Jonathan K. Berntsen

Coming Up

Pairing sits at the center of Jonathan K. Berntsen’s work, with kitchen and cellar treated as one operating system rather than two separate trades. At CLOU in Copenhagen, Denmark, he served as founder, executive chef, and sommelier, a combination that made food and wine part of the same decision-making process from the start. That approach now carries into his work as chef and sommelier of The Samuel, where both disciplines remain in the same pair of hands.

Where They Are Now

A dual role changes how a menu is built. With Jonathan K. Berntsen, the dish is developed alongside the pour, and the pour is considered alongside the dish; neither is treated as an accessory to the other. The result is a practice where the plate is shaped with the glass in mind, and the glass is chosen with the plate in view. Squid Pollock shows that method in concrete terms. Built from notes from a special Oloroso Sherry from Sacrastía AB from Antonio Barbadillo and inspired by Jackson Pollock, the dish starts with the wine’s own language and carries that reference into the final plate. The connection is not decorative: it is a piece of work that comes forward from sherry and art at once, then resolves as food. In Jonathan K. Berntsen’s hands, the pairing is part of the dish’s structure, not something added after the fact. The Copenhagen period established that logic early, and it remains visible in the present work. At CLOU in Copenhagen, Denmark, food and wine were already positioned in symbiosis, precisely equally weighted, and that principle continues in his current practice at The Samuel. The through-line is simple and exacting: a menu is strongest when the dish and the glass are considered together from the outset.

Signature

Jonathan's signature dishes include Squid Pollock.

In Their Words “From day one Clou has been about the food and wine in symbiosis, precisely equally weighted.” “For me the most important thing when making a menu is; would I enjoy it myself?”

Honors

Jonathan's honors include Copa Jerez (food and wine pairing competition) (2013).