Second floor French
Brunch at Grand Escalier
Restaurants in shopping centres don’t normally have the best reputation, but Stockholm actually has a handful of exceptions: there’s Boqueria in MOOD Stockholm, Ljunggren in Bruno and Sturehof in Sturegallerian. The latter has now gotten another ambitious eatery in the form of Grand Escalier, a French brasserie that recently re-opened after a facelift and a concept change. Formerly a wine bar, Escalier is now a restaurant serving lunch, dinner and a weekend brunch.
The restaurant space consists of a large dining room, a separate bar space, a balcony and a nice patio that, despite our cold climate, is to be kept open all year around. An escalator, with Achille Castiglioni’s gigantic Taraxacum bulb-lamps hanging above, leads from street level to the restaurant on the second floor, and inside it’s all calming brown and green hues, comfy armchairs and glossy magazines. For those who prefer to forget all about the shoppers below, the dining room is a good choice, while those wishing to engage in a bit of innocent spying might find it fun to sit on the balcony that offers a view towards Sturegallerian.
The brunch menu is short and offers few surprises. There are a handful of mains, such as steak tartare, chèvre salad and a charcuterie plate, and a nice choice of classic egg and bread dishes, including omelets, Eggs Benedict and a Croque Monsieur. A daily choice from the barbecue is also available. The desserts continue along the same lines; it’s all quite conventional, which doesn’t necessarily need to be wrong – these are dishes that many Stockholmers love. As long as they’re properly prepared, there’s probably room for (yet) another French brasserie in town, especially if the prices are as humane as they are here.
The brunch cocktail list is a pleasant surprise though, offering several options not often seen on drink menus. The Floridita Daiquiri no 2 (122 kronor) and the French 75 (108 kronor) both served ice cold in elegant cocktail glasses, are two of them.
We order the steak tartare (165 kronor), which is served mixed (as opposed to with the traditional accompaniments on the side) with fries and salad, and the Eggs Benedict (125 kronor), and both get high marks. The tartare is fresh and the fries crispy, while the Eggs Benedict has a lovely balance between the mild eggs and spinach, the salty ham and the buttery hollandaise sauce. The service works, too: the waiters appear when needed but let us get on with our conversations without asking too many questions mid-sentence.
Out of the desserts, the apple tarte with vanilla sauce is an absolute bargain at 55 kronor, while the chocolate fondant (85 kronor) charms us with its warm softness.
Grand Escalier is a nice addition to Stockholm’s restaurant scene, especially on a lazy Saturday or Sunday, when all you need is an expertly mixed cocktail and a comforting plate of good, old-fashioned French cooking.
Elna Nykänen Andersson
