Photo: (L-R) Kristofer Sandström, Niklas Odin, Christian Olsson

Stockholm Krogbolag are providing Stockholmers with both tradition and inventive concepts. Not content with running mainstays such as Vassa Eggen and Tennstopet, in late 2017 the trio – Niklas Odin, Kristofer Sandström and Christian Olsson – opened the doors to not one, but two new restaurants. We spoke to Niklas Odin to learn more.

Everyone knows Vassa Eggen and Tennstopet, but now you have opened both Tako and Haga Bottega in quick succession. Tell us a bit about your overall strategy and about the two new eateries.

We want to create places that we would want to visit ourselves. We always put a lot of effort into creating a warm and inviting atmosphere, where different constellations of friends, family and colleagues can meet and enjoy good food and drinks. All our restaurants are mainly based around concepts, so that you know what to expect with a qualitative standard, and we aim to deliver a social experience no matter what the concept´s about.

Through Tako we want to create an oasis of unexpected impressions and experiences – where guests are invited to taste our interpretation of Asian cuisine, inspired by Japan and Korea. Coupled with our own ideas and cultural influences, we have created a restaurant with a unique set of characteristics, that stimulates all of the senses. Tako is a restaurant with a distinctive style and, whether you are living here or just visiting, is an obvious choice for lunch, dinner or meeting friends for cocktails at the bar.

Our mission is to create a world-class concept. The guest’s experience is our main focus along with personal service, in a one-of-a-kind environment where our own creations offer elegance and the unexpected – á la Alice in Wonderland.

Haga Bottega is a new Italian restaurant situated in Stockholm’s fastest-growing and most beautiful community Hagastaden. We love Italy, partly for the food culture, but also for the friendliness and the communal way they eat. The Italians’ relationship with their dishes, as a thing they love, is something we have embraced and that’s reflected in what we serve.

The theme at Haga Bottega is mainly Italian, but we offer a generous selection of both traditional dishes from Italy along with other exciting combinations brought from the Mediterranean. The dishes are either served at the Italian table in the heart of our dining room, or served at your table, where they are invited to be shared, in true Italian fashion.

What do you think about Stockholm’s restaurant scene in general? And where do you think we’re headed in the future?

Stockholm is one of the world’s leading cities if you look at the restaurant scene. What that means is that the lowest standard will be higher, and both the restaurants and the guests will demand more, so if you want to keep up as a restaurant you need to be able to deliver in every area, including service, atmosphere, location, food and interior. In the future we think that the digital market will be more represented and effective, but without losing the social aspect.

What will Stockholmers eat in 2018?

We believe that you need to integrate more the experience, social aspect, atmosphere, service and of course really good food. A good thing in Stockholm is that you can find a variety, from the most Swedish traditional food, through to a perfect steak, a balanced cocktail, and the Asian cuisine.