Dozens of former employees of one of the world's most famous restaurants have come forward to accuse chef René Rexhepi of verbal and physical abuse.
In an article published by The New York Times on Saturday, March 7, former employees of Noma restaurant – a highly acclaimed restaurant in Copenhagen that once held the title of the best restaurant in the world before it closed in 2023 – allege that the Albanian-born chef, René Rexhepi (Redzepi, as quoted in international media), physically punished and verbally abused them.
One chef, identified only as Alessia, told The New York Times that "going to work was like going to war."
"You had to force yourself to be strong, not to show fear," she said.
The article describes an incident in February 2014 in which Rexhepi, 48, allegedly ordered all kitchen staff to follow him out of the restaurant and gather before berating a sous chef for playing music he did not like.
According to the report, Rexhepi punched the employee in the ribs and shouted that no one would be allowed inside the building until the assistant manager loudly said, in front of everyone, that he liked to perform oral sex on DJs — a derogatory reference to the music in the kitchen. The employee eventually complied and the staff returned inside.
Although allegations have been made against Rexhepi for years, according to the Times , Jason Ignacio White, a former head of Noma's fermentation lab , published posts on Instagram last month stating that he witnessed countless instances of abuse at the restaurant during the three years he worked there.
The New York Times said it had interviewed 35 former Noma employees , who described incidents that occurred between 2009 and 2017. According to them, Rexhepi allegedly punched employees in the face, pushed them with kitchen utensils, slammed them into walls and psychologically abused them through intimidation, body comments and public mockery.
Another chef said she had saved for a year and even sold her car to afford the job at Noma in 2013, as many of the restaurant's employees were not being paid. She said that one night during service, René Rexhepi saw her using her phone - something forbidden during working hours - although she said she was only using it to turn down the music in the restaurant at the request of a customer.
She claimed that without saying anything, Redzepi turned and hit her in the ribs, causing her to fall onto a metal counter and break her hip.
René Rexhepi - who has been praised by figures like Anthony Bourdain, received three Michelin stars for his work in high-end gastronomy and was knighted by the Queen of Denmark - has previously apologized for inappropriate behavior at work after being caught yelling at employees in the 2008 documentary "Noma at Boiling Point."
Several former chefs told The New York Times that, although they experienced traumatic moments while working with René Rexhepi, they do not regret working at Noma because of the restaurant's influence and cultural status.
"It felt like we were working in an emergency room or on a sinking submarine," said Ben, a chef who worked at Noma in 2012. "It was hell, but I learned so much that I can't say I regret it."
Today, the Noma organization is focused on selling luxury kitchen products and organizing gastronomic experiences, including an upcoming event in Los Angeles, where a dinner is said to cost about $1,500 per person.
The upcoming event has reignited debates about how the restaurant was run, with some former employees saying Rexhepi should apologize to them.
Noma has been considered one of the best restaurants in the world for years. Located in Copenhagen, Denmark, the restaurant became famous for its innovations in Nordic cuisine and was ranked the best restaurant in the world five times by The World's 50 Best Restaurants : in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2021.
René Rexhepi is of Albanian origin. His father is Albanian from North Macedonia, while his mother is Danish.
