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More than 60 of the world’s leading chefs gathered in Copenhagen for a rare global culinary collaboration, cooking side by side and sharing ideas about the future of gastronomy.
All participants were ranked among the Top 100 on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. The event, titled CONVERGENCE, took place at Restaurant Alchemist and brought together chefs from 26 countries for several days of discussions and signature dishes.
The gathering built on a brilliant culinary legacy that began in the Danish capital more than a decade ago.
Noma, based in Copenhagen, was named World’s Best Restaurant five times and became one of the most influential establishments in the history of the ranking. Its focus on hyper-local Nordic ingredients helped spark the New Nordic movement.
“Copenhagen changed my life,” said Santiago Lastra, founder of London’s KOL, currently ranked No. 49 in the world. “I heard about Noma and about new Nordic cuisine when I was a young cook… everything was just incredibly new, you know? From rhubarb juice to sea buckthorn to wild ramson capers and elderflower butter. It was just unbelievable.”
Lastra was among the many chefs who once came to Copenhagen to learn – and who returned for CONVERGENCE as peers rather than protégés.
The initiative was led by Rasmus Munk, founder and head chef of Alchemist, ranked No. 5 on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list for 2025 and recently named World’s Best Chef at The Best Chef Awards.
Addressing the room of internationally acclaimed chefs, Munk said: “It is quite emotional to see so many people here, that I respect for so many years and I thank you so much for coming.”
For Chilean chef Rodolfo Guzmán, founder of Boragó and ranked No. 23 in the world, Copenhagen has now become a reference point for global dining.
“Especially coming to Copenhagen – I think it’s a food capital now,” he said. “Very excited to be here with this idea of bringing us all together and get to share, get to learn from each other. That is all gastronomy is about.”
He added: “The way gastronomy has been evolving, it’s never been to this point ever. Probably gastronomy is reaching something like architecture… 40 or 50 years ago, you would never see the chef outside the kitchen. Nowadays, chefs are everywhere.”
Peru’s Mitsuharu “Micha” Tsumura, chef and founder of Maido in Lima – ranked No. 1 in the world for 2025 – described the current era as uniquely collaborative.
“The CONVERGENCE event is one of the examples of what is going on with gastronomy today, which is gathering, sharing knowledge,” he said. “I think we should feel really happy about what is going on with the food scene right now… this was not happening 30 years ago.”
Can gastronomy become an art form?
Beyond the kitchens, the event also signalled a wider cultural goal. Denmark’s Minister of Culture, Jakob Engel-Schmidt, announced during the gathering that the country would explore whether gastronomy could be officially recognised as an artistic expression.
“Therefore I have decided to explore whether Denmark officially can recognize gastronomy as an artistic expression,” he said.
Following the event, several chefs presented their signature dishes across Copenhagen restaurants, offering diners a rare opportunity to experience some of the world’s most influential kitchens in one city.