Taylors and Jones

Taylors and Jones

Those of you who live in Stockholm and hanker after English sausages, pork pies and good cuts of beef should pay a visit to Taylors and Jones at Hantverkargatan 12 in Kungsholmen (www.taylors.se).

Eva and I pooped into their shop last week, where they sell sausages to restaurants, pubs and individuals. They also sell Christmas turkeys, many varieties of meat and British specialities such as sausage rolls, meat pies, haggis and black & white pudding.

The meat is of good quality, the beef is hung for 30 days, and the Lincolnshire and Cumberland sausages that we bought and barbecued were excellent (as was the sausage roll that we munched on the way home).

It is not cheap, but certainly worth a visit if you want to treat yourself.

Rodolfino

Restaurant

Rodolfino
Stora Nygatan 1
Stockholm
Sweden

Phone 08 411 84 97

Website www.rodolfino.lunchinfo.com

Overview

Eva and I visited Rodolfino a couple of weeks ago, this used to be an old haunt of ours in Stockholm that we used to regularly visit in the 1990's.

Rodolfino is a traditional Italian restaurant in the Gamla Stan (Old Town) of Stockholm, a popular area for tourists.

Ambience

Rodolfino is a charming, cheerful and traditional Italian restaurant; tables are laid with red and white chequered cloths each with a small table lamp with the same pattern.

The restaurant, in the summer, also offers outside seating.

Menu

The menu consists of an excellent range of pasta, meat and fish dishes including; snails, lasagne, cannelloni, pizza, spaghetti carbonara, soups, steaks and seafood.

Service

The service was very friendly and efficient, indeed it was nice to see that the same owners that we knew from our previous visits all those years ago are still running the place.

We were made to feel very welcome, as we always were in the past.

Food

I began with the lasagne, which was first class. It was hot and bubbling, with just the right amount of meat and pasta complemented by a smooth bechamel sauce.

I chose the sirloin steak for my main course, this was excellent and very tender; it was very nicely cooked, and contained the right amount of fat to ensure that it was succulent and juicy.

The steak was served with a very generous bowl of thin cut fries and a bernaise sauce, which was an excellent accompaniment.

Eva eschewed a starter, and went for the spaghetti carbonara. This was superb, it consisted of a large bowl of pasta and carbonara sauce with a very generous amount of bacon. Atop of the dish was a raw egg yolk in a shell, which added extra richness. This was a very nice touch.

A truly excellent meal.

The meal, which included a bottle of Masi Serego and some coffees/liqueurs, came to 957SEK before tip.

Overall Opinion

A wonderful, friendly and cheerful restaurant which is definitely worth visiting; we will most certainly be coming back.

Paladar de Cuba

Restaurant

Paladar de Cuba
Tegnergatan 19
Stockholm
Sweden

Phone 08 21 22 52

Website www.paladar.se

Overview

Eva and I decided to try out Paladar de Cuba, a Cuban restaurant and bar, in Stockholm last week.

Paladar, in Cuba, is the colloquial Spanish name for a home-based restaurant (especially in Havana) restaurant run "off the radar" of the authorities.

Ambience

Paladar is a very welcoming and cosy establishment, a large number of wicker chairs are placed in the entrance and bar area, to the left of the bar is a good sized restaurant with cheerful wooden tables and chairs, which is well decorated with knickknacks, vegetation and curios.

In the days before the smoking ban was enforced, you could also smoke a fine Cuban cigar on the premises. Although they still have a magnificent selection of cigars in a man sized humidor, the law means that you now have to sit outside in the cold to smoke them.

However, the good news is that this ridiculous law does not apply to drinking; the Paladar has a most extensive and inviting selection of rum, which you can while away your evening with in the bar or in the restaurant.

The restaurant is very busy and popular (Che Guevara's daughter has dined there), you are advised to book.

Menu

The menu offered an excellent selection of Cuban cuisine including; peppers with cheese, crab, seafood, swordfish, steaks, lamb and young cockerel.

Service

The service was very friendly and efficient, the menu (unlike the website) was in English and the staff spoke English very well.

