Does Michelin food, beautiful hotel stays and award-winning architecture come to mind when you think of Greenland? Perhaps not, but it should!
Greenland and the Disko Bay Area, in particular, Ilulissat has experienced quite an uprising in recent years. Danish travel writer and photographer Nana Hagel went on a whirlwind trip experiencing the best in gastronomy, architecture, and culture of Greenland’s West Coast.
Ilulissat, which is one of the destinations within the Disko Bay area offers a variety of experiences.
Keep reading as she shares her top 5 must do’s in Ilulissat in the Disko Bay Area — and yes, there will be both ice fjord sailing and a meal with a view.
1. The World’s Most Remote Michelin Restaurant Koks Moves to Greenland
A two-starred Michelin meal on the verge of the ice fjord? It sounds like quite the experience, doesn’t it? Wait until you hear about the only way to get there: by boat sailing through iceberg-filled Disko Bay. In the small settlement of Ilimanaq, the world-known Faroese restaurant KOKS (run by head chef Poul Andrias Ziska), moved into one of two painstakingly restored historical houses from the 1700s. They serve a menu consisting of both familiar and new ingredients; all of them found in the landscapes and sea surrounding the restaurant. The 17-course menu is uncompromising in taste, aesthetics, and storytelling, and you have to be quick to secure your table in this last season of 2023. It’ll be a dining experience of a lifetime.
2. A Stay with a View
Ever wondered what it’s like to spend the night front row to the ice fjord? A few minute’s walk from KOKS, Ilimanaq Lodge consists of 15 architect-designed cabins with a cosy atmosphere and everything you need to wind down after the memorable meal at KOKS. The wooden cabins are designed to beautifully blend it with their surroundings, and at the foot of the cabins is a small bay where the courageous visitor can go for a morning swim. There’s no mobile reception or wifi, but I promise, you won’t need it. The reception is located in the neighboring house to KOKS, and there’s even a small grocery store selling necessities and locally produced souvenirs.