Chokladkoppen, Stockholm

I could lie to you, and tell you that we ate all this food in one day (which would still make you think I was a greedy piglet). However, we loved this place so much that we went two days running! Hidden away in the Old Town of Stockholm, is this little bobby dazzler. It's like stepping back in time visiting the square that Chokladkoppen is on (thus the Old Town I suppose). 

It's really dark inside, and had tiny little chairs, mainly because anything bigger simply wouldn't fit. On the first day we only did sweets, but on our return we did savoury. It was only fair really. You guys want a balanced review...

I apologise for the picture quality, but it was very dark inside. Although on the first day we only did desserts, we had three between us! Well... we wanted to show a good sample...

The apple pie below was an open style with a lattice top, and came served with a good dollop of thick home-made custard with a grating of fresh nutmeg. It worked!

Stockholm is famous for its cinnamon buns, and I like cinnamon. 'Match made in heaven' you say? You're dead right! This was like a glossy, sticky danish pastry with cinnamon sugar wrapped in the layers. It was sprinkled with little chunks of sugar too, just in case you were suffering from low blood glucose. This was nice dipped in hot chocolate - because I'm all continental.

This was the toffee and nut pie. Wow-wee. It was out of this world! Soft and sticky with hazelnuts throughout. It also came with a huge pile of thick whipped cream.

As if I wasn't already destroyed, I had a hot chocolate. Think less 'Cadbury's Options' and more 'bucket of melted white chocolate'. No, you're not dreaming, I said white chocolate. In a bowl. I'll never be satisfied with your bog standard hot chocolate again.

The next day we did contemplate going somewhere else for lunch because we were craving savoury goods. We'd already been to Vete-Katten that morning! I'd noticed people having these amazing looking sandwiches in Chokladkoppen the day before, so off we trot! Below is their version of a ham and cheese sandwich!

My husband had asparagus soup, which came served with an open cheese sandwich!

I loved this little cafe. Friendly staff, wonderful food. I want to go back. Now.

Disclaimer: I reviewed Chokladkoppen because it blew my little socks off. They did not pay me for doing so.

Frantzen/Lindeberg, Stockholm

As well as being a keen baker, I am a total restaurant fiend. My husband and I love to travel to try new places, often with two of our closest friends Wayne and Vicki (please see Mrs Petticoat for more restaurant reviews). Together we are... the Horwich Fine Dining Society.

Last year we were lucky enough to go to Noma in Denmark, which according to San Pellegrino is the best restaurant in the world. And it was. However, now is not the time to get me gushing about Noma.

When the San Pellegrino top 50 list was published last year, an up an coming restaurant caught my husband's eye... Frantzen/Lindeberg in Sweden. Two young chefs following their dream of creating outstanding food made with home grown organically produced vegetables. I was particularly excited by the fact that Daniel Lindeberg is a pastry chef... 

Click here to watch a video about their ethos - it explains it all. The restaurant has only been open a little over three years, and already has two Michelin stars and sits at number 57 on the San Pellegrino World's Best list (with 'The One to Watch' award to boot...)

Their mantra is "A gastronomic journey led by the needs of each ingredient and with the freedom for our creativity"

Today is my 30th birthday. Those of you who know me will understand that the prospect of this milestone has haunted me for some time. My gift from my husband was a trip to Franzen/Lindeberg. I was over the chuffing moon. We went earlier this week.

There is a lot of food involved here, and I will try not to go into too much detail, so I will let the pictures explain...

Arrival
When we arrived at the restaurant, Roland the doorman greeted my husband with 'good evening Patrick!'... nice touch! It gets better. When we got inside, our waiter greeted me as Dolly, and advised we had chatted on Twitter. I was tickled half to death! The dining room is really intimate, and you can watch the food being prepared in the open kitchen. On our table, our bread was proving, and we were swiftly given a glass of champagne and a warm 'happy birthday!'. Red cheeks.

Prologue

3 - Potato & creme fraiche: crispy potato strips wrapped around cream cheese. I could eat my own body weight in these.

4 & 5 - Oven baked Jeruselem artichokes, roasted hazelnuts, preserved mushrooms from last Autumn, chicken skin.

6 - Raw langoustine from Ingemar J. pig's tail, saffron and salted lumpfish roe.

7 - Oyster, frozen apple, cream and juniper.

8 - 12 days old halibut 'sashimi' and egg creme and raw shrimps.

9 & 10 - Our waitress Helene arrives with a piece of reindeer meat, some coal and a blow-torch. She proceeds to char the outside and explains it will be back later as tartar...

11 - The blood from the mountain reindeer and duck heart. Bleak roe, potato and dried tallow.

