• Sweden edition

Eating out with Alannah

A foodie's guide to where to wine and dine in Sweden - from low budget and fika spots to high class dining!

Archive for the ‘Mid-range’ Category

Not just another Japanese restaurant

Sunday, February 28th, 2010

The Seikoen Japanese restaurant across the street from the Sheraton Hotel at Tegelbacken was one of Stockholm’s first Japanese restaurants, set up long before the hordes of small sushi joints opened their doors on every other corner of the city.

It’s an elegant, authentic, understated kind of place with a calming atmosphere and offers everything from sushi to tempura and some not so very Japanese desserts like crème brulée and cloudberry cheesecake. It is part of the Roppongi chain of Japanese restaurants which also have restaurants in Kungsholmen and in the city center. Seikoen is also a firm favorite with traveling Japanese businessmen staying at the Sheraton.

There’s a five-course or seven-course set menu for SEK 520 and SEK 740 respectively (add on an extra SEK 280-380 for the wine/drinks menu). The five-course started off with oyster and tuna stomach, followed by an aemono set (three small dishes of spinach, crab meat and scallops and octopus), shrimp tempura, Yakiniku, and dessert.

I opted for the Japanese pumpkin soup which was excellent followed by shrimp tempura and truffles with coffee to top off. One member of the party chose the duck for the main course which he considered “chewy”.

My verdict? Pricey: a bit. Atmosphere: nice. Food: mine was very good. Service: not bad but could not understand the waitress. Overall impression: Would go back when another Japanese craving strikes. But I really wish they had a teppanyaki table too, that’s the one thing that’s missing!

P.s. their lunch menu and sushi is also great.

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Craving Chinese during your shopping?

Monday, February 1st, 2010

Downtown shopping and craving Chinese? Check out Chopsticks on Mäster Samuelsgatan. It’s  a welcome break from the shopping hordes on Drottninggatan and is just two minutes away from Åhléns City.

This Chinese restaurant on Mäster Samuelsgatan is not bad at all as downtown restaurants go, and after trying other city-center Chinese restaurants I have to say it’s become one of my regular takeaway spots.

 From the outside, it doesn’t look like the classiest joint in town and, inside, expect typical Chinese-restaurant-style décor – bamboo details, flowery prints and carpets – in other words, nothing out of the ordinary.  But once you’ve studied the menu, got a smile and greeting from the friendly waitresses and enjoyed your food, you’ll probably be pleasantly surprised. It may look like a budget kind of place on the outside but this is not reflected in the prices or the service which are mid-range and good respectively (from my experience). Main courses average around SEK 160.

There’s a great choice of all the usual dishes from Peking Duck to Won Ton soup, fried noodles and if you can’t decide on your order, go for the Chopsticks four-dish speciality which is a combination of shrimp, beef, chicken and pork. One of my favorites is the chicken with cashew nuts which is always delicious – a huge portion with a generous helping of chicken, peppers, bamboo, water chestnut and an even more generous helping of rice.

You can dine at Chopsticks or get a takeaway. Open for lunch and dinner.

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A touch of Moulin Rouge in Gamla Stan

Thursday, January 28th, 2010

After ploughing my way through the mass of snow that’s accumulated during the last 24 hours, I finally make it to Le Rouge/Le Bar on Österlånggatan in Gamla Stan. (Don’t mix this up with its sister – Le Rouge brasserie – which is just around the corner on Brunnsgränd).

 There’s a bar downstairs and hidden in the corner lurks a staircase to an upper floor which is a dining cum bar area. Everything is red or with red hues, velvety and plush and it reminds me of a Parisian bistro mixed with a scene from Moulin Rouge. That’s exactly what owners Daniel Couet and Melker Andersson are aiming for since opening the adjacent bar and restaurant in 2007.

