When the MOOD shopping centre in Stockholm opened in March, it promised fervently not to be a shopping centre at all, but rather a city block full of independent retailers and nice restaurants. Six months on, it looks and feel a lot like a shopping centre and many of the shops belong to one of the major chains. Thankfully, though, the restaurants rival many of the city’s other popular eateries – and by that I don’t mean McDonald’s and Vapiano.
Boqueria, one of MOOD’s flagships, has made Spanish tapas its forte. It’s owned by Kristofer Sandström, Christian Olsson and Robin Moderato, who for years have been running the successful Vassa Eggen restaurant on Birger Jarlsgatan. This may well be the trio that will put tapas on the Stockholm dining map again, mainly because here, they’re served in a fresh way, and even foods from other cultures than the purely Spanish are welcome to the menu. Informal, fun and buzzing, Boqueria is possibly best suited for a night out with friends, but given the generous opening hours (the restaurant is open every day of the week, serving lunch, weekend brunch and dinner) it’s a nice place to take the family or the parents to. The lively, large space with an open kitchen has an industrial yet cozy feel; the chairs and tables are in natural wood and tan leather, while the walls are partly tiled and the roof features visible, petrol blue piping and copper plates.
The evening menu consists of 32 tapas ranging from 40 kronor to 130 kronor, plus a handful of raciones, bigger plates intended to be shared by two or more people. As reading through the dishes and deciding for a good combination feels like a task that would take half of the evening, we give the cheery but professional waiter a free hand to serve us a selection of their best tapas, three to four per person. After that, we’re free to sit back and enjoy – or, rather, throw ourselves at the delicacies that arrive at the table in a steady stream.
None of the food disappoints, but the ones we remember when the dust settles are the mild but salty Pimientos de padron (60 kronor) – a plateful of small, rosted, salted green peppers, the juicy porcetta (65 kronor – a true bargain), the red beet salad with crunchy whole hazelnuts and chevre (50 kronor) and the tender, grilled, sliced lamb (70 kronor).
The most discussed item at the table, however, is percebes (130 kronor). These strange crustaceans, which look a bit like thin, small, black fingers with several nails attached to one end, are considered a delicacy in Spain and Portugal, but they’re still rare in Stockholm, available only at a few restaurants. Their strong, salty taste is not for everyone, but it’s a joy to find them on the menu.
Desserts don’t impress as much as the mains; we have a tart of the day, which today is a chocolate cake (60 kronor) and a creme catalana (60 kronor). Both get good marks, but the savory dishes are definitely Boqueria’s main attraction.
The whole evening, with ten dishes and a bottle of Horn’s The White One (395 kronor) ends up costing just over 1000 kronor, which is a decent price for an entertaining, original night out. A boqueria was originally a place for preparing and selling boquerones (small sardines), but today it mainly refers to a market and meeting place. This Boqueria has a good chance of becoming just that; a favourite meeting place for many Stockholmers.
