Struktur, the meat is beef tenderloin from Himmerland, and the taste is clean and pure, as it should be.

… You should choose this tartar if you seek a classic tartare taste without frills or twists. 

Where: Restaurant Struktur, Vesterå 4, 9000 Aalborg
When: Lunch and dinner
Price: 195 kr. (with french fries and dip)

“The beautiful one”: Restaurant Fauna

Restaurant Fauna is a new shining star in Aalborg when it comes to cuisine. They have captured the attention of reviewers and guests right since their launch.

In the cozy and informal dining bar, you can buy their tartare all day.

There is no doubt that the tartare from Restaurant Fauna wins for best presentation. The dish is a beautiful work of art that ultimately makes a final debut in our bellies.

Yes, it tastes as good as it looks. The meat is beef tenderloin from Himmerland, and it is a coarse consistency is similar to traditional ground beef. The taste, however, is wholly and unexpectedly different.

The tartare is full of delicious flavors exciting our sweet, sour, salty, and umami taste buds.

The tartare is decorated with classic egg yolk, droplets of cream, edible flowers, and lots of herbs. Taste-wise, Fauna’s tartare is mild yet spiced just right.

… You should choose this tartare if you are prepared to post this dish on your #Instagram. Additionally, you should select this dish if you wish to experience how simple ingredients can taste great together.

WELL DONE! ( .. not the meat but the whole experience)

Where: Restaurant Fauna (Spisebaren), Musikkens Plads 1, 9000 Aalborg
When: The whole day
Price: 128 kr. (add french fries & aioli for 48 kr., purchase fried oysters for 38 kr.)

*Bistro 59 is closed due to renovations, and unfortunately, we could not experience their tartare for the guide – thus, a visit awaits in the future.