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Barcelona
Daps
avda Diagonal 449, 08 036 Barcelona, tel 93 410 90 89
The elegant but discrete design makes it obvious you're in Barcelona. It
certainly looks like the jet set resto but lunch guests seem more to be
ordinary people from the offices around the corner. Well prepared food with
quite a lot of "modern style" dishes: ravioli with seafood, mini-croquettes
(much more tasty than what it sounds), grilled gambas with spicy rice...
Around 35 euro (aperitif, starter, main course, wine)
(Brief 17)
Stockholm
Duvel Café
Vasagatan 50, Stockholm,
www.duvelcafe.com
Don’t be fooled by the name. It’s not a beer hall. The
decoration refers back to classic French bistro style with naked wooden
tables, wooden floors and linen napkins – but with a modern design flavours
(Swedish restaurant somehow must absolutely be ‘designed’). Very centrally
located, a short walk (5 minutes) from the central train station (Centralen).
Delicious food in a mainly traditional style, e.g. perfectly grilled trout
with old-fashioned mashed sweet-potatoes and lingonberry chutney (?! – yes,
it was excellent), or creamy chanterelles soup. Reasonable prices (starters
120-180 kr, main courses 200-250 kr). Modest wine list but enough to find a
few interesting choices. And yes, they do have a very long beer list too!
(Brief 54)
Eriks Bakficka (Erik’s Back Pocket)
Fredrikshovsgatan 4, Östermalm, 08-660 15 99,
www.eriks.se
Erik’s
Back Pocket is not exactly next door to Eriks Gondolen so he must have big
trousers. The Bakficka is close to the Narvavagen street in fashionable
Ostermalm. Classic Swedish food (“husmanskost”) mixed with more unusual cooking
(for example delicious gnocci). A decent wine list (but far from outstanding).
Very comfortable, classic bistro decoration without unnecessary whistles and
bells. And they are open on Sundays!
Nordic Light Hotel
Vasaplan 7 (Vasagatan), 08-50 56 30 00,
www.nordiclighthotels.se
This
is primarily a wine place, but of course they do have a restaurant. They are
100% focused on American wines – so interesting for their selection in this
segment. They also have a wine cellar where you can rent space (provided you’re
a company) for your wine collection and get access to their private tasting
room.
Nalen
Regeringsgatan 74, 08-505 292 01,
www.nalen.com
This
name rings of history in Stockholm, since it was the name of an old dance
palace. Now it is a restaurant worth discovering. Outstanding French fries to
the minute steak for example. Mid-range prices and quite good wine list.
(Brief 40)
Prinsen
Mäster Samuelsgatan 4, 08-611 13 31,
www.restaurangprinsen.se
Another
classic Stockholm restaurant that is still going strong. They do a lot of
traditional Swedish food – “husmanskost” – so it is an interesting venue for the
visitor who wants to taste some well made Swedish cuisine classics although the
dishes have been give a little bit of a modern make-over. Not cheap, but good.
Good selection of wine, elegant dining room and friendly waiters.
