Expectations were raised when Swedish chef Björn Frantzén dropped the bombshell that he would be closing down his two-Michelin-star eponymous restaurant in 2016, and reopening again in a new location in August of this year. The reason for the rework is said to have been that Frantzén felt the need for more space to take the gastronomic concept further.

In upping the ante, the new premises – a three-storey, 19th Century building not far from Centralstationen – gives Frantzén and his team a fivefold increase in space with which to realise their wildest culinary dreams, while still retaining the original seating capacity of only 23 guests for an intimate and personal dining experience. Teaming up with head chef Marcus Jernmark, restaurant manager Carl Frosterud (winner of the ‘waiter of the year’ award in Restaurangvärlden) and sommelier Anna Rönngren, Frantzén has made sure he has an ironclad restaurant concept.

Behind the heavy oak and glass doors of the restaurant, a host greets us by our names and gives us a moment to discover the dramatically-tiled foyer – featuring dry-ageing refrigerators, a striking circular light pendant and a bathroom with a Japanese toilet seat – while he takes care of our outerwear. A dimly-lit corridor leads to an elevator with a ‘the Restaurant’ button, and while ascending, Buffalo Springfield’s For What It’s Worth streams out of the loudspeaker. The elevator comes to a halt on the third floor, perfectly timed to sync with Springfield’s uttering of the word ‘stop’ in the first chorus.

Here, we are shown into a living room and lounge area, where we are treated to a beautiful Sancerre by Françoise Cotat (300 kronor) and a few snacks – crayfish in cabbage pie with romanesco and dried crown dill, Frantzén’s take on a Swedish råraka with bleak roe, a macron-containing pumpkin, foie gras, sea buckthorn and green pepper, and a ‘yuba’ croustade with guinea fowl scrambled eggs, Swedish maple syrup and autumn truffle. The setting, designed by Joyn Studio, and these treats combine to make it a magnificent start.

After having been ushered down a flight of stairs into the main dining room, we’re personally welcomed by Björn Frantzén, who continuously oversees the work of the 15-ish chefs in the large open kitchen. We’re seated at the V-shaped counter that surrounds it.

Throughout the evening’s 12 set-menu courses – each presented and finished right in front of us – we are served a few of the best dishes we’ve ever had. Although there is no room to mention each one individually, not mentioning the French toast would be wrong. Having featured, in one form or another, on the menu since 2008, this revamped version is a butter-fried piece of brioche topped with mature cheese cream, 100-year-old balsamic vinegar and a pile of truffle slivers. It’s the kind of dish so good it keeps us up at night. We also thoroughly enjoy the tamarind caramel-glazed Swedish eel roasted over an open fire and the liquorice-glazed sweetbread with caramelised onions and roasted almond cream milk.

The price tag associated with a meal at Frantzén is a matter we cannot and will not let slide. The set menu at 3.000 kronor (and the beverage pairing menu priced at 1.650 kronor) is hefty, to say the least. And with that comes a lot to live up to. Frantzén does it well, and we look forward to seeing how the kitchen will continue developing and pushing the boundaries, which is something that can be expected at a venue of this calibre. We also look forward to it toning down some of its more over-the-top elements – nearly the entire staff was, at some point, over at our table to ask how the evening was going, which is a nice gesture but can become overwhelming over the course of an evening.

The finale in the well-choreographed piece that is Frantzén, is coffee, tea and sweets in the lounge area where, among chocolates, macrons and freshly-baked cardamom buns, we’re treated to yet another masterpiece – The Rubik’s Cube. It is made up of three layers of cubed candies: sea buckthorn fudge, licorice and garlic caramel and brunost – brown cheese – and sea salt, to name a few. It is hard not to draw a parallel between the Cube’s three layers of diverse flavour experiences and the three floors of Frantzén, where each storey and space is carefully and cleverly designed to offer yet another culinary experience.

Klara Norra kyrkogata 26
08 20 85 80
restaurantfrantzen.com