The Swedes have a complex relationship to alcohol. So much so that someone at the foundation Vin & Sprithistoriska Museet (an offshoot of Vin & Sprit, the brand that brought the world Absolute vodka) thought it deserved its own museum. The museum, which opened in May 2013, lies on the footpath that runs along the waterfront between the Wasa museum and the Gröna Lund theme park on Djurgården. Situated in two former galley sheds, the museum tells the story of the Swedish people’s bittersweet love affair with booze, from euphoric enjoyment to killer hangovers, and of all those ambivalent double standards that wind up somewhere in between. And what better way to end the alcohol-soaked experience than with a bite to eat and a bottle of wine to go with it?
The newly re-energized museum restaurant’s beverage list is anything but ambivalent. Two bubblies, three whites, one rosé, two reds and a dainty selection of beers and non-alcoholic alternatives. The food menu is constructed in the same fashion: four appetizers, four mains, two cheeses and two desserts. Equally straightforward is Erika Lindström, whose past includes restaurant manager at Esperanto, and who takes the food and drinks orders in a manner that is neither friendly nor aloof. Lindström and chef Petter Nilsson (who recently moved back home after spending 14 years France, working for among others La Gazetta in Paris) now aim to create artistic and avant-garde yet simple dishes, while also reinterpreting classic Swedish food traditions. Although the menus promise a lot, the overall impression – perhaps from the slightly uninspired welcome and the pared-down décor that doesn’t quite mirror the high ambitions of the kitchen – is initially ‘meh’. But that is about to change drastically.
The first bite of the appetizer, a plate filled to the brim with sourdough deep-fried spring onions served with pike-perch roe and bottarga (115 kronor) does something to me. All of a sudden, I feel like I’m transported back into my childhood years, to my very first taste of tempura in Japan. I am blown away by the fact that they have managed to obtain that perfectly crisp, light-as-clouds, batter that seems impossible to get anywhere else than in Asia. The rest is history, as the entire contents of the plate is devoured like there is no tomorrow. The second appetizer, a beef tartar (145 kronor), which is cut into tiny dices and served with Jerusalem and globe artichokes, feels soft, soothing and aromatic. A strong start so far.
Perhaps the least eye-opening dish of the meal is the cod with new potatoes, white and green asparagus and lemon (195 kronor). It is a perfectly tasteful acquaintance with good, honest flavours that probably would have been granted great appreciation in another time and place. It just goes to show how quickly the bar of expectation is raised when one is served an impressive first course. The second main, a cockerel from Skåne served with Swiss chard, parsley and spelt (205 kronor), may not be the prettiest sight, but it definitely nails all the right flavours. Cooked sort of like a risotto, the spelt is covered in a thick and deep green goo that tastes intensely of earthiness, while the bird on top is moist and tender. To this, I enjoy Ampeleia’s very reasonably priced red wine by the name of Unlitro (83 kronor for a glass).
Rounding off the meal with strawberries and ice cream (a season special) and the playfully named rhubababarbs and compote, served on a blushing pink ceramic plate with browned butter and a dash of arrack punch (105 kronor), I make up my ambivalent Swedish mind. I love this place.
Djurgårdsvägen 38
Photography (food): Per-Anders Jörgensen
