Sønderho Kro

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

Take the ferry to Fanø, drive south until the road meets the Wadden Sea dike, and you arrive at Sønderho Kro – an inn that has stood in what is described as Denmark's most beautiful village since 1722. The building is intact and authentic in a way that few places in the country can claim, its low-ceilinged rooms carrying three centuries of hospitality without a trace of theme-park nostalgia.

A Place Shaped by Its Surroundings

The kitchen's philosophy flows directly from the landscape outside the door. As the restaurant puts it, the focus is on "the season, the sea and nature", with lamb and local highland cattle in supporting roles. Suppliers are local, the terroir is Fanø's own, and the traditional cooking of the Fanø islanders – the fannikernes kitchen – provides both inspiration and anchor. It is a form of regional Danish cooking that stands in deliberate, confident contrast to what you find in the cities.

The White Guide has recognised Sønderho Kro at Masters level, noting that the Wadden Sea, the salt meadows and the historic village together create a uniquely picturesque setting for excellent meals – and that the inn's combination of calm, nature, culture and local larder makes it something genuinely apart.

Low Ceilings, Serious Food

Guests eat in the inn's characterful old rooms, where the atmosphere does much of the work. The restaurant offers breakfast, lunch and dinner, and the calendar has included special evenings such as a lunch concert with local folk music paired to a six-course menu, and seasonal celebrations that draw on the same regional Danish cooking traditions that define the everyday menu. Wine pairing is available, and the inn also accommodates overnight stays for those who want the full experience of waking up beside the marsh.

The Village as Context

Stepping outside, the inn sits directly against the dike, a few paces from views over the tidal flats and their birdlife. The narrow paths between the old sea captains' houses wind through a village where time moves at a different pace. That sense of place – unhurried, rooted, genuinely remote – is not incidental to the food. It is the point.