Described simply as the modern Italian restaurant in Copenhagen BRACE offers it’s diners an exclusive taste at Italian Nordic infused dishes created by the highly regarded and internationally recognised chef Nicola Fanetti.
Nicola grew up in Northern Italy where he soaked up the culture and traditional cooking, he pursued developing his culinary skills and it was here he studied at the renowned Italian school ALMA, where some of the best chef’s in the world have been born.
He then moved to Denmark and rooted himself as the cofounder of BRACE in 2017, a restaurant which respects the environment priding itself on sustainability, fresh cooking and guidance by nature with its micro seasonal menu changes, the Italian dishes are supported by local Nordic suppliers who share the restaurants sustainable, nature-led values.
We found out more about Nicola’s inspiration for BRACE, delving into the values of the restaurant and his own personal passion for cooking.
Nicola pictured above, all below photos feature the dishes and restaurant
When did Nicola realise he wanted to be a chef?
Nicola explains that he wasn’t born with the passion but his hobbies and habits influenced by his grandparents lead him down the culinary route, he said: “I have matured with the desire to be a chef overtime, since I was a child my habits and enjoyment related to gastronomy.
“I have a lot of memories from my childhood related to it which have projected me to my current passion and profession.
“I remember my walks in the woods with my grandparents picking wild herbs which I really enjoyed doing, I always liked discovering something new that we would then use in the kitchen shortly after.
“It is a practice that I still continue to do here in the Danish woods, giving me the same feeling of that time.
“I have always enjoyed eating well and making others eat well; I've always liked doing it by taking what was normal in home cooking a little to the extreme.
“All this, combined together, gave me the input necessary to transform a passion into a real job.”
What was his inspiration for BRACE?
BRACE has been an award winning restaurant for the past four years and was recognised as the first Italian restaurant that is rooted in Nordic taste and style, Nicola said: “After years of sacrifices, studies and experiences around Italy as well as here in Copenhagen I wanted to create something that didn’t exist in the city.
“I took inspiration from my Italian origins for the food and wine, and techniques I have observed since I was a child such as processing and preservation. I mixed this with the style, care for research of raw materials and the Nordic taste that I’ve been fascinated with ever since moving here.
“The overall inspiration is my own story, experiences, the people I met along the way professionally and personally and even today I am constantly being inspired.”
What was it about the Nordic approach that appealed to Nicola?
BRACE is recognised as an Italian Nordic infused restaurant, Nicola spoke about how the restaurant has been crafted in this way, he said: “Until not too long ago Nordic cuisine had almost no real traditions and mainly foreign influences.
“Then there was a moment when the great pioneers of the cuisine gave birth to a new flow of thoughts and consciousness towards food.
“They gave an importance to something different, the respect for the link between food, seasons and nature. In some ways they have been heavily inspired by our healthy, balanced and seasonal Mediterranean diet.
“This principle has always felt right for me, and I felt it hugely when growing up. This is the start point of all the dishes me and the team create in the kitchen.”
What can customers expect when they come to the restaurant?
After the restaurant was shut for six months due to the pandemic BRACE welcomed customers back on the 18th May, Nicola shared the surprises and changes that customers have experienced since opening their doors again, he said: “All of our guests are currently united by the desire to know what we have managed to achieve and how, every time we open the doors the ‘wow’ effect takes place and we are so proud of it.
“The current atmosphere, the colours that characterise the dining room, the design that mixes with the Italian warmth of the service team, the kitchen overlooking the tables so that guests can see what happens in front of the stove, these are just a few of the aspects which our customers love.
“They expect an experience that is always better than the previous one, taking them to a different level of multi sensory.
“From the moment of the booking until the end of the evening our guests feel pampered, understood and totally satisfied.”
How are the dishes and restaurants sustainable?
BRACE prides itself on its sustainability, with thought going into the food, setting and uniform of the staff. Nicola explains: “We are always in search of absolutely local raw materials, from small producers or small companies which I discover from time to time and like to bring into the kitchen,
“Being sustainable also means respecting the climate, the seasons, the territory and never forcing the choice of what I buy with respect to what nature itself makes available to us.
