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Tucked into the heart of Copenhagen’s Meatpacking District, mother isn’t just a pizzeria — it’s a movement. Since opening its doors in 2010, the restaurant has redefined what it means to eat Italian abroad, turning sourdough crusts, seasonal produce, and an uncompromising love for simplicity into a cult-like experience. Known for its wood-fired ovens, laid-back energy, and refusal to compromise on quality, Mother feels less like a trendy spot and more like a philosophy.
Now, after more than a decade of defining the city’s casual dining scene, Mother has opened a new location in Ny Østergade, right in the center of Copenhagen, bringing its soulful Italian cooking to a fresh new crowd. Behind it all is David Biffani, a Roman-born chef and visionary who brought more than just recipes to Denmark — he brought an attitude.
Biffani’s journey from Italy to Denmark wasn’t a straight line. Before opening Mother, he worked in everything from classic Italian kitchens to pop-up restaurants and underground food movements. His approach blends tradition with rebellion — think natural wines over white tablecloths, fermentation over perfectionism, and honest food over flashy trends. With a deep-rooted respect for ingredients and an unfiltered take on the modern food scene, Biffani has turned Mother into a cultural touchpoint, not just for pizza lovers, but for anyone seeking soul in what they eat.
We caught up with Biffani to talk sourdough, sustainability, and staying radical in an increasingly commercial food world.
The interview was set up by SVPR.
Hi David! It’s a pleasure to sit down with you! First question that I always ask. How does a regular day look like for you in Copenhagen?
David: Hi, the pleasure is mine. Well, there’s rarely such a thing as a “typical” day, but there’s definitely a rhythm to it. I start my mornings with my family, having breakfast together, then going to the gym before my day takes off. From there, it’s a mix of everything that goes into running and growing mother and the other businesses. Researching and training is an everyday activity that is for food, wine, coffee, service, and so forth.
I do my best to pick up my little one from school or at least to come at a decent time. Evenings are a mix of cooking at home and catching an episode or two of Family Guy to unwind. I use some evening time for working on mother film which produces festival shorts or making music (which you’ll actually hear when you’re on hold calling the restaurant). So yeah, it’s a mix of business, hobbies, and family.
I’m curious, growing up in Italy, what kind of kid were you? What did you enjoy doing, and how did you spend your time?
David: I was always performing – pretending to be someone cool and fully committing to the role. That was just my thing. Growing up in Rome, that turned into playing music, which became a huge part of my teenage years. Then came girls, motorbikes, and everything else that distracts a young guy. I was funny, I think – or at least I tried to be – but probably also a bit annoying. But always restless.
What led you to move from Italy to London, and how did your experiences there shape your culinary approach?
David: There was no way that I could have learned how to cook properly in Italy. They were so bloody stuck within their culinary chauvinism and non-meritocratic systems–especially fueled by the Berlusconi-run era – that there was no way I would have participated in that kind of uncool decadence.
Then, in London, you had Marco Pierre White, Giorgio Locatelli, Mark Hicks, etc. and it was much closer and easier to go to as a resident than New York.
And now you’ve ended up staying in Copenhagen. What brought you here? And what does Copenhagen have that London doesn’t?
David: Copenhagen at the time didn’t have mother, whilst London had Franco Manca in Brixton Market, which was making sourdough pizza. They are likely the very first in the world to commercialise that product (even if I am not sure if it was 100% natural levain as ours…or if it had a little ”help” in it, like most of the Sourdough pizzerias around), and we have probably been the second.
But when I was coming to Copenhagen, which is my ex-girlfriend’s hometown, I could definitely read the signs of the imminent gastronomic revolution. I had been experiencing them in London since the very beginning, and I could be ahead of the curve. I called my business partner and spent a few months conducting market research, and mother was there. I also moved here because it was a more relaxed environment to grow our family.
Can you tell us about your journey from London to Copenhagen and how that shaped your vision for the restaurant?
David: Yeah – I’ve kind of touched on that already, but to go a bit deeper: London taught me how to think beyond tradition without losing respect for it. It was this melting pot of cultures, styles, and ideas – raw, fast-paced, brutally creative. I carried that energy with me when I came to Copenhagen, but the city gave me something else: space. Space to breathe, to focus on quality, to build something slower and more sustainable.