We were made to feel very welcome, and had a drink at the bar whilst our table was made ready for us.

Food

I began with the peppers and cheese, a most splendid starter. The red peppers (pimentos) had been roasted to perfection in olive oil (they were not out of a jar), and were served with a marinade and cheese. A really nice flavour, and medley of tastes.

Eva started with the scampi, which was served in a piquant spicy chilli and garlic white wine sauce. Absolutely superb, the scampi were plump and unctuous, and the sauce had a presence which did not overpower the scampi.

We both chose the young cockerel for our main course. This dish (per person) consisted of two large breasts of cockerel and a cockerel leg served with green rice, avocado salsa and a paprika source.

A fine main course, the cockerel was perfectly cooked and very succulent. The rice was light and fluffy, and the dish was well complemented by the sauce and salsa.

Perfect!

The meal, which included a bottle of good bottle of Spanish white and two very large rums and a rum coffee, came to an amount that I cannot remember; as in the rum fuelled haze of the evening I seem to have misplaced my bill.

Overall Opinion

A superb restaurant, which is well worth visiting.

Capri Revisited

Capri Revisited

Eva and I revisited Ristorante Capri last Thursday, and were sad to see that the menu has been changed.

Gone are the lasagne and pollo diavola, my personal favourites!

I have to say, speaking from an entirely prejudiced perspective, my saltimbocca was no way near as enjoyable as pollo diavola.

Plus ca change!

Boiled Pig's Leg

Boiled Pig's Leg

My compliments to Tennstopet in Stockholm which served myself and Eva with two excellent boiled pig's legs - Fläsklägg med Rotmos - (accompanied by mashed potatoes and mashed swede) yesterday for lunch, in their rather cosy and charming bar.

We are very happy to recommend both the main restaurant and bar for good food, good service and an excellent ambience.

Restaurant Capri

Restaurant Capri (Stockholm)

Eva and I dined at Capri, our favourite Italian restaurant in Stockholm the other evening.

One slight disappointment being that their signature dish "Pollo Diavola" is no longer on the menu.

I opted instead for a veal cutlet, which was excellent.

One word of caution, the English menu states that they serve T bone steak; this is in fact a mistranslation, the steak is entrecote.

That aside, we had an excellent evening.

It would be really good though if the "Pollo Diavola" were to make a comeback.

Customer Service

Customer Service

My compliments to the staff of La Habana in Stockholm, who went out of their way to look after Eva and myself last night.

Our choice of wine was not available, therefore one of the bar staff was seen "legging it" down the street to a nearby Italian restaurant to procure a bottle from them.

Now that's service!

Lilla Pakistan

Restaurant

Restaurant Lilla Pakistan
Sankt Eriksgatan 66
113 20 Stockholm
Sweden

Phone (46) (8) 30 56 46

Website www.lillapakistan.com

Overview

Stockholm has a paucity of good quality Indian/Pakistani restaurants, usually the food is too bland or the decor is that of a cold and uninviting cafe. After some considerable searching on the net, for anything resembling quality, Eva and I came across Restaurant Lilla Pakistan which we decided to try out a few weeks ago.

Lilla Pakistan was established in the early 1990's, and specialises in Pakistani food.

Ambience

Lilla Pakistan is a small, intimate restaurant with dark polished wooden tables, mirrors on the walls and a part open kitchen all of which contribute to a pleasant and inviting atmosphere.

Menu

The menu provided a good selection of Pakistani main courses; fish, meat, chicken and vegetables. However, there were only three appetisers to choose from.

Service

The service was professional and friendly, and advice was also on hand should we have needed it in respect of which wine to accompany our meal.

Food

I chose the Mezban Kae Teen Shorbe to start with. This consisted of 3 different types of soups seasoned with fresh herbs. The soups came in miniature bowls and were excellent. However, one was tomato soup and I would question as to what this really has to do with Pakistani cuisine.

Eva chose the Golshan Barre to start with. This is described on the menu as:

"Lentil dumplings soaked in yoghurt served with freshly chopped onions, tomatoes, chilies, herbs and chaat masala."

