$200,000 Worth of Wine Stolen from Michelin-Starred Restaurant in Movie-Like Break-In

The Michelin Guide weighs plenty of factors when choosing which restaurants earn stars—and, of course, an incredible wine list helps. But in the case of Copenhagen’s single-starred Formel B, their wine list didn’t just appeal to critics; it appealed to thieves as well who went through an incredibly elaborate break-in to steal what’s estimated to be around $200,000 worth of wine by swiping a mere 50 to 60 bottles.

In the Hollywood-like scheme, at some point on Sunday night, thieves gained access to a wine shop adjacent to the restaurant and then smashed a hole through a connecting brick wall to break into Formel B’s wine cellar, according to the AFP. Clearly, the thieves knew what they were looking for: Nothing was taken from the wine shop, and even at Formel B, a relatively small amount of bottles were targeted. “The thieves specifically went after our rare wines with very high market value,” the restaurant owners posted to Facebook.

In the same post, owners Rune Jochumsen and Kristian Arpe-Moller wrote that the burglars nabbed “all the bottles of Domaine de la Romanee, Domain Du Conte-Belair, and Domaine Leroy,” before highlighting three selections that have gone missing: 2014 Romanee-Saint-Vivant, Grand Cru, Domaine Leroy; 2014 Romanée-Conti, Grand Cru, Domaine de la Romanee-Conti; and 2017 La Romanee, Grand Cru, Domaineb du Comte Liger-Belair. Even if you aren’t a wine expert, you may recall that, in 2018, a bottle of 1945 Romanee-Conti sold for a half-million dollars, making it the most expensive bottle ever.

“We are, of course, extremely sad and affected by the situation. It is a close to irreplaceable collection of wines that we have spent many years building that has disappeared in a single night,” the owners continued. “Everyone is invited to share this post, hoping that we can magically get some of the wine returned in our basement. Share-share, the more the better!”

The Copenhagen police have reportedly opened up an investigation, but as of this writing, it appears no arrests have been made.