Imagine eating “plastic” made from sea plants and fish skins. While you eat it, you see pictures of plastic pollution in the ocean around your table. This is part of the special dinner at a restaurant called Alchemist in Copenhagen, led by chef Rasmus Munk.

Alchemist opened in 2019 in an old port area. The restaurant serves a unique meal to guests with a show that includes music, lights, and images. In 2025, it was named the world’s fifth-best restaurant, and it has two Michelin stars, which rank high-quality restaurants. The guests of Alchemist enjoy about 50 small dishes. Most of them are good to eat, but some are not. They are not just food but messages that guests receive over many hours at the table. The chef says his food can make people think about various social problems.

Denmark’s food culture has grown since 2003, when René Redzepi’s restaurant Noma created a new movement of cuisine. Now some Danish chefs are asking, “Can gastronomy be art?

One of the Danish government leaders said that Denmark would study the idea of officially calling top-level cuisine art. If this happens, chefs might be able to get financial support from the government and from private groups that support art.

Supporters of this idea say it would honor creativity in cuisine. On the other hand, those who do not agree say that art and food are different because food has to be eaten.