This is the kind of experience that makes it worth rearranging a plan you already had. This is the kind of experience that makes life worth living. Fyrkroen restaurant (literally translated as Lighthouse Inn) on the coast of Gilleleje is not a Michelin-starred restaurant, but it doesn’t need to be. It’s fancy enough that it never even crosses your mind that you came to the wrong place. And the setting, the view… well, that alone makes it worth coming here.
Fyrkroen Restaurant and the View
There are restaurants where the setting and the view are phenomenal, and there are others where the food is the real star. Fyrkroen belongs to that rare group of little gems where both do their job beautifully. Still, let’s start with the view, because I think that’s the real magic of this restaurant. And even if you’re only somewhere nearby, this is the reason you should absolutely come here.
Fyrkroen is located in the Danish fishing village of Gilleleje, about 3 kilometers from the harbor and the center, right on the coast. If I say the culinary experience comes with an incredible view, I think I’m actually underselling the setting.
We actually ended up here completely by accident, through several little twists. At Gilleleje’s famous lighthouse, the museum attendant mentioned that there was another, older lighthouse a few hundred meters away. We came to see that, and that’s how we stumbled upon this gem.
Fyrkroen doesn’t just have lighthouse in its name (fyr means lighthouse in Danish, and kro means inn or tavern), the restaurant itself is literally located at the foot of the old tower. When it’s open, you can climb up the old lighthouse, and from there you don’t just see the sea, but also look directly down onto the restaurant.
But sea and view—at Fyrkroen, these two speak for themselves. There are, of course, indoor tables for worse weather, but I can’t imagine anyone skipping the huge terrace, even on a windy Danish afternoon. Around Gilleleje, the coast sits quite high, rising a good 15–20 meters right above the sea. Fyrkroen is located right here. So you don’t simply look at the sea; you enjoy the whole menu from above, almost as if from a lookout point. And I’ll tell you, the view is still impressive even if you don’t get a table right by the railing.
The Menu
Fyrkroen doesn’t have a huge menu; the selection is mostly seafood. As a fairly traditional Danish restaurant, they serve practically everything in Smørrebrød form. This is a popular Danish open-faced sandwich where the bread basically plays a marginal role, while the huge toppings—often piled up like a little tower—are what really matter.
Extra point for Fyrkroen: they not only had gluten-free bread for the base of one smørrebrød, but they could also prepare the fish with a gluten-free coating. If you’ve ever tried eating out in Denmark with special dietary needs, you know that around here, this is still a big deal.
What We Ate
Both of us actually ate almost the same dish, only thanks to the thoughtfulness mentioned above, one was made with a traditional coating and the other in a gluten-free version—including the bread.
On the thin, dense slice of Danish bread, there was a crispy fried plaice fillet, and then two different toppings. In the regular version, mayonnaise and shrimp; for the gluten-free version, we ordered it with Danish remoulade sauce. By the way, all of these—the pairings, the remoulade, and the extremely loaded sandwich served on a slice of bread—are very popular in Denmark.
Even if I try to ignore the view—not to mention the very merciful and pleasant May Danish sunshine—I can still say that the food was heavenly. I wouldn’t call these sandwiches, because I think in most parts of the world, that word brings up a completely different image from what arrived on the plate here.
Where Fyrkroen Is Located
Fyrkroen restaurant is located next to Gilleleje, directly on the coast. Since it sits a little outside town, it’s easiest to reach by car.
But it’s not impossible on foot either—it’s about a 30-minute walk from the center of Gilleleje—and that’s how we came here. If you don’t have a car but don’t want to walk that much, the main road is about a 10-minute walk away, and from there bus 362 takes you straight into town. (Buster app for tracking buses: iOS or Android.)
For the full and current menu and opening hours, see the restaurant’s official website.
Fyrkroen Pictures
And here I’m sharing a few more pictures of the incredibly atmospheric Fyrkroen restaurant.