(Brief 40)
Eriks Vinbar Wine Bar
Stadsgården 6, Slussen, 08-641 7090,
www.eriks.se
Eriks Vinbar (wine bar in Swedish) is at ground level in the
same building as the luxury restaurant Eriks Gondolen (from which you have a
view over all of Stockholm), close to Slussen. It is a small and cosy place,
really a bar and not a restaurant even if you can have some small things to eat
(cheese, charcuteries…). The wine list is very extensive and they regularly have
“specials” that are not on the list – so ask for advice! Very competent wine
staff. Another good idea is that they have two serving sizes, the small being 5
cl so that you can taste a lot of different wines if you want (otherwise all too
often in Stockholm a serving in “a glass of wine” is ridiculously big). One of
the few places in Stockholm that really is a good wine bar and not just a bar
serving a few wines. (Brief 38)
Terreno Wine Bar
Scheelegatan 12, Kungsholmen
Perhaps
the most important reason to visit this wine bar is to see how it functions. It
built around an original self-service concept: First you have to buy a “wine
card”, like a pre-paid phone card. then you go to the “dispensing machine”,
insert your card, push the button for the wine you want (don’t forget to hold
out your glass) and you are served a good 4cl tasting dose. An interesting
concept if you want to taste several different wines, but perhaps not the most
romantic way of drinking wine (perhaps well suited to Swedes who are not known
for their romanticism, but rather for their pragmatism…). You can also get some
not-too-complicated Italian food with the wine. New, and certainly original
concept, worth visiting even if the wine selection (and the food) is a bit
limited. (Brief 38)
Ulriksdals Wärdshus
Ulriksdals Slottspark, 08 85 08 15,
www.ulriksdalswardshus.se
One
of Stockholm’s old classics! Classic food, classic building, classic
surroundings (in the park of a royal palace). Very well made, excellent cooking
and beautiful surroundings. And also the wine selection is leaning to the
classic with an emphasis on France even if there is a reasonable selection of
wines from other countries too. And Ulriksdal also has something really unique:
a collection of the six top Bordeaux chateaux Margaux, Mouton-Rothschild,
Lafite-Rotschild, Haut-Brion, Latour and d’Yquem including almost all vintages
from the beginning of the (last) century. Ask if you can take a peek when you
are there! (Unfortunately, since writing this review, the restaurant has been
burglared and the unique collection of wines is no longer there...) (Brief 37)
Il Fantozzi
Rutger Fuchsgatan 3, Söder/Skanstull, 08-644 30 60
I can’t claim to be an expert on Italian restaurants in Stockholm but this
one must be high up on the list of the top ones. But first you have to find
it: it is on a small, obscure street but not far from Skanstull, the metro
station. In the husband and wife team he does the cooking and she takes care
of the guests. The interior decoration is cool, low key and elegant. Food is
excellent and exceptionally good value for money. The wine list is ambitious
(if oversized in format) and has lots of information about the wines.
Definitely worth a visit. And they have just opened a small wine and grappa
bar where you can have a drink while waiting for a table.
(Brief 37)
Sturehof
Stureplan 2, 08-440 57 30,
www.sturehof.com
This
must be considered as one of the classics in Stockholm today. Fetching
inspiration in classic Parisian bresseries they are open almost around the
clock and you can get a meal at any hour. Very informal (and busy)
atmosphere. Excellent kitchen with some rather exclusive things and a few
more reasonably priced. Very good wine list, always ten reds and ten whites
to chose from by the glass. Ask the wine waiter Niklas for advice if you
don’t know what to chose. One of the best wine watering holes in town.
(Brief 37)
Rolfs Kök (Rolf’s Kitchen)
Tegnérgatan 41, 113 59 Stockholm, ph 08-10 16 96.
The name and the interior decoration that was created by Jonas Bohlin is
still there, but Rolf Nilsson, who opened this Stockholm classic in 1988, is
gone. Johan Jureskog, part of the Swedish national team of top chefs, took
over the restaurant in the summer of 2003, and if anything it seems to have
improved. The food is beautifully presented and the cooking is perfect – my
starter was a quickly pan fried clam accompanied by some lightly salted
stewed beef, cauliflower, ‘löjrom’ (bleak roe) and lemon (145kr) – a very
interesting creation. You can also have tapas with oysters, Spanish Serrano
dried ham and marinated olives. Main courses between 155kr and 295kr. Very
extensive and well chosen wine list.
(Brief 7)
Bistro Jarl Restaurant and Champagne Bar
Birger Jarlsgatan 7, 111 45 Stockholm, 08-611 76 30
If you are craving for a glass of champagne in Stockholm Bistro Jarl is the
place to go. It is one of the few, if not the only, real champagne bar, with
several different champagnes served by the glass. Examples: Louis Roederer,
95kr, Billecart-Salmon Rosé, 130kr, Deutz Blanc de Blancs, 145kr. Have an
aperitif quietly in the bar around 7 PM, or bustle with the big crowd later.