Quite honestly this was a complete disappointment, the dumplings were minuscule and hard to detect within the mound of chopped onions etc. Eva was not happy with her choice.

To our view, the appetiser section of the menu requires more attention in terms of choices of dishes on offer, and what actually goes into them.

Fortunately our main courses were better!

I chose the Zafrani Pasanda Fruita; which consisted of marinated tender chunks of lamb roast in a saffron gravy, garnished with fried fruits with ginger, roasted Pakistani pine kernels, with marinated cheese. This was first class, the meat was exceptional tender and flavoursome and was well complemented by the fruits and ginger.

Eva chose the Dahi Gosht for her main course. This was beef cooked in garam masala and yoghurt, a fine dish spicy and stimulating.

To accompany our meal we had Sabzi Ka Pakwan vegetables, potatoes baked with raisins,
fresh herbs and mushrooms; together with two nan breads and rice.

The meal, which included a bottle of sweet German wine, came to 1230SEK before tip.

Overall Opinion

A good quality Asian restaurant, one that Stockholm badly needs. However, as noted, we do feel that the appetisers need more work in terms of choice and content.

Cafe Piastowska

Restaurant

Cafe Piastowska
Tegnergatan 5
111 40 Stockholm
Sweden

Phone (46) (8) 21 25 08

Overview

Eva and I tried out the Cafe Piastowska, a Polish restaurant in Stockholm, the other week.

Ambience

Cafe Piastowska has been in existence for quite a few years in Stockholm and is run by a Swedish gentleman and his Polish wife who have, shall we say, a rather distinctive style and approach to the restaurant trade.

It consists of two floors, the ground floor bar and restaurant area and a basement which is a veritable rabbit warren of nooks and crannies.

The walls were decorated with all manner of knickknacks and artifacts, including Polish imperial flags. Red velour was very much the dominant texture, complemented by the white lace table cloths placed on top of crimson cloths.

We sat downstairs for our meal, then retired upstairs for our coffees and liqueurs.

The atmosphere created by the basement decor and candlelight was very romantic, even though Eva's part of the sofa that she was sitting on collapsed.

You are advised to book, as the owners tend to open and shut when they please. Indeed, the owner was happily going to bar us from entering (even though it was not full) until we told him that we had in fact made a booking.

Menu

The menu was very limited, and only offered soup and three main courses; schnitzel, steak and another dish that I have forgotten.

Service

The service was rather eccentric. When we sat down we were almost instantaneously served a bowl of potato and leek soup, before we had even seen the wine list. It was evident that you had to make sure that you repeated the order to ensure that the staff grasped fully what you wanted.

Rumour has it, that if they don't like you they make it very clear to you indeed.

When we were upstairs, partaking of our vodkas and coffees, we entered into a rather lengthy chat with the owner and his daughter who were sitting on the next table. Evidently we had passed "acceptability" test.

Food

The soup was good, but I found my main course of steak with egg and horseradish to be a little disappointing. The steak not being that high quality, and the potatoes underneath being a little greasy.

Eva managed to persuade them to serve her a blinis to start with. This was rather a bizarre form of blinis, as it came smothered with a variety of ingredients (poached salmon, egg and caviar) and was rather greasy.

Eva chose the schnitzel for her main course, which was rather better than her starter in terms of quality.

The meal, which included a bottle of Chardonnay 3 vodkas and 6 Irish coffees (yes, we "did it large" that night), came to 1340SEK before tip.

Overall Opinion

A romantic, eccentric restaurant; if you want to go out and get drunk in a cosy environment, then this is the place for you. However, don't expect the food to be that exciting.

Dolce Vita

Restaurant

Dolce Vita
Kungsholmsgatan 16
112 27 Stockholm
Sweden

Phone (46) (8) 650 60 80

Website www.dolcevita.nu

Overview

Eva and I went to Dolce Vita on Valentine's night, for a rather pleasant and romatic Italian meal.

It is has been quite a while since we have been to the Dolce Vita. When I lived in Stockholm (1996-2000) we often went there. However, this is the first time that we have been back since 2000.