12 to 14 - Coal flamed mountain reindeer tartar, tallow from 11 years old milk cow (Stina), smoked eel, Iranian caviar. Pleas note the pink dust in picture 14. Quote of the day... 'And the pink dust is ground reindeer penis'. Honestly.

Chapter 1

15 - This basket of vegetables and eggs is brought to the table before the Satio Tempestas arrives. It is explained that it all comes from the restaurant gardens and changes daily. 

16 - Satio Tempestas. I need to explain this one. It is served on a platter to feed two. It is without doubt one of the tastiest things I have ever eaten. It is drizzled with all sorts of goodies like herb infused butter and dried fish scales (just trust me...). 

17 & 18 - A waiter came to the table with some clotted cream (which they hand make... it takes 3 days...) which he starts to churn with a wooden paddle. Within a couple of minutes it has turned to butter! Hey presto! 

19 - A little earlier on, the risen bread was whipped away from the table. It comes back still warm form the oven. 

20 & 21 - Yellow onion and almond and liquorice. 

22 to 25 - Diver scollops. Truffle puree and bouillon.

Chapter 2

26 - Frozen rowanberries and winter apple

27 - Monkfish baked for four hours. Algues and raw mushrooms. Butter flavoured with roasted chicken juice and soya.

28 - Six months old milk fed veal first marinated in whey for 2 days then roasted and finally oven 'Delta" baked.

Epilogue

29 - You know it's good when you are given three spoons for dessert...

30 - Cauliflower, toasted bread, hazelnut ice-cream, hay.

31 - Beer, yeast and yolk from the first egg the hen warps (first egg the chicken ever lays).

32 - Frozen sea buckthorn, Oolong tea, seaweed.

Finale

33 & 35- This is the amazing birthday cake that Daniel Lindeberg made for me. It was a tour de force! Layers of chocolate with mouse and sea buckthorn. Bravo!!!

34 - Tea

36 - this is Jim, the Sous Chef. He came over for a chat at the end of our meal. A thoroughly lovely chap. I just couldn't help but notice that he strikes an uncanny resemblance to Lincoln Potter from Sons of Anarchy... 

We had the most wonderful time at Frantzen/Lindeberg, and yes, it was worth travelling all the way to Stockholm for! The staff were warm and friendly and the food was out of this world. It was totally unique. If you want to compare it to the Nomas and Fat Ducks of this world, don't. You won't find anything else like it. 

Let's hope that they get the recognition they deserve in the next San Pellegrino World's Best list... This year's list is published on 30th April, so keep your eyes peeled for this little gem...

Disclaimer: Frantzen/Lindeberg knew I was coming because I had tweeted them like an excitable fool. However, they did not know that I would be reviewing the restaurant afterwards. The main aim of our visit was purely for pleasure.

Read more about Frantzen/Lindeberg.
Follow them on Twitter: @Restaurant_FL

Fika at Vete-Katten

The idea of 'fika' was a bedazzling one. It roughly translates to drinking coffee with a sweet accompaniment. Yes. It sounds like my kind of pass-time. All food establishments in Sweden have an amazing array of sandwiches and home made cakes. Nothing looks mass produced, and everything looks appealing. 

We found Vete-Katten in the Stockholm Time Out Guide. It's situated in the bustling Norrmalm area, hidden amongst street markets and busy department stores. Translated into English, Vete-Katten means 'wheat-cat', which is traced back to the original owner who was pushed for a name!

Vete-Katten is a proper Konditori (old fashioned coffee shop) where hot drinks are served from a hatch and milk and sugar are housed on a large lace covered table with an oversized lampshade dangling above. Like most eateries, it's quite dark inside and I couldn't quite help but feel like I'd just walked into someone's living room and asked them to make me a cuppa.

Between us we sampled three different cakes. My husband had something that resembled a large doughnut with custard in the centre (Solbulle), but it was much softer and seemed to be baked rather than fried. I had two smaller cakes. Both seemed to be based around the notion of frangipan but with a slight twist. The first was covered with a strawberry icing with pieces of fruit in it (Mazarin), the second was more of a classic almond bake (Polynee). All were beautifully fresh and packed with flavour.

Solbulle

Polynee & Mazarin

When you walk to the back of the shop it's like a whole new world. There is a take away section which sells all the amazing goodies on offer in the cafe, but in ridiculous volume. The sheer amount of different types of cakes, chocolates and breads made and sold in one day is breathtaking. Here are just a few...

One thing we did notice is that the bakery attracts the tourists, whereas the cafe (hidden in the back of the shop) is very much a local huant. Only one member of staff spoke English and it was clear that most of the people in there were regulars.

I would go back here in a heartbeat. If ever you find yourself wandering around Stockholm... GO!  

Find out more about Vete-Katten here.