tl;dr – News broke this week of several allegations of past physical abuse. Amex and Blackbird have also pulled out of an upcoming LA dinner series.
If you’re a regular reader of You Are Travel, you likely know I’m a big fan of fine dining ([1], [2], [3]. The big story in the fine dining world this week has been the resignation of Chef René Redzepi of Copenhagen’s NOMA – a one-time ‘Best Restaurant of the World’. Various outlets, including the New York Times, have reported on serious allegations of physical (and emotional) abuse on the part of Redzepi, directed towards several employees.
If you’re unfamiliar with René Redzepi or NOMA, here’s a little background. Redzepi is considered somewhat of a modern pioneer in the urban foraging movement and won much acclaim by incorporating hyper-local, wild, and urban ingredients into his dining experience at NOMA.
Many folks, myself included, remember Redzepi’s appearance on Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown back in 2013, where he was shown visiting city parks and streets, hunting for wild sorrel, ants, and berries, treating the environment as a “treasure hunt.”
NOMA was named World’s Best Restaurant five times by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2021. In the last decade, NOMA has taken several breaks from its Copenhagen spot, and the restaurant has done a number of residencies in other cities around the world as well, such as Kyoto. I’ve never sat down for a meal at NOMA, but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t on my ‘I’ll get to it eventually list.’ It no longer is.
The allegations of abuse sound, quite frankly, terrible. From the New York Times article, via Wikipedia:
“In 2026, a New York Times article detailed accusations of abuse from 35 former Noma employees: “Between 2009 and 2017, they said, [Redzepi] punched employees in the face, jabbed them with kitchen implements, and slammed them against walls. They described lasting trauma from layers of psychological abuse, including intimidation, body shaming, and public ridicule.” One female chef recalled being punched by him for using her smartphone to lower the volume of music at a guest’s request, such that she fell against a metal counter and was left on the floor, bleeding and in tears. Another alleged that Redzepi crouched out of view of patrons, just inside the kitchen, and stabbed workers in the calves and thighs with a barbecue fork as they entered from the restaurant floor for perceived inefficiencies of service. Redzepi also used his influence in the culinary world to threaten his employees and their families. According to the Times, Redzepi created an institutional culture of abuse that continued after 2017, and senior managers at Noma continually failed to address the mistreatment of employees and unpaid interns.”
In the aftermath of the NYT piece, Redzepi announced (via Instagram) that he would be resigning from NOMA and the restaurant’s board, but the restaurant/concept would continue.
Reportedly, American Express and Blackbird have bailed on an upcoming NOMA dinner series in Los Angeles.
It goes without saying that, if true, these allegations are absolutely terrible. It’s no secret that the restaurant industry (though at this point, which industry isn’t) is one where abuse – physical, sexual, emotional – is very common. Fine dining already has the reputation for being quite cutthroat, and pop culture has long chased this edgy dynamic as a form of entertainment.
Just a few years ago, several marquee chefs were outed for past abuses during the Me Too movement, which at the time seemed like it could be a turning point for better protections for employees in the workplace (and possibly better behavior from those in charge). However, news like this continues to suggest that with enough acclaim and prestige, coupled with the inherent power dynamics of such environments, can create workplaces that are only a few declining steps away from hell for employees.
