When it came to the newly awarded stars in the 2018 MICHELIN Nordic Countries Guide, Sweden was by far the biggest winner, with Frantzén in Stockholm gaining three stars, Daniel Berlin in Skåne Tranås being awarded two stars and three restaurants earning their first star: SAV in Malmo and Aloë and Agrikultur in Stockholm.
Here, we take a deeper dive into the newest one-Michelin-starred restaurants in Sweden:
SAV
MalmöFlickering candles, crackling fires and fleece-covered chairs provide a warm welcome at this charming nineteenth century farmhouse just outside the city. It’s an intimate place, seating only 10, and its two small dining rooms—their shelves packed with preserved herbs and berries—have a romantic feel.
Harvesting many of the ingredients themselves, the two young chefs come out of the kitchen to explain the numerous courses of their surprise menu. Accomplished, creative modern dishes offer a complexity of flavor that belies their apparent simplicity, with inspired combinations of tastes, textures and temperatures all playing their part. Superb breads and well-chosen wine pairings add to the experience.
Aloë
StockholmUnusually located in the southwestern residential neighborhood of Älvsjö—and even once you’re there, it’s not always easy to find—this warm and welcoming restaurant is definitely worth seeking out. It’s run by two talented chefs—in what was once one of their family homes—and hidden away behind an interior design shop.
The spacious dining room is filled with natural light and the open kitchen is its focus. The meal starts with snacks at the counter and is followed by 14 or so dishes with a focus on seafood and studded with Asian influences. Dishes are modern and creative and stimulate the senses with their original flavor and textural contrasts. The superbly matched wine pairings are a must.
Agrikultur
StockholmSet just outside the city center, in a residential block in an up-and-coming neighborhood, is this lovely little restaurant with a simple homespun charm. It’s run by a passionate young team—with the chefs serving and explaining many of the dishes themselves—and seats just 24, with four at the kitchen counter.
The five-course menu changes daily and follows a local, seasonal and sustainable ethos—the owner even hunts and forages for some of the produce himself. Creative cooking sees modernized Swedish classics prepared using some more traditional methods and the AGA stove and wood-burning oven play a key part. The carefully chosen wine list focuses on lesser-known producers and suppliers from both France and Italy.
