Restaurant Reviews

Restaurant Reviews and Food Musings

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Fed up with celebrity chefs drizzling sauces over undercooked pieces of meat? I am!

I regularly dine out and am happy to share my restaurant experiences, and musings on food with you.

Monday, December 08, 2003

Restaurant

Tennstopet
Dalagatan 50
102 32 Stockholm
Sweden

Phone:- 08 32 2518

Website www.tennstopet.se

Overview

Eva and I went to Tennstopet the other evening. Tennstopet is a pub (one of Stockholm’s oldest, dating back to the 19th century) and restaurant; both the pub and restaurant serve traditional Swedish cuisine.

Ambience

The pub is decorated with traditional pub memorabilia and tartan wall hangings. They also have an extensive range of whiskies on display, that should suit most tastes.

The restaurant is a little more formal; the tables are traditionally laid with white linen tablecloths, napkins and silver cutlery. The chairs are upholstered in red velvet. The room has a high ceiling with wooden beams and chandeliers. At one end of the restaurant is an enormous mirror, with an ornate gilded wooden frame.

The restaurant is intimate, and ideal for a romantic evening or a larger gathering. We dined in the restaurant.

Menu

The dishes are traditional Swedish cuisine; and include Skagens toast, herring, blini, beef Rydberg and a variety of game dishes.

In order to see the entire range of food on offer, you should ask for the Swedish menu; they seem to think that English speakers will not wish to try the more traditional dishes, and so exclude them from the English menu. However, don’t let this put you off; the staff will be happy to explain each of the dishes on the Swedish menu.

Service

The welcome from all the staff is warm and friendly. Our coats were taken at the door by the smartly suited doorman. The restaurant staff are friendly, efficient and helpful; they are happy to explain the more traditional dishes.

By way of a contras to the normal bread rolls, you are given a basket of Swedish bread and crisp bread. This, in addition to a plate of butter, is accompanied by a bowl of rich creamy blue cheese; with a flavour akin to Stilton. I would recommend that you resist the temptation to overindulge, as this will seriously ruin your appetite. I had to exert an awful lot of willpower not to take more than a few spoonfuls of the delicious cheese.

Food

I started with Skagens toast; a combination of prawns and red caviar in a rich mayonnaise, served on a slice of toast. The taste was superb, and the dish generous in size. If you want to prepare this dish for yourself, see the recipe in my book “Accountants Can Cook”.

I chose fried bacon with onion sauce for my main dish. This consisted of generous slices of thick cut fatty bacon; fried and served with a white, creamy onion sauce. This was accompanied by plain boiled potatoes. I was delighted with this dish, it was “unctuous” in its richness, texture and flavour.

Eva started with the potato rosti and caviar, served with red onions. The potatoes were crispy and tasty; and combined well with the caviar. She thoroughly enjoyed it.

Eva chose the Viltwallenbergare for her main course. This was a large meatball made with a combination of moose, deer and veal. This was served with a wild mushroom sauce, accompanied by mashed potatoes and lingon berries.

The texture of the meatball was smooth and creamy, the flavour was very rich and gamey. The mashed potatoes, equally rich and smooth, complimented the meal.

Eva was delighted, and filled, by her choice.

The meal, which included a bottle of Pouilly Fume, cocktails and liqueurs, came to 1491SEK before tip.

Overall Opinion

Tennstopet is a splendid establishment, definitely in my top ten. Make sure you pay them a visit when you are in Stockholm.




Restaurant

Capri
Nybrogatan 15
114 39 Stockholm
Sweden

Phone:- 08 662 3132

Website www.capri.aos.se

Overview

I found myself dining out in Stockholm with six charming Scandinavian ladies the other night. We went to the Capri, an Italian restaurant in central Stockholm; which is Stockholm’s oldest Italian restaurant.

Ambience

Capri is a large, bustling Italian restaurant. The interior design resembles a grotto hewn out of the inside of a cave. The walls are painted deep red, the tables are laid with check cloths and the atmosphere is cosy and intimate.

Menu

The menu offers an extensive array of pasta, meat, pizza and fish dishes.

House specialities are displayed on blackboards around the room.

Service

The staff are friendly and accommodating. Guests are offered a free pre dinner Campari, whilst perusing the menu.

In addition to a long, hot sliced loaf we were also given a large bowl of iceberg lettuce; which had been drizzled with olive oil, as an appetiser.

Food

I was the only one to have a starter. I chose the spinach lasagne. I have no hesitation in saying that this is one of the best lasagnes that I have ever had. It was creamy, succulent and flavoursome; absolutely unctuous. Don’t take my word for it though; my six dining companions, all of whom had a nibble, would also agree.

I chose the pollo diavola with sauté potatoes for my main course. This was a spicy “spatchcocked” poussin, cooked with chillies and tabasco. It was juicy and piquant, very enjoyable.

My companions had a variety of dishes, including; lamb cutlets, penne, grilled salmon and pizza quatro.

All professed themselves to be happy with the quality, taste and presentation of their dishes.

The meal, which included a bottle of Chianti, Pinot Grigio and numerous Irish coffees, came to 2100SEK including tip.

Overall Opinion

We all had a great time, and have marked this as a “must visit again” venue. Make sure you pay them a visit.




The Hard Rock Café
Sveav. 75
113 50 Stockholm
Sweden

Phone:- 08 545 49400

Website www.hardrock.se

Overview

Eva and I found ourselves out rather late in Stockholm the other evening. As many of the restaurants were closing we went to the Hard Rock Café, which stays open late. Hard Rock Café is an American themed bar and restaurant, serving steaks, burgers and assorted American cuisine.

Ambience

Hard Rock Café is a lively, brash and cheerful American themed bar and restaurant. Everywhere you look there are TV monitors playing rock videos at a boisterous volume. You cannot escape the omnipresent video, even in the urinals; they have miniature screens built in at eye-level.

Those of you wishing to have a souvenir of the Hard Rock Café can buy T shirts and assorted apparel from the shop, conveniently situated near the door.

Menu

The menu offers a good selection of burgers, chicken and steak dishes. Starters include platters of baked potatoes, fajitas or combos for people to share.

They have a list of interestingly titled cocktails such as “Slippery Nipple” and “Purple Hooters”.

Service

The staff, from the doorman through to manager and waitresses, were all very welcoming and friendly. We were promptly seated, and menus and drinks brought instantaneously.

The service was very efficient, and when I asked for two fried eggs (not on the menu) to be served with my steak, the order was readily accepted. I was even asked if I wanted them sunny side up. Top marks!

Food

We started with the platter of baked potato skins to share. This consisted of eight skins, generously filled with potato, cheese and bacon. They were topped off with chopped spring onions and a sour cream dip on the side.

The skins were very tasty. However, they could have been a little warmer.

I chose the 12oz New York strip (with two fried eggs) for my main course. This came with a choice of baked potatoes, fries or sauté potatoes. I opted for the fries.

The steak was tender, and had been cooked rare to my specification. Rather incongruously it came with cauliflower florets as a vegetable accompaniment, they were a little underdone.

That being said, I cleared my plate and sated the “inner man”.

Eva had a cheeseburger with fries for her main course. This was definitely a cut above the sad soggy specimens served by high street fast food outlets. It had been freshly made, and was served “open topped” rather than squeezed together between the two halves of the bun. Eva was pleased with her choice.

The meal, which included cocktails, a bottle of Chardonnay and Irish coffees, came to around 1200SEK.

Overall Opinion

We enjoyed the meal and the atmosphere of the restaurant. Maybe not a place for an intimate evening. However, worth visiting if you are out late one night in Stockholm and are feeling hungry.