Monday, December 21, 2009

Örtgården// lunch








Looking for a tasty and affordable lunch place in the heart of Stockholm? If possible in a place which looks very nice and where they serve buffet? This is the place!

Simple ideas make great food, and Örtgården is giving you the choice between dozen of oriental and swedish cold starters/salad buffet.
The warm buffet gives you the opportunity to fill your plate with dozen of other courses such as cabbage rolls, gratin d'aubergines, baked mushrooms, potatoes and cheese casserole...
Originally a vegetarian restaurant, Örtgården also offer a selection of meet and fish dishes during the weekend, all very tasty and pretty well cook for a buffet place. On some days soup is also available.
And after all theses delighting meals, coffee, tea, cake and ice creams are on self service.

One of the plus of the restaurant is the place itself. Located on the upstairs of the old Östermalm market hall, the restaurant gives the feeling that the place always look like this since the opening of the market hall in 1888. A large terrace also gives you view on the market itself and its lively activity.








For 95Kr in the week days and 125Kr (less than 12€) on weekend and diner time this place is definitly one of those you have to visit in Stockholm.
Warmly recommended!

Crêperie Fyra Knop






A little piece of Bretagne in the heart of Södermalm.

If you are in Stockholm and you wish to have good crêpes and to have the small France feeling by listening the staff's accent, this is the place.

We got 2 similar crêpes, 1 spinach+crème fresh+tomatoes+blues cheese, and one spinach+crème fresh+tomatoes+blues cheese+salmon.
Well the dough was ok, not the best I ever tasted but pretty good. The crêpes were good, and the bottle of French dry cider made them taste even better. The restaurant itself is a nice place to be. Cosy, you may need to book ahead if you are more than two. Candle light, wood, French signs on the wall and French staff almost made you feel in Lorient or Brest. If you happen to seat in the back room next to the stairs, you might also have the surprise of 2 feet chair...

Anyway the food and the atmosphere are good, such as it's difficult to resist to an extra sweet crêpe as dessert. Only one regret, no crême de marrons - chestnut cream - available.

A good place a good diner, recommended.






Hotel Anno 1647 - Breakfast








Located on the North of Södermalm in Stockholm, 2 minutes away from Slussen T station, Hotell Anno 1647 is a good an affordable place for a romantic weekend in the swedish capital. Rooms size vary from tiny enough to suites but the general feeling is quite good.
As most of the Stockholm hotel, Hotell Anno 1647 offers the breakfast to its guests.
No real surprise here. It is a typical nordic breakfast buffet, but the food is tasty.
The different breads available were fresh (or at least seems to be), at least 3 kind of cheeses and the basic veges were present to fill them. The selection of jams was also good, different nordic berries and some orange marmalade. For amateurs of salty meal for breakfast eggs, bacon and sausages were also available, and for the healthiest yogurt, berries, fresh and dry fruits and a good selection of  juices.
Nothing very exotic, but all the ingredients for a good breakfast/brunch!

Recommended, if you stay at the Hotel.

Hötorget's market hall // Kajsas Fisk



Perfect place for a tasty, simple, fast and affordable lunch during your shopping in Stockholm. For about 8€ you get a typical swedish fish soup (+bread and salad), perfect for the cold winter.
The place is small and located in a food market all. It might look a bit like a tourist place but we recommend it.



Friday, December 11, 2009

Proviant - Stockholm


Planning to have a nice romantic evening in the swedish capital, you booked some tickets to the opera and are now looking for a nice restaurant - and why not recommended by one of the most famous restaurant guide, Proviant could be a good place. But even if you will probably spend a nice evening, the place is maybe a bit over rated.
Located just few blocks away from the centre of Stockholm you have the feeling when you enter in the Proviant restaurant that you arrive in a good place: a modern styled restaurant with a red white and black color code inspired by french brasseries and their white and red table clothes.

The friendly and professional staff will guide you to the bar if your table is not ready yet - we don't need to mention that it is recommended to book ahead for this place. While waiting at the bar, why don't you order a glass of Champagne. Proviant is well known in Stockholm to serve Champagne per glass, and their selection is good. Glass served were a bit small, but the friendly staff might offer you an extra glass if you happen to be there for a late service.


Once you reached your table starts the delicate part of ordering. the helpful staff will guide you if you need, and for vegetarian I may recommend it as the restaurant Menu is more dedicated to meat eaters. After completing you order, your waiter will welcome you with a small appetizer: Parma's ham and tapenade served on a spoon. Very good combinaison but not really suitable for vegetarians. Luckily Proviant staff is very helpfull and might also suggest you to try some fresh olive oil. Very good and tasty indeed but this part reveal a weakness of the restaurant: its bread! Small things can make difference and in that case proviant white bread did not meet at all the requierement for such a place.


Starters were ok, but again below expectation for a place quote in the Michelin. The toast Skagen was good but maybe too basic, and the portion of the Salmon tartare was maybe a bit too tiny.




Main course will make you realize you choose a good place. The veal entrecôte was excellent, the sauce and the veges served with it very well cooked. It fit perfectly with my glass of Bourgogne red. The halibut and and mussels plate was also delicious and the staff put extra effort by cooking it without any bacon.


An why not finish your meal with a dessert? The Menu surprise - name of the menu of the day -included it, so I went for it. But I was a bit disappointed, thinking of the range of restaurant I was in. A banana with some ice cream balls, meringue and a nice sauce tasted really good but seemed a bit too cheap or simple for the place.


Proviant is a nice place with a very nice atmosphere and staff where you will definitly spend a nice evening. On the other hand, for a place recommended by Michelin you may expect a bit more on the food.

Recommended, for the very good wine and champagne carte, the staff, and the main courses, but a bit over rated.