With mother, the goal was never just to open a pizzeria. It was about creating a place that felt alive, generous, and warm– like the kitchens we grew up in, but updated for a new generation. Copenhagen gave us the right canvas to do that. The people were curious, the scene was just starting to bloom, and we had the chance to be part of something from the ground up.
With that in mind. In 2010 you started mother. What inspired that, and what was your initial idea for the restaurant?
David: As I said, the completely natural leaven was the challenge we wanted to win. It is very difficult to keep alive and manage in the dough because of changes in temperatures, humidity, and so forth. But you gain massively in flavour and digestibility.
Then, I wanted to portray a more modern image of Italian food, ergo the natural interiors and the English name. There is actually a funny anecdote about the name. I called the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Copenhagen and told them about that restaurant idea and the name, and the director said back to me: “Mother? But you have to call it ‘Mamma Roma’ or ‘Mamma Italia’! Something like that!”.
And that is when I realized that the name “mother” was the right one. We clearly wanted to also go against the tide and show that it is possible to deliver high-quality food at popular prices. The key is outsourcing, so we invested a few pennies in a warehouse and got the most important products from Italy: flour, tomatoes, olive oil, and parmesan. It’s hard to fuck up if you start like that.
So, when guests came to mother, they had their closest glimpse of Italian food they could hope for, and, being pizza, we had to sell it “cheap”, so everyone was happy.
Also, I believe in the idea of restaurants as infrastructural. If you don’t feel like cooking, if your kids are whining, or if you are late, your pizza pusher shall be open. That is why we are open 7 on 7 in all of our places; both mother and Andersen & Maillard.
The name mother suggests comfort and nourishment. What does it mean to you personally?
David: It comes from the “impasto madre”– the mother dough that is the dough made by using only the natural fermenting agents in the air. And, it is easy to remember.
I know, you were fishing for some “mamma” stuff. Sorry, strictly business ;D
You’ve described your cooking style as simple but soulful. How do you define “soulful” food?
David: It’s honest. Honesty is a natural virtue that lives inside the soul. You are or you are not. If you do things with honesty, it will transpire into the result, and the guests will feel it.
The sourdough and seawater dough has become your signature—how did that idea come about? And how long has it taken you to perfect it to how it is now?
David: We dropped it during Covid. It wasn’t sustainable, unfortunately. But it was amazing– the flavour and the digestibility that the seawater gave to the dough! That is because of all the other elements in it besides salt. They are the same elements we are made of, so the body was happy to take them in.
What role does tradition play in your menu? And where do you give yourself permission to innovate?
David: As I mentioned, Italian cuisine is extremely strict, so I had to keep it a bit like that for recognizability. At that time, putting pesto in anything that wasn’t trenette was unacceptable for Italians! So, our Prosciutto pizza was already creating issues amongst my friends ;D
The innovation was not really on the recipes, but on how the single ingredients were prepared. Having both French and Italian training, I was using different techniques for the same ingredient. For example, the mushrooms. The mushrooms we put on our pizza are cooked en confit to keep them plump and flavoursome. In Italy, you put them raw on the pizza.
What sparked your interest in natural and biodynamic wines, leading to the creation of mother wine?
David: Well, it was more than an interest; it is just natural to strive for natural products. I have never really advertised the fact that we are an organic establishment because I cannot see us doing anything else, really. So, when we started discovering all these Italian wine producers that were making natural wines that didn’t smell and/or taste like fart, it was a no-brainer to go in that direction.
Looking back, what have been some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced when building mother? And what has been the most valuable lesson you’ve learned so far?
David: Probably the hardest moment was when we bid on our venue in Kødbyen. We were asking for way more money for restoration than our competitors, and we didn’t have a Plan B, so to lose the bid would set us back months.
The lesson is to trust your guts only if you have the experience to deal with the consequences of success. If we didn’t have the experience accumulated from many years in the industry, the fast and explosive success of mother could have burst in our faces. So, the lesson is, always be ready and always be prepared.
How do you maintain the quality and consistency of your food with such high demand?