I am happy to report that it was much as I remember it.

Ambience

Dolce Vita has been in existence since 1985, and serves good quality Italian food in a bright and cheerful setting. It used to make rather a fine selection of pizzas, as well as the pasta dishes. However, pizza is now no longer on the menu.

The restaurant is bright, lively, cheerful and busy. You would be well advised to book, especially if you wish to dine there on a Friday or Saturday night.

We were warmly welcomed and promptly shown to our table.

I would also note that despite the fact that the place was full, and the tables were quite close together, we did not feel claustrophobic (the brightness of the decor helped a lot in that respect).

Menu

The menu offered a good selection of Italian dishes (except for pizza) including, steak, veal, chicken, pasta and fish dishes.

Service

The service was very good; efficient, friendly and prompt.

Food

Eva started with the Scampi Piri Piri sauteed in olive oil, paprika and garlic. These were splendid looking fellows indeed, magnificently plump. Fresh and tasty, neither too much oil or garlic had been used to overpower the taste.

I chose the spaghetti bolognese, yes I was a greedy pig! Our waiter warned me about the size of the dish, and even offered me a child's portion.

Needless to say, I chose "adult size".

The dish was as I would have wished it to be; robust, tasty, large and accompanied by a huge bowl of freshly grated Parmesan.

What more could a man ask for to start his meal with?

Eva then chose the veal escalope with Mozzarella in a white wine sauce. She was more than pleased with this dish, the sauce complemented the meat and the cheese was not too rich. The veal was tender and flavoursome, not overpowered by the sauce with added just the right amount of piquantness.

However, the quantity of the dish defeated her (hence the need to summon the doggie bag at the end).

I opted for the fillet steak in a pepper and cognac sauce. Now I have absolutely no complaints about the quality of the meat, it melted in the mouth and was a good sized decently cooked portion of good quality fillet steak. However, I feel that the sauce needed some attention:

1 The pepper element of it was not quite as strong as I would have preferred.

2 The steak was topped with a slab of goat's cheese, which was totally unnecessary and overpowered the pepper sauce along with every other ingredient on the plate.

Polite advice to the chef:

"Lose the cheese, the dish most certainly does not need it"

That being said, I finished the steak (having removed the cheese).

Our main courses came with a very generous bowl of home made saute potatoes, which were excellent and far removed from the sad greasy fries served by many establishments.

The meal, which included a bottle of Mateus Rose, came to 896SEK before tip.

Overall Opinion

A good, fun, cheerful restaurant; we are happy to recommend it.

Sakura

Restaurant

Sakura
Luntmakargatan 59
113 58 Stockholm
Sweden

Phone (46) (8) 673 45 55

Website www.sakura.gastrogate.com

Overview

Eva and I, whilst we were in Stockholm the other week, decided to go Japanese and tried out Sakura.

Sakura is a Japanese restaurant and karaoke bar.

Ambience

Sakura occupies two floors; the ground floor contains the main restaurant and the basement contains the karaoke bar and a smaller function room for private karaoke parties.

It is laid out and decorated in a traditional Japanese manner, with cherry wood tables (each containing a small grill cut into the centre) and wooden fittings. However, chairs are provided so you don't have to sit in the more traditional Japanese manner on the floor.

The restaurant was quite busy, but given its size there was no problem with fitting two more guests in. Although both karaoke bars were in full swing, the noise from downstairs was not intrusive.

Menu

The menu offered an excellent selection of Japanese dishes including; sushi, small grill dishes, sukiyaki and a few Western style grills dishes. The menu was in English and Swedish.

Service

Our waitresses were very friendly, efficient and pleasant. They helped us understand what was what on the menu, and explained how to cook and enjoy our main dish.

Food

We started with two dishes from the small grill menu, scampi and ox tongue; together with salmon, beef and sweet shrimp sushi.

The grill was heated up and we placed our cut pieces of scampi and ox tongue on the grill to cook. These came with soy sauce and some salad. The meat and the scampi were tasty, tender and succulent; it was rather fun to cook them ourselves, and made the meal more enjoyable being able to share the dishes.