“Our other big commitment is to try to minimise food waste, for example we make sure we use every single part of our ingredients. We also try to use our fruit and vegetable leftovers to make our much appreciated non-alcoholic pairings, for example we create Kombucha with coffee grounds.
“We also try to be sustainable in terms of our energy consumption, or water, for example we pay close attention to the recycling of glass bottles and to use plastic as little as possible.
“In addition to all of this our kitchen uniforms are made from old tablecloths from other restaurants and we have chosen not to use them on our tables, where in addition to this we also have on the tables small vases containing dried flowers.
“It’s not always easy to respect and be fully aware and convinced of this choice, but every time we succeed the satisfaction is really good!”
What does Nicola focus on when creating a new menu?
BRACE changes it’s menu eight times a year, in variation with the micro seasons, Nicola shared how he creates each menu, he said: “We use the variation of raw materials that the earth offers us. This philosophy of thought allows me to create menus in which the ingredients are at their best in their essence and quality and therefore become the real protagonists.
“At each change of menu I look for something new and something that I have never used before, and that the Danish territory with its small producers can introduce me to.
“I always start from the ingredients. Then it’s taste, test, experiment ...the right research combined with the necessary calm, to understand what to create and how to create it!
“Each season gives me, from time to time, something different that I am always able to fully appreciate. For example, in winter, I particularly like artichoke and pumpkin: in this period of the year the flavours become more complex and rustic.
“In summer, however, the dishes become decidedly fresher and more refined: we have all the new seasonal fruit and vegetables, juicy, fresh, more acidic; and it is precisely in this period that I prefer asparagus for example, or green peas. “It is always the ingredient that dictates the rule and the technique that best suits him. I like to use the processing that can give the best possible result with that particular product. This way, I can experience everything.”
Who and what inspires Nicola as a chef?
Nicola explains how he finds inspiration in everything, he said: “I get inspiration from
people who have taught me something professionally, as well as humanly; from my old experiences in different types of restaurants and from all the encounters I have had in each of them; it comes from the guests, from their reactions, from their appreciation and sometimes even from their criticisms… always very constructive for us.
“It comes from my team, from the comparisons I have with every single member of the kitchen, the dining room and the office… It comes from what we face every day, as a challenge as well as a new stimulus.
“It also comes from myself and from all the ambitions and projects that I intend to carry out. Everything around me is a point to reflect on and work on for me.”
What characteristics Nicola looks out for in chefs hoping to work with him?
BRACE is a sought after place of work for those with a passion in gastronomy, Nicola encourages a peaceful and calm workplace, he said: “My team, in every department of my restaurant, is made up of people with a thinking
mind. I don't like just having extra hands that work for me, but what I look for in every guy regardless of his background, is to be able to assert himself with ideas and with continuous comparisons.
“To get the best out of each of them, it is important to put them to the test, to make sure that they express themselves naturally and without forcing.
“I have long since abandoned the idea that in fine dining you have to have a military attitude towards your team, I rather preferred to create a peaceful and favourable environment for every type of person.
“I demand seriousness, professionalism, determination and education, but most of all I expect everyone to be an active part of the team and to make an important contribution to every single choice we want to make.”
What does the future hold for BRACE and Nicola?
Nicola shared his hopes for the future, he said: “I hope to achieve everything I aim to achieve, step by step and challenge after challenge, and to do it with the same passion and determination as always.
“With the new BRACE I hope to achieve even greater goals than the previous ones, with the urge to improve and perfect myself more every day.
“I also hope, and will work hard for this, to achieve recognition of being the best Italian restaurant in Denmark, increasing the sense of Italianness that belongs to us.
“I would also like to continue to be more inspirational to others, because that would mean having done something important and to be remembered for.
“I would also like to increase my business, even outside the restaurant itself and why not, start paying attention to social initiatives that can educate people, for example, on the importance of food and the quality of raw materials for healthy nutrition.”