David: We mainly invest in quality and what can maintain it. So, bigger and better fridges, strict procedures, research, and qualified staff. We also keep relationships with our suppliers that have been the same since the opening.
What’s your leadership style like in the kitchen and with your team?
David: In the kitchen, I would be considered “old school” if I were back in there, but I likely have very good Head Pizza Chefs 🙂 To my teams, I only ask to know the procedures, the menu, and the restaurant inside out. That is the only way to build the security that is needed to feel comfortable and have fun when you work.
And not to use shortcuts, ever.
How has Copenhagen’s food scene evolved since you opened in 2010?
David: It has evolved massively and for the better. People require to eat better, and it has been clear that food could be a way to really put Copenhagen on the map. The investments that have been made in the industry have been massive (they were actually paying for the concepts to be here), and that allowed the world to see the town that also receives interest in our universities, services, and beauty. The international coverage that we (and not only we, of course) had in the first 4 years was insane. And Noma just established Copenhagen and Denmark in the world once and for all.
You opened a location in London—how did that differ from the Copenhagen experience?
David: Well, Londoners were already “trained” and had more choices than the Dane had at that time, so we needed to communicate in a more “engulfed” market. For the rest is a fFlour and water” business everywhere in the world 🙂
What’s your take on the growing trend of natural, simple ingredients in fine dining?
David: I am surprised that this is a trend. I cannot see any other way to make food in any establishment, not only fine dining.
What keeps you motivated after so many years in the industry?
David: You see, I call it a “vocational business” because the variables, the stress, and the risks are so many that only a “call” or “vocation” can justify entering it. So, it is like being a priest, only the loss of faith can make you drop out. And so far, I am still very much in love and faithful to my industry. Clearly, the byproducts and the rewards help 🙂
Are there any new projects, ideas, or expansions on the horizon?
David: First, let me take care of the new restaurant in the city, then we will see… 🙂
This new location on Ny Østergade lets us do something different. It’s central location makes it ideal for events and larger, more unique gatherings that we can’t do in the Meatpacking District. From the start, we’ve worked with galleries and creatives with whom our values resonate, and this new spot gives us more room to explore that. There’s a red thread in everything I do – food, music, film – and it always comes back to family, heritage, and the drive to evolve. I never stand still, and this space is the next step in that journey.
Ok David, now to something totally different. If you weren’t a chef/restaurateur, what do you think you’d be doing instead?
David: Actor, probably. I studied Law, but I have always acted in theatre, some movies, and commercials when I was a kid. I really like it. I also like to write. I was a restaurant reviewer a long time ago in Rome, so probably something that involves writing could have also been a possibility.
Outside of culinary, what’s something you’re obsessed with right now—maybe a hobby, a show, or even tv shows—that keeps you grounded or inspired?
David: Family Guy keeps me distracted. I love my son and my daughter, and I try to spend as much time as possible with them. I also really have to write this bloody book about the industry. And I produce artsy films for festivals.
Can you tell me a story about a time when a connection with someone had a big impact on you?
David: Antony Bourdain’s book, Kitchen Confidential, was a striking encounter. I couldn’t have done anything else after reading that book. I was a pirate as a chef in those years. I loved it!
What qualities do you find most important in the people you choose to spend time with?
David: They need to be funny and not take themselves seriously. That means that they are confident. Only confident humans can afford to use irony and self-irony.
Anybody you look up to?
David: Myself. Not in a self-absorbed way, just because it is easier to look up to someone that you are ready to forgive.
What motivates you?
David: Striving for excellence. To compete with myself on everything I do, especially with new things.
How would you describe a perfect day?
David: A perfect day is sunny and full of energy – have breakfast with family, exercise, play with my kids, cook, read, plan for my business, write, hug, watch Family Guy, and sleep.
Alright David, I always ask these two questions at the end of an interview. The first is. What’s your favorite movie(s) and why?
David: Greyhound. It’s a World War II film that captures a tense naval battle between a convoy of Allied ships and a pack of German submarines crossing the Atlantic.
The second is. What song(s) are you currently listening to the most right now?
David: It’s an album called Nevermind by Nirvana.