The sushi were absolutely first class, my own favourite being the shrimp.

We chose to share the sukiyaki for our main course. This consisted of thin slices of raw beef, fresh mushrooms, cabbage, glass noodles and other vegetables.

All of the ingredients were raw, and needed to be cooked in the sukiyaki sauce that was placed in a stew pot in the grill on the table.

When this had become hot enough we placed various ingredients into the pot, a few at a time, then (when cooked) dipped them into raw egg and ate them with the accompanying boiled rice.

There were ample portions of both meat and vegetables, all of which were fresh and tasty. The sukiyaki sauce was unctuous and did not overpower the flavours of the ingredients.

We thoroughly enjoyed our main course, and would most certainly chose it again.

The bill, which included a bottle of Mateus Rose and a bottle of sake, came to 827SEK before service.

Overall Opinion

A splendid evening in a splendid restaurant, well worth visiting again.

La Habana

Restaurant

La Habana
Sveavagen 108
113 50 Stockholm
Sweden

Phone (46) (8) 16 64 65

Website www.lahabana.se

Overview

Eva and I were in Stockholm last week, and decided to try out La Habana; Stockholm's first Cuban restaurant. La Habana is open Monday to Saturday 17:00-01:00, it contains a restaurant, bar, salsa club and cigar club.

Ambience

La Habana occupies two floors; one bar and the main restaurant being on the ground floor, with the other bar and salsa dancing area being in the basement.

It is charmingly rustic; wood being the material of choice for walls, bars, tables and chairs.

As we went there on a Friday night is was absolutely packed, and you are strongly advised to book in advance.

We were warmly welcomed and, as we had arrived early, partook of some cocktails in the downstairs bar. I should point out that rum is the drink of choice in La Habana, they have a variety of dark and light rums which make jolly agreeable cocktails.

I would make one observation about the door policy, there is a 20SEK charge per person for leaving your coats. This may be fine if you are just coming in for a drink. However, given that this is not the Savoy, I feel that to have to pay for leaving your coat, when you are paying for dinner as well is excessive.

I would also note that, because of the proximity of the main door to the restaurant, everytime someone entered or left there was a draft. I would recommend some form of curtain that shields the diners from this draft.

La Habana had a great atmosphere both downstairs and in the restaurant, lively and fun without being intrusive.

Menu

The menu offered a good selection of simple Cuban food including; ensaladas, fried chicken, tuna, swordfish and lamb.

I would note that the menu was not in English. However, the staff all spoke good English and would be more than happy to help explain the menu.

Service

The service was very good; efficient, friendly and prompt. I would also note that despite the fact that the place was full, we were shown to our table exactly at the time that we had reserved it.

Food

Eva started with the scampi sauteed in olive oil and garlic. These were fresh and tasty, neither too much oil or garlic had been used to overpower the taste.

I chose the chicken "Pio Pio" to start with. This was deep fried chicken breast with banana chips and a spicy side dip. The chicken was good, if a little dry (it needed the sauce to dip). However, I would say that the banana chips did nothing for me. I feel that fresh banana served with this dish would be better.

Eva, for her main course, chose the chicken "Pio Pio". Oddly, although the banana chips were again served with it, a fresh banana had also been added which did work well. The dish was accompanied by dark rice with black beans, this made an ideal compliment to the chicken and Eva was well pleased with her choice.

I chose the grilled breast of cockerel for my main course. This was a fine piece of meat, not overcooked but tender and unctuous. It was accompanied by green rice (cooked with basil), salad and a paprika sauce. Absolutely first class, and thoroughly enjoyable.

The meal, which included a bottle of Moet and liqueurs, came to 1545SEK including tip.

Overall Opinion

A great place for a good night out, we will definitely return.

A Good Laugh

A Good Laugh

My compliments to the excellent waitress of Tennstopet (Stockholm), who gave Eva and I a good laugh the other day when we were having lunch there.

I attempted to use my limited Swedish and asked if there was Falukorv on the menu (a Swedish sausage), the waitress looked puzzled and I repeated myself; she then apologised profusely, and said that they had no Novalucol.