The food menu in Le Rouge/Le Bar is scanty as it is, after all mainly a bar. There’s several French-inspired small dishes (assiettes) like mini croque monsieurs, mini pizzas and larger dishes like a plate of oysters and specialities of the day, which today is veal, gnocchi with gorgonzola, walnuts and pork and their in-house burger. Desserts include the usual favorites like crème brulée. Meanwhile, the drinks menu is quite extensive with everything from cocktails to beer. Expect to pay around SEK 100-140 for a glass of wine.  

So after trying to decide whether to order three of the small dishes (they start from around SEK 35), I opted for the hamburger which for SEK 185 was a touch on the pricey side. It comes in a wholemeal bread bun topped with fresh tomato, lettuce, melted cheese, onion and bacon with a generous portion of fries on the side. Unfortunately, it was also a bit on the raw side. The staff were friendly when I asked them to leave it in the pan a bit longer and voluntarily offered us a complimentary coffee as compensation at the end.

Service is “comme ci, comme ca” . The staff are very polite and friendly but once the place starts to fill up they disappear.  Once our food had been served, our wine glass was empty and the coffee cup drained, that was the last of our service (even though we sat there for another hour) until we waved our credit card around for five minutes to pay the bill.

To be honest, the burger wasn’t worth the money. For SEK 185 I would have expected a bit more. However, I would go back to Le Bar/Le Rouge for a cozy drink with a friend. It’s a nice place in the wintertime to chat over a glass or two of wine … and maybe a snack or two. But, I’m curious to check out the main Le Rouge restaurant.

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Is the food worse in Stockholm on Sunday evenings?

Monday, August 24th, 2009

Beirut Cafe has been one of my very favorite Lebanese restaurants for several years and one I recommend to most my friends – local and international – for romantic, group and business dinners. But Sunday evening is a bit of a disappointment – like Sunday evenings in other Stockholm restaurants which are also firm favorites of mine.

I’ve eaten at Beirut Cafe probably 15 times (weekdays and Saturdays) and always been happy with my staple meze choices like hoummus, grilled haloumi cheese, full artichoke with lemon and garlic, tiger shrimps and tabouleh. I love the decor as it feels like you step into the Middle East the minute you enter the place from a sleepy street bordering Humlegården in Östermalm.

But, this Sunday evening I have to say I left disappointed. The service was mediocre – every time our glasses of water were empty or we ran out of bread, we had to chase after our waiter and waitress to refill. Not once did they show any initiative to offer us bread or refill our glasses until we complained loudly amongst our group. Our halloumi cheese arrived cold and a good 20 minutes after the rest of our meze arrived. There was more garlic than usual on our food.

I don’t know if it is just eating out on Sunday evenings in Stockholm as several of my other favorite restaurants are also a let down on Sunday evenings. Perhaps it is the normal chef’s day off or maybe as the restaurants are rarely full on Sunday evenings, they just don’t try so hard as usual. Or maybe we get served the leftovers from Friday and Saturday?

The meze dishes at Beirut cafe cost between SEK 70 and SEK 120 and if you’re a group of people choose three each and there’s more than enough food for everyone! The Lebanese red wines are also worth a try. If you’re feeling adventurous, check out the lamb’s testicles!

Anyone else out there got similar feelings about dining out on Sunday evenings in Stockholm?

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Testing brunch at Haga Forum

Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009

The former airport bus terminal is located in Hagaparken, close to the shores of Brunnsviken, and a stone’s throw from the far end of Sveavägen. Today, it is still a meeting place for conferences but it’s also a popular lunch, dinner and brunch restaurant.

 

On Sunday, in scorching Stockholm temperatures of 28 degrees, a group of friends and I decided to try out their weekend brunch. But, I have to say that after testing brunch twice at the Scandic Hasselbacken in Djurgården, our brunch standards were higher than usual.

Brunch at Haga Forum costs SEK 235 per person (SEK 95 for kids) and food fits into three categories: cold (think bagels, salmon, herring, couscous and caesar salad); warm (the usual staples like chicken, sausages, eggs); and deserts (make your own waffles, apple crumble, chocolate cake and fresh fruits). The terrasse is open during the summer.

