Jens’ Restaurant

I arranged with Jens to have a celebratory banquet for my academic team of 10 high-​school students and 8 adults. They put us in the private dining room and served us an excellent meal, featuring multiple amuse-​bouche, salads, entrees and desserts. Both the kids and the adults were quite satisfied with our meal: it was a wonderful way to end a successful trip to Anchorage. I highly recommend Jens for elegant meals for two or for a crowd.

This restaurant, Jens (pronounced «Yens») is downright SUPERB. The staff is professional yet warm and welcoming. The food is elegant and simply delicious.
We tried the calamari appetizer: perfectly cooked, not rubbery, with a stunningly simple sauce.
Since we are visiting Canada and Alaska, we had to try the salmon and halibut. Every bite a delight. All I can say is that I doubt I’ll ever find these fresh fish as delicious as this, outside of Alaska. (Although our lobster back home can hold its own!)
This was the best meal in our two week trip. We strongly recommend it. The area is not trendy. But who cares?! The restaurant has lovely artwork. The tables nicely set. Our waiter had the classic understated politeness generally found only in Europe. The spirit of a restaurant for us is in: the chef and the staff. If we have time, we’ll return before flying out.

Boutique restaurant in iffy location (strip mall). In anchorage on business, looking for new place to try-​highest rating on Unilocal– so I had to try it. So glad I did! Asparagus salad 5star. Ahi 5 star Good wine list, great service. Sat in bar as solo, lots of locals that appreciate the food/​service. Perfect!

Had apps at the bar. Half dozen oysters on half shell, grilled scallops and the charcuterie plate. Charcuterie was EXCELLENT! Smoked duck breast, chorizo, salami, cheeses, fruit and crostini. Scallops delicious with an apple slaw and tarragon. Great service.
Salads and some apps prepared in view at the bar. Nice.

Overall very good! After a slew of bad restaurants, I was happy to find this place.
Service — I had a reservation and was seated promptly. The waiter was polite, fast, and knowledgeable.
Ambiance — The restaurant looked nice enough. It’s not the greatest looking place (it is in a strip mall so their architectural choices were obviously limited), but it’s certainly clean and the owners did well with the space they had.
Food — This is what really matters. I opted for their 4 course tasting menu. Everything was quite tasty, esp the halibut entrée. No complaints here. I’m not at all a picky eater, but I am picky about what I consider «good» and this was good. I enjoyed it more than Kinleys, however it wasn’t as ‘refined’ (or nearly as expensive) as Crow’s Nest. Overall the price/​quality curve was right on point in my opinion.
Cost vs Quality — This restaurant will remain in my rotation, along with Crow’s Nest and Moose’s Tooth. For reference I will not be returning to Kinleys or Fat Ptarmigan — by no means bad establishments, just not worth the money they’re asking.
4.5÷5 stars — Lost ½ a star for the limited interior, but overall a great choice.

Visited for a small dinner. Had a seafood chowder, Caesar Salad, and calamari with lemon and capers. Service was pleasant and prompt and the food was excellent. I’ll certainly be back for a full dinner or lunch in the future. Ambiance was very classy.

Jens is a very traditional Nordic restaurant. Seafood, veal, fresh pastas, and beef dishes comprise most of the menu. The prices and the waitstaff attire reflect the «upscale» vibe of the establishment. The dishes are simple and feature the fresh and high quality ingredients used.
That being said, I think Jens has started to let their strong reputation get in the way of their commitment to strong execution.
I came in for a Friday lunch meeting. I was seated promptly and the service was on par with my expectations. I was given a bread basket but was sad to find all the bread at refrigerator temperature. That’s an easily remedied mistake in my book.
We had the meatball lunch and the rockfish lunch. The meatballs were good, although they were unimpressive in presentation. The rockfish was fresh, but was served with a tomato «sauce» that could only really be described as a tomato broth. The fish itself was unseasoned entirely. The dish was saved by two leaves of basil, four kalamata olives, and a few pieces of softened garlic. Worth eating, but could really be elevated with very little effort on the part of the chefs. The vegetable sides on both dishes were 4 pieces of simply blanched Nordic blend veggies. Again, a missed opportunity to do something more impressive with very little added effort.
For a place as intimate and renowned as Jens, I was hoping for a five-​star experience. I understand that they focus on dinner, but that is no reason to make lunch disappointing. The foundation is there — with a little more pride from the kitchen staff, it would be easy to produce excellence.

The food was really good and delicious. A very unique and interesting experience that everyone should go out and enjoy.

This restaurant is definitely a fine dine for me and my husband and it was well worth the money. When we first got to the restaurant I was very iffy because I thought it was going to be way too fancy but every tasted SO GOOD. We got the ravioli and I order the steak for my main corse. It ’twas great ! Definitely going to return.

So far, the best food I’ve had in Anchorage. If I could have licked the plate, I would have. It’s very chic, but not pretentious. I had the Christmas dinner with dill cured salmon served with honey mustard, capers and toasted bread and roasted duck with pears, prunes and baby potatoes. Duck was tender and juicy. Hubby had the Mahi Mahi and he said it was to die for. The service was phenomenal. A place you could wear a suit or jeans and feel comfortable. Go go go.

So I take my girl out for birthday dinner every year and we usually come here. Why? Because food and service is impeccable. I must say, I really like it when the older gentleman takes my dining napkin and places it on my lap. It makes me feel catered to, which isn’t necessary but I really enjoy it. Every thing on the menu is really good.
When I lived in the area I used to spend the day walking around and I walked by this place. It was summer time and I noticed there was outdoor seating. I walked over with my pup and I was able to indulge in a few glasses of wine while she sat with me in the sun. It was the perfect lunch that I have been unable to replicate.
I hope to come here again in the summer, but I recommend this place for any dining time.