Clearly my pronunciation really is appalling. I will stick to English in future.

I wondered why Eva was laughing, and she explained that Novalucol is in fact a stomach medicine.

Clearly I did not look my best that lunchtime!

Anyway, all was finally explained and good laugh was had by all. Unfortunately there was no Falukorv either, so instead I opted for a whole Irish crab; which was excellent!

Advice To Finnair Re The Finnair Lounge Stockholm

Advice To Finnair Re The Finnair Lounge Stockholm

For heaven's sake put some vodka in your drinks bar, and improve on the dismal selection of nibbles curently on offer (nothing usually more than nuts).

Restaurang Moldau

Restaurant

Moldau
Bergsunds Strand 33-35
117 38 Stockholm
Sweden

Phone (46) (8) 84 75 48

Overview

Eva and I are in Stockholm this week, and the other night tried out Restaurang Moldau; an Austrian restaurant and bar, which serves traditional Austrian food.

Ambience

Moldau is quite large, and is fashioned in the manner of a rustic Austrian country bar and eatery. Heavy craved wooded tables and chairs, with soft cushions scattered around, set off by traditional decorations hanging on the walls. It is an exceptionally cosy and inviting environment.

Unfortunately for us, it was the day before Mid Summer, and as such there were only two other people in it.

It offered a very pleasant atmosphere for an intimate evening, or for a larger gathering with friends.

Menu

The menu offered a good selection of Austrian food including; Weiner Schnitzel, sausages, ham hocks and Goulash soup.

Service

The owner was pleasant and efficient, offering me three different types of potatoes to go with my schnitzel.

Food

Eva started with a salted pretzel and green pepper, as she did not want to spoil her appetite.

I started with the Goulash soup, which was excellent. It was well flavoured, but not too spicy, and contained a generous portion of meat and potatoes.

I asked for eggs with my Wiener Schnitzel, which initially caused a "sorry we can't do that reaction" until I said Holstein Schnitzel (the official Austrian name for the dish) then there was no problem.

The dish consisted of a very generous cut of veal breaded and fried, it literally could not fit on the plate. It came with two fried eggs, two different types of potato salad and saute potatoes.

The meal was absolutely first class, the meat was tender and flavoursome and the potatoes excellent.

It is fair to say that I was well sated.

Eva's schnitzel, sans eggs, was equally large and delicious. It came with rosti potatoes.

The meal, which included a bottle of good Austrian wine and a schnapps, came to 884SEK before service.

Overall Opinion

A splendid restaurant, we heartily recommend it.

Krogen Soldaten Svejk

Krogen Soldaten Svejk

Those of you who are residing in, or travelling to, Stockholm and who are in search of a good pub atmosphere and hearty food should check out the Krogen Soldaten Svejk (the Czech Soldier Pub).

It was established in 1974 by the Vada family from Czechoslovakia.

This is a splendid establishment that serves good beer, and hearty East European food in a pub setting.

I particularly recommend the Holstein Schnitzel (fried veal with fried eggs).

Eva and I went there a while ago, and most certainly will revisit it when we are next in Stockholm.

Contact details

Krogen Soldaten Svejk
Ostgotagatan 35
116 25 Stockholm
Sweden

+46 8 641 33 66

Website www.svejk.se/index_en.html

BA's Shameful All Day Deli

BA's Shameful All Day Deli

I had the misfortune to fly by BA to Stockholm last week, and suffer the unpalatable and tasteless excuse for food that they insult their customers palates with.

BA is the national airline of Britain, yet in respect of its catering (performed by a third party company "Gate Gourmet", a title that most surely is a contradiction in terms) it more resembles British Rail's catering efforts of the seventies and eighties.

The in flight catering on the route consists of a boxed sandwich and some fruit in sugared water, this abomination in a box labours under the misnomer "all day deli".

Unlike many companies who have woken up to the idea that customers who are after all paying for the product deserve a choice, BA offered no choice on either the outward or inward bound flights that I took.

My outward bound "meal" was an egg mayonnaise sandwich.

