Noma comes to Los Angeles

COPENHAGEN. Noma is moving to Los Angeles for 16 weeks this spring. According to a statement, it will be based in Silver Lake from 11 March to 26 June "to cook, listen, learn and create a work deeply rooted in this place." A Noma Projects shop is to open in Silver Lake, where various events will be organised with partners. This will involve collaboration with chefs, artists and communities. The project will also be documented on film.

This season, the cuisine will be influenced by what the region has to offer – the Pacific Ocean, the mountains, the desert and the vast distances in between. "We take the time to get to know the ingredients, producers and traditions, and let ourselves be guided by what ends up on the plate, filtered through our imagination and the expertise we bring with us from Denmark," the announcement states. Bookings open on 26 January at 9 a.m. local time. The menu, including accompanying drinks, service and taxes, is expected to cost $1,500.

Noma LA will donate 1% of the proceeds from public bookings (excluding taxes and refunds) to professional training and community dinners for school districts in and around Los Angeles. The initiative is being implemented by the non-profit sister organisation MAD in collaboration with Brigaid and its dedicated chefs to support schools in transitioning to healthier, home-cooked meals. The communal meals bring students, families and educators together and recognise the important role that school meals play in children's health, learning and sense of belonging.

In collaboration with the Culinary Careers Programme (C•CAP), Noma LA offers mentoring, training and practical experience to alumni and students from disadvantaged communities. The partnership includes on-site training opportunities for students and paid positions for selected C•CAP alumni. This initiative aims to provide hands-on mentoring and nurture the next generation of culinary professionals. The goal is simple: to create access, confidence and curiosity for those at the beginning of their culinary careers – and to show them what is possible in this craft. Noma's non-profit sister organisation MAD is bringing its signature blend of innovative ideas and community building to Los Angeles in spring 2026, joining forces with the local food scene to shape a better future for cuisine. There will also be a table for food professionals. This opportunity is aimed at professionals up to the age of 25 who work in the restaurant or hotel industry in Los Angeles.

René Redzepi explains the choice of Los Angeles as a temporary location for Noma: "There are melting pots of cultures, and then there is LA. It is an epicentre for culture, art and entertainment with one of the most interesting and dynamic food scenes in the world. In a single place, we can discover ingredients from communities around the world, sometimes even on the same street. And then, of course, there's the landscape – the Pacific Ocean, the deserts, cutting-edge regenerative agriculture, all just a few hundred kilometres from the city. Coming to LA as a team means entering a new creative playground for us. There is a sense of possibility, a journey into the unknown, with the hope of experiencing the power and creativity that comes from the collaboration of different crafts, perspectives and disciplines more intensely than ever before. We are going to LA to cook, create and see what is possible." He is looking forward to the diversity of ingredients in the region. "From the Pacific Ocean to the deserts and valleys – the depth, knowledge and dedication of those who work with this landscape are simply extraordinary. This next chapter also offers us something we greatly appreciate: a challenge. It's the biggest project we've ever undertaken as a team – not only in a new city and a new location, but we're bringing our entire universe to Los Angeles: a 16-week residency, a Noma Projects shop and MAD. We look forward to meeting new and old friends, working with the local community and seeing (and tasting) the city through their eyes."

The menu will be new, but typical of Noma. "It is our declaration of love for this region, for what we feel and taste here – seen through the eyes of a team that is lucky enough to be able to cook here for a while. To bring this menu to life, we are exploring everything within a 480-kilometre radius of Los Angeles, visiting unexpected places and trying things we have never tasted before. For the first time ever, we are rebuilding our test kitchen pantry completely from scratch, with hundreds of flavours that we are developing locally," explains René Redzepi.

Regarding the future of Noma after its stay in Los Angeles, the restaurant explains: "Our future holds a number of exciting projects and new ways to experience Noma beyond the restaurant. This will allow us to share the knowledge we have gathered over the past two decades more widely and effectively than ever before. Serving our guests will be one of many equally innovative expressions of Noma that enrich each other, as will Noma Projects, Noma Kaffe, MAD, publications, media activities, new research, explorations and cross-industry collaborations. Building on this, we will expand our work in the coming year with a new initiative – one that has grown quietly since the initial idea for Noma and will shape our work for decades to come.”