(Brief 7)
Hos Pelle
Djupedalsgatan 2, Göteborg,
www.hospelle.com
Pelle
is the name of the chef and ”hos” in Swedish is the same as the French
”chez”, so you’re at Pelle’s Place. The restaurant is very small, elegant
and modern design and happily free from loud music. A modest walk away from
the centre of the city – stroll through the old Haga part of Gothenburg and
you’re there. In the evening they have only a set menu: you can choose
between a few main courses (at least two guests at your table have to take
the same): e.g. wintry filet of deer, or coley with turnips, pears and
parsley. To start with you get today’s selection of three starters and to
finish you also get a trio of desserts prepared by the kitchen. All is
elegantly presented and delicious, sometimes with some interesting and well
prepared choices of vegetables. Very reasonably priced at 350 kr. You can
opt for the “wine package” for 250 kr which will give you a different wine
to each course. At lunch time they have a more classic style lunch service.
(Brief 54)
Magnus & Magnus
Magasinsgatan 8, Göteborg, tel 031 13 30 00,
www.magnusmagnus.com
A
cosy restaurant, friendly and competent service and exceptional food – that
makes Magnus & Magnus to one of the stars on the Gothenburg restaurant scene.
You could for example try some of the innovative tapas as a starter – the tuna
is wonderfully lightly grilled (or “seared” is it’s supposed to be said), the St
Jacques clam is perfectly cooked. Outside, you have a nice seating area (in
season of course – we’re in Sweden) and next door you have “M3” that you can
rent for private functions or if you want to organise a wine tasting or even
cooking classes. M3 takes up to 27 persons. BKWine tried Magnus & Magnus for a
tasting for the BKWine Brief readers in Gothenburg and we were very satisfied.
Barrique Wine Bar
Norra Hamngatan 12, ph: 031-135270,
www.barrique.nu
Barrique
Wine Bar is actually the name of the restaurant Hamngatan in the evenings...
The two owners and wine enthusiasts, Rolf Olofsson and Thomas Norman, had
the idea a few years ago to create a wine bar concept, something they now
want to develop into a chain of wine bars (something unheard of in Sweden!).
A new Barrique is supposedly on its way. In the evenings at Barrique it is
wine that has centre stage. They continuously run special 5-week campaigns
with selected wines and an accompanying menu. I tried a delicious tapas menu
when they had a Spanish theme. Right now they run Tuscany. The whole
restaurant is beautifully done and it all makes for a very attractive place.
Latest news: Barrique on Norra Hamngatan has closed but the other Barrique wine
bar on Lorensbergsgatan street near "Avenyn" is still there.
Restaurang PM & Vänner, Växjö
St Storgatan 22-24. Växjö, telefon: 0470-70 04 44,
www.matodryck.se. Öppet:må-ti 11.30-23, on-to 11.30-00.00, fre-lö
11.30-01.00.
It used to be that only the big cities had top quality
restaurants in Sweden, but such is no longer the case. PM & Vänner (PM &
Friends) in the mid-sized provincial city of Växjö is an excellent example.
A high class cuisine that emphasises local products and a very ambitious
wine list makes this a restaurant you should not miss if you are in this
part of Sweden. Price level is 500-900 kronor for a full menu. There’s also
a more relaxed bistro section in the restaurant. Some picks from the wine
list: Cornas Granit from Vincent Paris, Beaune 1er Cru Theurons from Louis
Jadot, Pinot Gris Classic from Josmeyer, Wiebelsberg Riesling Grand Cru from
Marc Kreydenweiss, Gevrey-Chambertin “Vieilles Vignes” from Sylvie Esmonin
and Domaine de l´Oratoire Saint Martin, (Côtes-du-Rhône Villages Cairanne).
Certainly nothing to be ashamed of… (And worth noting, this year of the 300
year celebration of his birth, is that this is the home country of Carl von
Linné, or Linnaeus. And it is also here that the Swedish glass blowing
region begins.) (Brief 43)
Lagmark, Helsingborg
Sundstorget 3, Helsingborg,
www.lagmark.se
A
popular watering hole in the coastal town of Helsingborg, open for lunch and
dinner, or for just a glass of wine. The popular tapas, called ‘gourmetas’, are
world famous in Helsingborg – two or three makes a nice lunch, for example in
classic Swedish style with marinated herring and egg, “skagenröra” (with a
creamy mix of shrimps), or a thick slice of salmon. Each is charged the very
affordable price of 24 kr. If weather is good (so not this summer) you can enjoy
sitting outside on the newly renovated square. (Brief 48)
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