This consisted of a small portion of chopped egg, a sad piece of lettuce and a hint of mayonnaise placed between two unbuttered pieces of brown bread.

The combination was bland, unpalatable and unsatisfying.

I fared no better on my return trip, again being offered no choice. This time my "meal" was a cheese and coleslaw soft roll.

I saw, nor tasted, any evidence of cheese.

Neither "meal" pack contained any salt or pepper to add life or luster to these culinary abominations.

I raised the issue as to lack of choice and poor quality with the very kind and service minded stewardess, she was very apologetic and said that the staff were embarrassed to serve them

She noted that they don't eat these "meals" themselves, and wished that someone would complain loudly enough to improve the situation. Indeed, she said that some of the food that they have served was in fact worse.

Let us hope that BA take note of this complaint this time. It is not the first time that I have had to chide them for their lamentable lack of culinary imagination or skill. They won the coveted "Worse Than Worthless Award" for their Ham and Cheese Bloomer in 2003.

Stallmastaregarden

Restaurant

Stallmastaregarden
Norrtull
113 47 Stockholm
Sweden

Phone:- +46 8 610 1300

Website www.stallmastaregarden.se

Overview

Eva and I celebrated Midsummer in Stockholm this year. As the weather was exceptionally fine, we dined alfresco at the Stallmastaregarden (Stable Master) Restaurant.

Stallmastaregarden is Stockholm’s oldest inn, and features a hotel and several restaurants.

Stallmastaregarden Inn has been in existence since the 17th century and is one of Stockholm’s, as well as Sweden’s, most well known restaurants. Many famous Swedish chefs began their careers there. With an emphasis on Swedish produce of the highest quality together with their very own smokehouse, rotisserie and grill, traditional Swedish cuisine is kept alive with inspirations from the present day.

Ambience

The restaurant and hotel is made up of several buildings, styled in the manner of an 18th century inn.

There are a number of dining rooms available; some for private functions, a water front café (The "Lill-Stallis café" by Brunnsviken bay), a main dining room with an open terrace overlooking the water front and the “lust” house, a stand alone dining room that can accommodate up to six people.

We dined on the open terrace of the main restaurant.

The atmosphere was cosy and inviting; the fact that it was summer, and that most diners were on the terrace, gave the place a more informal and relaxed atmosphere.

Menu

The menu (presented in both English and Swedish) contained a variety of Swedish and European dishes including; a herring buffet, lobster salad, asparagus and crayfish, halibut, chicken, veal served with duck liver sauce and lamb.

The homemade bread presented to us in a bread basket, whilst we perused the menu, was of a good quality; consisting of a variety of Swedish crisp breads and dark rye breads,

Service

The staff were very friendly and helpful, they were attentive but not intrusive. As you would expect in a good quality Stockholm restaurant, their English was impeccable.

Food

I chose the smoked tenderloin for my starter. This consisted of wafer thin slices of delicately smoked beef, served with roasted cashew nuts and a Dijon mustard dressing. It was a delight to eat, the taste was sublime; it proved to be an ideal starter for a warm summer’s evening.

I chose the lamb for my main course. This consisted of a variety of cuts of lamb, including cutlets and carved shoulder.

The lamb was cooked to perfection, and was succulent and flavoursome. The lamb was served with jus, pickled onions and avocado cream; these complimented the delicate flavour of the meat without overpowering it.

The dish was accompanied by sauté potatoes and vegetables; an excellent combination.

Eva chose the grilled chicken, with morel cream sauce, for her main course. The chicken was moist and perfectly cooked, the flavour enhanced by the morel sauce. The dish came with a delightful potato cake and fresh asparagus.

I indulgently concluded my repast with strawberries, marinated in Grand Marnier, served with homemade vanilla ice cream.

The meal, which included a bottle of Chablis and liqueurs, came to SEK1840 including service.

Overall Opinion

We thoroughly enjoyed our meal and evening there, and will happily visit again. We recommend that you visit it the next time that your are in Stockholm.

