Ruths Gourmet

Ruths Hotel in Skagen has changed its head chef on a yearly basis since Dennis Juhl opened Textur in Aalborg, but despite the revolving door's turbulence, the restaurant has managed to maintain its high standard. With Jack Cramer, who took over in the summer of 2019, at the helm, it is no exception. The restaurant itself also looks the same, with a bright, welcoming interior, a crackling fire in the fireplace, and the stiffest of stiffly starched waiters. All menus begin with a battery of snacks, somewhat contrivedly conceived as the Skagen painters' meal from breakfast to lunch, and it becomes a bit too much when, as the first guest, you hear the same and somewhat tired story at every single table. The main courses, however, are flawless. Salmon roe with smoked hollandaise is creamy comfort food, the crispy Skagen toast with shellfish salad is refreshing, and the turbot soup with popping trout roe and an Asian twist with lemongrass is a tasty little stroke of genius. The kitchen style sticks to classic ingredient combinations, but likes to add a small nuance. The flavor of the langoustine is intensified by searing the flavorful meat in its own stock, and the succulent creature sits on a bed of ripe cherry tomatoes, while a sauce of tomato juice, olive oil, garlic, and butter enhances the tomato flavor. Plenty of traditional deliciousness is twisted with a rosehip cream that gives a sour-sweet and perfumed overtone. In the glass is an American Pinot Blanc with a slightly tropical aroma that harmonizes really nicely with the rosehip and the ripe tomatoes. The main course's succulent poussin breast is stuffed with lobster coral, giving a faint underlying lobster tone. The bird is accompanied by carrots in various textures and a carrot ravioli filled with truffle and the poussin's confit legs. A rich hollandaise made with olive oil gives plenty of substance, but in a more subdued style than the butter-based version. The dish is finished with a good portion of freshly shaved truffle, and with a matching Californian Pinot Noir in the glass, it is pure, laid-back indulgence. The first of two desserts is called unripe berries and is a beautiful combination of green rhubarb and strawberries, pistachio, white chocolate mousse, and sorrel granité, and the dish plays beautifully with the balance between sweetness and acidity, confirming the kitchen's precision in seasoning. The service is very attentive, well-synchronized, and without a hitch, but the formality could benefit from being loosened up a little. The wine is handled brilliantly, and the wine list is put to good use for guests who wish to go beyond the otherwise fine wine menu. The overall experience at Ruths Hotel is still absolutely top-notch.

Ruths Hotel in Skagen has been changing head chefs annually since Dennis Juhl opened Textur in Aalborg, but despite the revolving door turbulence, the restaurant has managed to maintain its high level. With Jack Cramer, who took over in the summer of 2019, at the helm, it's no exception. The restaurant itself looks just like always, with a bright welcoming interior, the fire crackling in the fireplace, and servers in their crispest uniforms. All menus start with a battery of snacks, somewhat forcedly conceived as the painters of Skagen's meal from breakfast to lunch, and it becomes a bit much when, as the first guest, you overhear the same somewhat tired story at every table. The dishes themselves, however, are flawless. Vendace roe with smoked hollandaise is creamy comfort food, the crispy Skagen toast with shellfish salad is refreshing, and the wood sorrel soup with popping trout roe and an Asian twist of lemongrass is a delicious little stroke of genius. The kitchen style sticks to classic ingredient combinations, but preferably with a small nuance. The virgin lobster flavor is intensified by frying the tasty meat in its own stock, and the juicy creature rests on a base of ripe cherry tomatoes, while a sauce of tomato juice, olive oil, garlic, and butter amplifies the tomato taste. Plenty of traditional deliciousness twisted with a cream of rose hips that gives a sour-sweet and perfumed overtone. In the glass, there's an American Pinot Blanc with a light tropical aroma that harmonizes beautifully with the rose hips and ripe tomatoes. The main course's juicy poussin breast is stuffed with lobster coral, giving a subtle underlying lobster note. The bird is accompanied by parsnips in various textures and a parsnip ravioli filled with truffle and the poussin's confit thigh. A rich hollandaise made with olive oil provides plenty of substance, but in a more restrained style than the butter-heavy version. The dish is finished with a generous grating of fresh truffle, and with a matching Californian Pinot Noir in the glass, it's pure laid-back flavor indulgence. The first of two desserts is called 'unripe berries' and is a beautiful combination of green rhubarb and strawberries, pistachio, white chocolate mousse, and sorrel granite, playing beautifully with the balance between sweetness and acidity and confirming the kitchen's precision in seasoning. The service is very attentive, well-synchronized, and straight to the point, but it could benefit from loosening up the formality a bit. The wine is handled excellently, and the wine list is put to good use for guests who want to venture beyond the otherwise fine wine menu. The overall experience at Ruths Gourmet is still right at the top.