By Zahra Al-Kateb

World renowned restaurant Noma have announced that they will temporarily relocated to Sydney for 10 weeks in January 2016, following a previous successful brief relocation to Tokyo.

Led by Chef Rene Redzepi, the Nordic restaurant boasts two Michelin stars and featured in this year’s Elite Traveler Top 100 Restaurants and World of Fine Wine’s Best Wine List Awards, earning three stars.

The restaurant will temporarily close in Copenhagen, Denmark while the entire Noma team relocates to Barangaroo on Sydney Harbour – a collaboration with Tourism Australia and Lendlease. Set to be located at the Anadara building, the destination was chosen due to the close proximity to the water and its synergy to Noma in Copenhagen which is also strongly connected to the sea.

Having visited Australia a number of times since 2008, Rene Redzepi has been inspired by the multi-faceted culture and indigenous food that the country has to offer, as well as the unique and fresh produce that is wildly different from Europe.

“I have always been attracted to the incredible diversity you find in Australia’s landscapes and ingredients, because they are like no other place I’ve seen before,” he said. “Australia combines strong influences from its Indigenous people with new communities from around the world. When you mix it all together, the result is something truly inspiring. It really is the perfect place to come and learn.”

The team expect to take several research trips between now and January to meet with local communities, suppliers, farmers and chefs and to explore the diverse landscape of produce of Australia.

“We look forward to the new year and this new exploration. It will be a different journey, but one that I am incredibly excited about – the opportunity to broaden our horizons, to expand our minds and our tastes, to make new friends, and catch-up with old ones, as we delve into this magnificent landscape,” Redzepi added.

Tourism Australia Managing Director John O’Sullivan said: “A big part of Restaurant Australia has been about improving Australia’s perception as a food and wine destination. And, with one of the world’s top ranked restaurants about to open in Sydney, I’d say our country’s culinary standing has never been higher.”

Gary Horwitz, Head of Retail at Lendlease said the partnership is testament to the vision that is being created for the waterfront dining precinct at Barangaroo: “When Lendlease was approached by the Noma team, we knew it was the perfect fit; René’s strong affinity to sustainability is aligned with our aspirations for Barangaroo. We are delighted to partner with Noma and Tourism Australia to celebrate the best of Australian produce and enhance Barangaroo’s position on the global food map.”

Noma Australia will launch in January 2016 and will open for lunch and dinner five days per week.

Bookings for the restaurant will open later this year. Further details about registering interest and bookings can be found at www.noma.dk/australia