Restaurant

Die Ecke
Tegelbacken 6, Box 195
Stockholm S-101 23
Sweden

Phone (46) (8) 4123400

Website www.sheratonstockholm.com/en/restaurants/die_ecke/

Overview

Eva and I were in Stockholm last weekend, doing some pre Christmas partying, we decided to try out Die Ecke; a Bavarian bierstubbe, which serves traditional Bavarian food.

Ambience

Die Ecke was exceptionally cosy and inviting.

It was modelled on a typical Bavarian bierstubbe; with a wooden panelled dining room and a small bar, where you could enjoy the many German beers on offer.

The style of the restaurant was German rustic, of the “old school”. Wooden tables, chairs and panelling abounded.

It offered a very pleasant atmosphere for an intimate evening, or for a larger gathering with friends.

Menu

The menu offered a good selection of Bavarian food including; Weiner Schnitzel, sausages, ham hocks and Goulash soup.

In addition to German wines, there was an excellent choice of good quality German beers.

Service

The staff were exceptionally friendly, welcoming and efficient. They spoke German, Swedish and English; and I guess a few other languages as well.

Food

Eva made a pre meal “attack” on the salad bar, which was available to all diners at no extra cost; this provided a good selection of green salads and tomatoes.

We both started with the Goulash soup, Eva had a small bowl (which was quite large) and I had a large bowl (which was very large!).

The soup was excellent, spicy and flavoursome. It contained a good quantity of meat and peppers, and made a most excellent starter.

I chose the Bavarian platter for my main course. This consisted of a generous selection of various Bavarian sausages (fried and boiled), meatloaf and ham. This was served with a healthy dollop of creamy, rich mashed potato.

My meal was excellent, hearty and tasty; definitely to be recommended.

Eva chose the Wiener Schnitzel for her main course. This was a generous sized escalope of tender succulent veal, bread crumbed and fried. It was served plain with a lemon wedge, and boiled potatoes.

She was delighted with her choice.

The meal, which included several bottles of good quality German beer, came to 852SEK before service.

Overall Opinion

A splendid restaurant, we heartily recommend it.

Restaurant

Abyssinia
Vanadisvagen 20
11346 Stockholm
Sweden

Phone:- 08 330840

Overview

Eva and I were in Stockholm for a mid-summer party last weekend. The night before the party, in order to “ring the changes”, we decided to try out an Abyssinian restaurant. This was located within 20 minutes walking distance of the centre of Stockholm.

Ambience

Abyssinia was a small, cheerful cosy African styled café. The walls were painted a cheery sun yellow, and were decorated with African artefacts and animal skins.

There was not that much space available for covers in the restaurant, therefore the tables were packed quite closely together to maximise yield to the owners.

That being said, it was the night before mid-summer and so was very quiet. On busy nights you may have to “hunker down” with your neighbours.

Menu

The menu (in Swedish and Abyssinian) offered a variety of Abyssinian dishes including lamb, beef, chicken and vegetables. There appeared to be no specific appetisers, I dare say the chef would accommodate you if you asked.

Service

The service was friendly and polite. Although the menu wasn’t in English, the waiter did speak English; and so communication was not an issue.

Food

Given the fact that neither of us had ever eaten Abyssinian food before, we opted for the most sensible dish to have under these circumstances; the house special.

This was an excellent way to sample a variety of the cuisine on offer.

The dish was served on a humungous plate, which was presented in a covered basket (to keep the heat in). Our meal included; chick peas, lentils, chicken in a spicy sauce, spiced minced lamb, spiced minced beef, hard boiled eggs, cabbage and carrots (rather similar to sauerkraut), spinach and cottage cheese.

These were served on a large piece of flat bread (with a consistency and taste similar to blini), which covered the plate.

Additional bread, folded like napkins, was provided to accompany the meal.

Incidentally, I should point out that you don’t use cutlery; but instead eat with your fingers. All good fun!

We thoroughly enjoyed our meal; each of the dishes had a special flavour which complemented the others.

As the meal was very filling, we had no need of starters or deserts.

Our meal, which included a robust bottle of Ethiopian wine, came to 510SEK before service.

Overall Opinion

A pleasant, unpretentious meal and restaurant; worth a visit if you want to try something different.