Tales on the table

Ett Hem - Stockholm (Sweden)

Ett hem means a home in Swedish. And that is precisely the value proposition of this beautiful boutique hotel, to be much more than another luxury hotel. Every little corner here is well taught, the decoration is impeccable and the project as a whole jaw dropping, while keeping a cozy feeling at the same time.

Staying here for a few nights was a privilege and made me feel like I was in heaven. It is the ultimate definition of home away from home. And as far as hotel restaurants go, I have never been in a better one than @etthemfood .

Chef @leofrodell leads a beautiful yet unpretentious open kitchen. Here, there is no set menu. The staff will decide what to cook based on which ingredients are good on that given day. And this is what they are all about: bold simplicity, seasonality and high quality local ingredients.

I had a full tasting menu one night, which was spectacular. But what impressed me even more was dinner on the following night. After a long lunch at Frantzen, I wanted something light for dinner and they made me a chicken soup with seasonal foraged herbs that really touched my soul.

I can’t recommend this place enough, they really have something magical going on in there.

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Slipen - Stockholm (Sweden)

@restaurangslipen is probably one of Stockholm’s most beautiful restaurants. The terrace facing water is the perfect setting for lunch during the summer days. During my visit, however, given the pouring rain I had to sit inside. Which was no problem at all and I ended up having a great time.

The main dining room has large windows that let the light in. But aside from its charming looks, Slipen also has great food. It is a Swedish bistro where options on the menu change daily.

For that reason, I will not get into much detail on my dishes, other than saying that the chicken was perfectly done. The family seating on the table beside me, who seemed to be regulars, ordered a few pizzas that also looked great.

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Eksted - Stockholm (Sweden)

With a Michelin star to its name (and well deserving of a second one in my book), @ekstedrestaurant uses fire as the only element of heat to cook an impressive tasting menu.

Chef @niklasekstedt decided to learn about pre-electricity scandinavian cooking methods and bring them into the present, where such techniques are now the heart and soul of a renowned modern restaurant.

Their signature “flambadou’’ wild oyster cooked with reindeer fat is nothing short of flawless, but the rest of the menu does not disappoint either. Think wood oven baked sourdough bread, seaweed fired langoustine, hay flamed pike perch, smoked lobster with green strawberries, amber baked scallops and much more.

You can feel the unmistakable presence of fire at the centerstage of each and every dish, bringing rich smells, singular textures and complex flavors that never cease to surprise guests.

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Nystekt Strömming - Stockholm (Sweden)

Fried herring on rye bread. Simple pleasures that only local street food can provide.

Well, it can get even better when topped with brown mustard, red onions and pickled cucumber.

Nystekt Strooming is not to be missed when walking around the city. What a gem!

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Meatballs for the people - Stockholm (Sweden)

Probably the first thing that comes to mind of most people (or at least for people like me) when thinking about traditional food in Sweden is Swedish meatballs.

I have to start by saying that, even though the meatballs are pretty good, there is so much more to explore. Given the country’s geographic position, with a coastline of clear cold waters and half of the country covered by forests, local cuisine relies heavily on all kinds of seafood and wild animals. On top of that, the extreme winters led to the development of fermented and pickled foods.

Regardless of that, I knew that I couldn’t miss out on what is probably the national dish during my days in stockholm. And after trying it in a few different places, one of my favorite meatballs were from @meatballsforthepeople.

Served with mashed potatoes, veal gravy, preserved lingonberries and pickled cucumber, the meatballs were extremely juicy, tender, flavorful and comforting. I ordered the classic ones, made with a mix of beef and pork, but they have all kinds of options, including lamb, deer, moose and boar.

For starters, I could not resist ordering a portion of smoked reindeer hearts once I spotted it on the menu.

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Brasserie Astoria

@brasserieastoria is the more “casual” restaurant from the Frantzen group in Stockholm. And I quote because it is not actually casual, only when comparing it to its three starred older brother.

Located in a former cinema, the restaurant serves a menu with a lot of French and Italian influences, but with a clear nordic twist.

To kick things off, the oysters were very good, as were the jackfruit waffles topped with crème fraiche, caviar, lime and browned butter.

Another must order is the Astoria Toast, which comes with a mix of lobster, shrimps, trout roe, lemon confit, wasabi oil and pickled onion on top of a golden brown butter-fried toast.

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Operabaren - Stockholm (Sweden)

@operabaren is a Stockholm institution. Open for over 100 years, the place serves well-executed classic Swedish dishes within the Royal Opera House.

The iconic building itself is also vintage, with wooden panels and a beautiful stained glass ceiling. The decoration is very well preserved, giving a timeless feel to the place that fits very well with the type of food that they serve.

I ordered Raraka as a starter, a type of hash brown with vendace roe on top. It was crispy, with a salinity touch that really made a difference.

As a main course, I ordered beef rydberg, another typical local dish, that is basically pan fried diced tenderloin, with potatoes, sauteed onions and egg yolk.

This is a great place to go if you are looking for traditional food and having a very local experience when it comes to dining in Stockholm.

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Krumel - Stockholm (Sweden)

As someone who has a sweet tooth, it was pretty easy to decide where to go in town to satisfy my sugar cravings.

@krumelstockholm is a cookie lover’s paradise. All options here are very good, but I would not miss out on the Classic Crumb (a chocolate chip cookie with a bit of sea salt on top) and the Crumb Brulée.

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Brutalisten - Stockholm (Sweden)

@Brutalisten is a conceptual restaurant that stands out from the rest given its unique proposition. Their philosophy, outlined in the “Brutalist Kitchen Manifesto” aims to bring out the best of each ingredient, which are served as standalone elements (with water or salt being the only additional elements allowed to be eventually added).

While many of the ingredients are served raw or with very little interference, elaborate techniques are also permitted. Also, ingredients can even be divided and cooked with different techniques before being added back together.

Each item on the menu is classified as Orthodox, Semi-Brutalist or Brutalist, giving clients the option of how unaltered they want their food to be.

Although different ingredients are not allowed on the same plate, they can be served at the same time and each customer may combine them as they wish.

A meal here is definitely different… and fun. The food cooked at Brutalisten is honest and carries an essence from the past that was lost somewhere along the way. I also found very interesting the depth and complexity of flavors that each element can bring when prepared in such a pure way.

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Ett Hem - Stockholm (Sweden)

Ett hem means a home in Swedish. And that is precisely the value proposition of this beautiful boutique hotel, to be much more than another luxury hotel. Every little corner here is well taught, the decoration is impeccable and the project as a whole jaw dropping, while keeping a cozy feeling at the same time.

Staying here for a few nights was a privilege and made me feel like I was in heaven. It is the ultimate definition of home away from home. And as far as hotel restaurants go, I have never been in a better one than @etthemfood .

Chef @leofrodell leads a beautiful yet unpretentious open kitchen. Here, there is no set menu. The staff will decide what to cook based on which ingredients are good on that given day. And this is what they are all about: bold simplicity, seasonality and high quality local ingredients.

I had a full tasting menu one night, which was spectacular. But what impressed me even more was dinner on the following night. After a long lunch at Frantzen, I wanted something light for dinner and they made me a chicken soup with seasonal foraged herbs that really touched my soul.

I can’t recommend this place enough, they really have something magical going on in there.

(Versão em Português nos comentários)

#tht_grand_viking_trail #etthem #talesonthetable Less