We found the service extremely minimalistic and slow (it took 10 minutes for them to refill the milk jug for the coffee and 20 minutes to take away my empty dinner plate) and could be a bit more friendly.

My verdict? Well, before I fell in love with the brunch at Hasselbacken, Haga Forum was one of my favorite brunches in town but now I have to say it comes second! But if you are tired of Djurgården, and the temperatures are soaring, then Haga Forum and Hagaparken is a great second choice! During the week, their lunches are pretty good – be sure to try the Wallenbergare.

 

More information on www.hagaforum.se

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Two “must eats” in Malmö

Friday, May 29th, 2009

Last year I lived in Malmö for one year and once I’d found my two favorite restaurants there, I stuck to them. A bit boring I know but considering the amount of times we went out to eat in Malmö, it meant we only ate there once a month, and not every week.

The first is Carib Kreol which is located on a sleepy backstreet and doesn´t look anything special on the outside. But step inside and it’s like entering another part of the world as dread-locked bartenders shake rum cocktails, waiters run around with corn fritters served with mango aioli dips and the aroma of Cajun chicken fills the air. It’s always busy so make sure you book a table in advance as this is really a popular local spot.

The second is La Couronne, a small French bistro located just off the main shopping street, just meters from Triangeln. A place which just like Carib Kreol looks like nothing special on the outside. But once inside, it’s a homely kind of place with checked tablecloths and super-friendly staff. The snails in garlic, stuffed duck with apricot and mussels are firm favourites of ours. And the bill won’t break the bank balance either.

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Brunch and Djurgården

Monday, May 25th, 2009

Weekend brunch at the Scandic Hasselbacken is not just an orgasmic experience for the taste buds, it’s also a great place to bring visitors, catch up with a group of friends or simply to start your day before taking a stroll around Djurgården.

hasselbacken-garden

The restaurant has views on to the garden.

I love weekend brunch at the Scandic Hasselbacken in Djurgården (close to Skansen) and have eaten there twice already this month. In the beginning, when I heard about brunch at a Scandic hotel, the first thought that went through my head was “Brunch in a Scandic Hotel …boring and probably the food is nothing special, just the standard hotel breakfast.” But their Saturday and Sunday brunch is probably one of the best, and healthiest, in town. It’s not your regular American fry-up brunch but you’ll still find old favorites like bacon and scrambled eggs.

What you’ll also find is a whole table dedicated to sill (herring) and a bigger table crammed with everything from smoked salmon, artichokes, tomato & mozzarella, lentils, pasta salads, cold meat cuts and cheeses. Then, there’s a fresh fruit platter, scones with whipped cream and jam and apple cake at the back of the buffet to finish up with your coffee. They also do this special homemade bread with dried fruit like apricots which is delicious. Coffee and water is included. The only thing I can find wrong with this great brunch spot is that you have to pay extra for juices which I think is a little stingy; they should include it in the brunch price (SEK 245) and let people pay extra for fresh squeezed juices.

Brunch is 12.00-16.00 Saturdays and Sundays and as it’s a popular spot, it’s best to call to reserve (08-517 34307).  But even if the restaurant is packed, there are never long queues for the buffet and the food’s restocked as fast as it’s finished.

Afterwards, why not take a walk around Djurgården or visit Skansen or some of the other cultural hotspots close by. Or, as one of my friends joked, if you feel really full afterwards, you could head for the rollercoaster at Gröna Lund to empty your stomach.

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Playing Ping Pong with Thai

Tuesday, May 19th, 2009

Stockholm has its fair share of Thai restaurants – some great, some “so so” and some just downright awful. Unfortunately, I have to say that I have given my local Pong takeaway and restaurant on Klara Tvärgränd (just off Drottninggatan) several chances every time I crave Tom Kha Ghai (chicken in coconut milk).

