I have dined at many restaurants in Kolding, and have to say that Saxen is, by far the very best. Owner run and operated, they serve wonderful food made from the finest ingredients, presented beautifully on the plate. Live piano music softly eminates throughout the restaurant.
The restuarant is in the Saxildhus Hotel. At dinner, reservations are not required, but if you need a table at a specific time, I'd recommend them.
They serve a three-course menu every night, as well as a full menu. Their wine list is quite impressive -- even the house wine is great. Before dinner, homemade bread, whipped honey sweetened butter, and fresh black olive spread are served.
The menu is quite extensive, but here's a brief description of some of the dishes I have tried:
Appetizers/Soups
Lobster Bisque -- thick and creamy, flavored with wonderful lobstermeat. A definite recommendation.
Beef Tenderloin Salad -- thinly sliced chilled, rare beef tenderloin over greens. The beef was tender, flavorful, not fatty. Very good, and healthy too!
Fish Platter -- this was a plate of salmon and swordfish over greens. The salmon was smoked, and extremely good (this was part of a three-course meal, not available on the menu).
Main Dishes:
Duck -- grilled boneless duck breast in an plum sauce. Served with potatoes, seasonal vegetables, jumbo grapes, and oranges. I was skeptical about fruit and duck together, but one bite and I was convinced. Grapes, oranges, and duck do go together!
Veal They have several veal options on the menu, one served with shrimp, one without. Both are excellent -- tender and tasty -- served with a large dollup of a garlic type butter. Very tasty!
Desserts:
Strawberries Romanoff was fabulous, but the best was the Hot Banana -- a whole banana, cooked in the skin until it turns black, split open, and served with vanilla ice cream. The natural sugar in the banana makes this one of the sweetest and most flavorful desserts I've ever had. They also have a fine selection of after dinner cordials and coffees.
The atmosphere is quaint, resembling a forest -- the lamps are artsy "pine cones" and the forest green napkins and wood tables add to the effect. As in most places in Europe, smoking is permitted everywhere in the restaurant. Dinner menus are available in English for those who don't speak Danish.