The story
At the end of a winding road through the forests of central Bornholm, Christianshøjkroen sits behind yellow brick walls and a red tile roof, looking every bit the classic Danish country inn. What sets it apart is the pair running it: Sofie Edlev Nielsen, whose great-grandfather built both the inn and the neighbouring community house Kyllingemoderen in the early 1900s, and Nikolaj Jeppesen, a chef who trained at the two-Michelin-star Kommandanten and went on to run the one-Michelin-star Restaurant Ensemble in Copenhagen. Together since 2023, they have brought that fine-dining background to bear on a place with deep local roots — and earned White Guide recognition at "Very fine level" for 2026 in the process.
Nikolaj describes his cooking as simpler and more personal than his earlier career might suggest — built on traditional techniques, high-quality local produce, and clean flavours, without compromise on quality. The menu reflects that balance. At lunch, the centrepiece is the Skovfrokost — a forest lunch celebrating the Danish smørrebrød tradition across three courses, featuring three kinds of house-made herring, house-cured delicacies from forest, field and sea, and something sweet, all served with home-baked rye bread and ølandshvede bread alongside house-made spiced fat. Individual open-faced sandwiches are also available, with the day's selection drawn from the sea and surrounding farmland.
The evening menu takes a more composed direction. Dishes such as lightly smoked scallop with red and green strawberries, a gin-and-tonic citrus note, and a main of summer venison with black onions, grilled celeriac and a rillette on mushroom toast show a kitchen at ease with both restraint and complexity. A blackcurrant tart with crème double, tonka and cocoa closes the meal.
The White Guide reviewer noted the inn's particular calm — muted, light-filled rooms where sunlight falls through the windows in a way that feels right for a place surrounded by old-growth forest. Guests often arrive on foot after walking the nearby trails, and the kitchen meets that appetite with substance. A draught beer from Svaneke Bryghus, a glass from the wine list, or one of the many snaps on offer at the bar complete the picture.
Sofie has rethought the interior to feel homely and unhurried. Tables are held without a time limit — the inn's stated philosophy is that guests should be able to pause, let time stand still, and enjoy the company and the food. That unhurried quality, combined with a kitchen shaped by some of Denmark's most demanding fine-dining environments, makes Christianshøjkroen something genuinely its own: a Danish inn that takes both its history and its cooking seriously.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
Christianshøjkroen is situated at the end of a winding little road in the middle of Bornholm. It exudes an idyllic charm with its yellow brick walls and red-tiled roof. Many people visit after hiking in the lovely nearby nature, which whets the appetite for the inn’s famous lunch. You step into softly lit, bright rooms where sunlight streams picturesquely through the windows. We are among the first guests and quickly notice how quiet it is. Yet it suits the forest and the setting perfectly, allowing us to relax. Besides four different types of smørrebrød, there is a seasonal soup and a four-course menu, which is also available in the evening. We dive into the smørrebrød and the white asparagus soup with freshly peeled prawns, accompanied by a large draft beer from Svaneke Bryghus. There is also a fine wine selection, and even though we aren’t having snaps, we can hear from the neighboring table that there is a wide variety to suit every taste. On a delicious, butter-toasted slice of hearty rye bread sits a generous mound of white asparagus, both cooked and raw, alongside smiling eggs, mayonnaise, blanched tomatoes, toasted potato skins, dehydrated onion rings, and plenty of herbs. In one bite, it tastes fantastic and is well-balanced in flavor and texture. However, it can be tricky to get everything in one mouthful given the number of components. The asparagus soup, by contrast, is rather plain, rich and creamy, featuring white asparagus and large local prawns—it feels somewhat one-dimensional. It lacks acidity to cut through the richness and enough salt to really make the flavors pop. Things don’t improve much either, as the tender new potatoes on the next smørrebrød weren’t boiled in sufficiently salted water. Salvation arrives with the final piece, showcasing gorgeous slices of local, rich, and smoked Baltic salmon, cut through by an array of pickled vegetables and a fresh, slightly bitter dill mayonnaise. For those with a sweet tooth, there are options including cake, petit fours, or dessert, but that will have to wait for another visit. Hopefully, next time, a bit more flavor will make its way into these magical surroundings.
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