But every time I am disappointed – the last time there was only six measly pieces of chicken in my takeaway dish for my SEK 120. And I even had to ask the waitress to give me some rice with it. So instead, I decided to sit in-house and try out their buffet which at SEK 148 is not expensive but also not dirt cheap … for the quality of the food. To be honest, I probably wouldn’t complain if it was SEK 100 but SEK 148 is pushing the limits. And as for the service, this is just another reason to complain. The staff can be just downright unfriendly.

So, I’ll stick to the sushi at Pong’s other restaurant on the same street – just 50 meters away. It’s like day and night between Pong’s Thai and Pong’s sushi restaurants on Klara Tvärgrand. The staff in the sushi place are actually very friendly, quick and helpful. And the sushi is always great … SEK 95 for a Mama sushi with 8-10 pieces. Maybe the staff in the Thai place could pick up some quality and service skills from their neighbors!

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Lebanese at Underbar

Monday, May 4th, 2009

Took a late dinner after the movies at Underbar on the “nice” end of Drottninggatan (i.e. away from the tourist belt close to Gamla Stan) on Saturday night.

From the outside, Underbar looks like a nice, cozy restaurant but small. And it is small .. and cozy … and nice. There’s not a lot of space inside but it’s tastefully designed and, surprisingly, for 21.00 on a Saturday night we got a table straight away. (Probably because it was a bank holiday weekend and all the locals were out of town; tourists don’t really head up that end of Drottninggatan so often, unless they get lost!).

Well, what can I say … it’s Lebanese food and plenty of meze. It still doesn’t beat Beirut Cafe over in Östemalm (or the Middle East’s authentic restaurants) but the food is pretty good and nicely presented, great atmosphere and decor and friendly staff. Tried out the scampi in garlic and chili, shrimps in filo pastry, halloumi cheese, hummus and Lebanese beer and wine. All pretty good.

A nice spot to go if you are close to Drottninggatan and want a romantic dinner with someone special, or a cozy venue to have a chat with some good friends.

Contact details: Drottninggatan 102. Tel: 08-10 11 16

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Friday “after work” at Två

Saturday, April 25th, 2009

Joined a group of friends for an “after work” at restaurant/bar Två on Rörstrandsgatan yesterday evening. The company and wine was great, the food “lagom”.

Rörstrandsgatan is one of my favorite streets in Stockholm, crammed with cozy bars, value-for-money restaurants and good cafes. Två itself is a place which usually attracts a young, professional kind of crowd and has a kind of classy, trendy atmosphere  without the “Stureplan” feeling.

We’d been there a few months back for an “after work” and it was great – my beef dish, and the caesar salad which I tested were mouth-watering. The wine menu and cocktail list are pretty good and it’s just a nice place to meet friends and talk after work.

They’d changed the menu since the last time I’d visited (in February) to a more summery one with plenty of salads, antipasti, seafood dishes and a burger or two. Unfortunately, this time the food didn’t blow me away so much. I guess I could say it was “lagom” (so-so) … both the caesar salad and the fish stew. I got bacon on my caesar salad but they forgot it on my friend’s – when she asked they brought her along a little bowl of it. Another friend’s plate of mussels were pretty good but I’ve had better in Stockholm, and with a bigger portion of french fries alongside it. And it took AGES to order our food and for it to arrive even though the waitress was friendly and pretty quick to top up our water glasses and to take drinks orders. The bill took even longer to arrive when we asked for it.  The highlight for me was the Chardonnay Marlborough which at SEK 110 a glass was far from cheap … but worth it after a hard working week. And the company!

I like Två so even though the food and service last night was a bit disappointing, I’m not going to give up on it yet. I’ll be back and let’s see maybe it’ll be great again the next time. Perhaps the chef was off sick, you never know… Let me know if you’ve eaten there recently and what you thought!

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