Superb!
I’m a fish snob and this was some of the best fresh fish I’ve ever had.
Service was exceptional.
Great for bdays. They gave me a sparkler with dessert, took a photo, and gave me a card with the pic. Over the top to please and make this a positive experience.
Can’t say enough good things about this restaurant.

Jens’ is the only one of 2 restaurants in Anchorage that I would even consider being a 5 star, upscale restaurant. I make a reservation for any and all anniversaries or birthdays. The only place in town that has a beef wellington which isn’t the traditional beef wellington, so don’t be disappointed its still delicious. Servers are friendly and attentive and the food comes out at appropriate times. I cannot say enough good things about Jens’!

This place is located in a strip mall, but dont let the location to deter you. The restaurant is okay and our server was busy the whole time. But she did suggest us what to order (cod and halibut) and they turned out to be great! The portion is big and worth the price. My hubby got the halibut, which is the most popular item in the menu and he loves it. All fishes were cook medium and served with rice and asparagus. My cod tasted okay and I should get the halibut instead. While the food is good in general but service was not so good.

Very nice place, friendly staff and patrons. I had the Sautéed Halibut without Mushrooms (not a fan of shrooms) and it was the most amazing halibut I have ever had and I live in the Pacific Northwest so I know good Halibut when I have it. Never had it prepared like this and it was awesome!
I also got a slice of carrot cake to go and it was also the best carrot cake I have ever had! This place is over the top with quality and delicious food. You have to check it out!
Had I seen the tuna/​salmon wontons I would have gotten those too, but did not see them until after I left the restaurant when I was looking at the menu on my phone I saw them.

Always a delight to dine at Jen’s. The service is wonderful & the food is always spot on. This is my favourite place in Anchorage to go for nude oysters. They’re consistently fresh. The seafood crêpe and liver & onions are among my favourite dishes. Very well executed. Excellent recommendations for wine pairings. The atmosphere is cozy & inviting. The white tablecloths are always clean & crisp. In warmer weather they set up some outdoor seating. It’s nice to be outside even though it’s in a parking lot. It’s a small gem tucked into an inconspicuous strip mall off Arctic in Midtown.

Had dinner today and it was fantastic !!!
Everything came out exactly as requested and tasted superb !!!
Would come back again

I made an appointment so I could experience what. I heard was an incredible restaurant AND the only place that advertised Beef Wellington (sort of).
Upon arrival (10 min before reservation) we had to walk past the bar and several tables awkwardly set in the front room — the check in desk was in an odd location, and after checking in we were told to wait while they set up our table… So we held our coats and sat in a chincy little corner section for 20 minutes with no offer of drink service.
When seated, I was struck by how distracting and almost agitating the décor was — walls painted bright red, a random seeming scattering of paintings throughout, and light covers of colored glass embedded with decorations. The room did not give the impression or feeling of anything high-​end, more so it made me feel like I was in a diner.
The waiter seemed in a hurry, distracted, and generally uninterested. He quickly asked if we knew what we wanted, and while we never even learned his name, he quickly took our orders and left with his aura of disinterested, tired, apathy. (Note: he was younger, dark hair).
The food was pretty tasty — everybody enjoyed or appreciated their food, however the «beef wellington» was nothing more than a filet with a pastry crust set on top of it like a mushroom cap.
Ok — $ 50 for an 8oz filet, and a biscuit on top.
Our water was never refilled, even though we all drank all the water.
The single most offensive part:
At exactly 10pm, the music was turned UP — I mean waayyy up! We could no longer hear each other talking. THAT LOUD.
I guess that means the three tables that had people finishing drinks, dessert, etc needed to go — I was going to order the series of port wine with my Uncle but — it was clear we were supposed to just leave.
We were casually pointed to the «closet area» further in the back where we could go get our own coats.
$ 300 for dinner, and got good food but treated like shit. Not going back and recommending others don’t either.
UPDATE: Still talking to everyone that will listen about the bad experience there. Same with the others that were there.

ANCHORAGE, AK: What a delight to eat today at Jens! Ambience was welcoming and lovely, with lots of original, whimsical artwork. The service was spot on with handsome and attentive waitstaff. Five stars for service and charm.
FOOD: The menu hearkens to Danish recipes and is apparently quite authentic (I am not a judge of authenticity). I was there for lunch and tried the Calamari and Pepper Steak.
Calamari Appetizer (5 stars/​~$ 12): Outstanding dish. The calamari is cooked in a skillet instead of a fryer, with peppercorns and an amazing sauce, like a béarnaise. I loved it.
Pepper Steak (4 stars/​~$ 24): This steak is their most famous dish, but it was a little uninspired. Wonderful steak in brown gravy with steamed vegetables. No surprises, no seasoning on the vegetables, and the brown gravy was exactly like I might make at home.

Had a great experience here last month for a birthday dinner. We started off with some appetizers. The oysters were very small for $ 3 a piece, but definitely tasted fresh. We also had this interesting appetizer which the server brought out to the table and later crushed it down with a plate. It’s like a salad with tuna, seaweed, and fried wonton wrapper.
For my entrée, I had the linguine. The serving was huge and the noodles tasted freshly made. I also tried some of my fiancé’s duck over some squash raviolis and that was pretty good too. The flavors meshed together very well.
Service was great. The old man was my fave. So cheery and happy! He was prancing down the dining area when bringing out the birthday cake. His service definitely made the whole experience at Jens’ much more memorable!