Samarkand Aarhus

22/04/2025: We were looking for a last-minute place to eat on a day trip to Aarhus and came across this wonderful place via Google Maps. The generated menu photo highlights really don't do it justice - check the Teater Bodega website for the menu as we almost discarded the place as a choice based on the limited menu photos! The gentleman at the door seated us quickly without a reservation as there weren't many other people on a Tuesday evening after Easter, meaning that although the atmosphere in the restaurant was warm and cosy (loved the heaps of black and white photos on the walls that obviously denoted a long, theatrical history), you could hear a pin drop while eating - for me it felt a little awkward at times (and really not a big deal ultimately), though some may appreciate the intimate nature of the space. After some minor confusion over the order, we chose three smørrebrød dishes (Danish open-faced sandwiches) to share - "2 homemade Danish meat balls on rye bread", "2 small steaks of pork tenderloin with mushrooms à la crème" and "small beef tenderloin steak, pan fried onions and pickled cucumber" - which in retrospect was one dish too many as we were both stuffed to the gills afterwards... The meats were succulent and juicy, complemented beautifully by the pickles, herb garnishes and rye bread which are served separately in a deconstructed/DIY style for you to assemble according to your preference. The silky creamy sauce with mushrooms for the pork was particularly delicious, and the beef steak turned out to be extremely generous in portion size - if that is considered small, I don't know how big the large is! We found the food extremely well-priced by Danish standards - the smørrebrød dishes were 105, 118 and 205 DKK (£12.05, £13.54 and £23.52). With a beer and glass of wine it all came to less than 520 DKK / £60. Highly recommend Teater Bodega!

20/04/2025: We had special roast beef and a pork sandwich. The food was amazing! The roast beef came with potato salad and it was the best potato salad I ever had. The sauce was not mayo but something out of egg yolks and butter, and I could eat it all day. The small condiments like pickles were also super tasty. The pork was super soft and tender. Would definitely recommend!