More Than IKEA Meatballs: 16 Of London’s Best Scandi Restos
If you thought Scandinavia was all about vikings and flat pack, you’d be wrong. There’s Volvos, rotting herring and Scandi-noir boxsets too. There’s also an increasingly popular cuisine that’s taking London by storm. So load up your long boat, grab a handful of whatever hygge is and join me in the sauna, we’re heading to Scandinavia…
Fabrique
Don’t be mislead by the decidedly French sounding name, Fabrique is all Scandi. The stone oven, specially imported from Stockholm to ensure authenticity, creates artisanal sour bread that has proved so popular since Fabrique started in just 2008 in Sweden that there are now 11 outlets out there and five in London. The original UK shop opened in Shoreditch, but they’re now in Notting Hill, Covent Garden, Holborn and Fitzrovia, providing commuters with their Scandinavian fix every morning.
Where: 8 Earlham Street, Covent Garden, WC2H 9RY
Website: www.fabrique.co.uk
Lisa's Kitchen & Bar
Think the full English rocks? The full Swedish consists of eggs, sausage, avocado, västerbotten cheese and crisp bread, so like its British counterpart but cutting back on the stodge. The white painted interior is bright as a summer’s midnight in the arctic circle, the cafe is a Swedish sanctuary in West London.
Where: 305 Portobello Road, Notting Hill, W10 5TD
Website: www.lisasportobello.com
Blåbär
Putney dwellers have got it good, but no need to blåbär about it. Blåbär, which actually means ‘beginner’ (or ‘Blueberry’), is a Nordic shop but also sports a café amid the homeware, serving healthy bites (Icelandic yogurt pots, anyone?) as well as chocolate balls and cinnamon buns. Obviously, being a furniture shop, it’s not just the food that’s for sale; the crockery and utensils are also available to purchase.
Where: 3A Lacy Road, Putney, SW15 1NH
Website: www.blabar.london
Aster
Aster is notable for being located in one of the country’s ugliest buildings, and yet managing to be one of the best looking restaurants in town, at least among the Scandi restos. Set over two floors, with a more-than-decent bar and regular live music giving way to fine dining courtesy of Executive Chef Helena Puolakka who brings her French, Finnish fusion to bear.
Where: 150 Victoria Street, London SW1E 5LB, United Kingdom
Website: www.aster-restaurant.com
ScandiKitchen
If you’re after freshly made food and groceries, straight outta Scandinavia, then head to Fitzrovia. Which is what founders Bronte and Jonas (a Dane and a Swede) discovered they couldn’t do back when they founded ScandiKitchen back in 2006. Finding, and filling, a niche for Scandinavian produce they created a shop, a website and a café to cater for their fellow countrymen and beyond. Today the kitchen is very much full steam ahead with food from all over Scandinavia and Finland served including pastries, homemade cakes, as well as breakfasts, freshly made open sandwiches and salads.
Where: 61 Great Titchfield Street, Fitzrovia, W1W 7PP
Website: www.scandikitchen.co.uk
Hedone
West London’s Chiswick certainly isn’t central or massively accessible, which perhaps makes it an unlikely location for an exciting and innovative restaurant like Hedone. But the restaurant, which serves birds with the feet and feathers left on (to remind people they come from an animal) serves a fascinating French with Nordic influences, creating a seriously seasonal menu that’s full of surprises.
Where: 301-303 Chiswick High Road, Chiswick, W4 4HH
Website: www.hedonerestaurant.com
Kupp
S’up, Kupp? Kupp are all about bringing their experience of the Nordic region to Britain, whether it’s through the medium of boozy weekend brunches (is there a better medium?), pastry and a hot drink at their Fika Café or enjoying a Nordic cocktail at their cocktail bar. Taking their mission to share to its logical conclusion, they ideally want us to share too, with most dishes designed to be enjoyed by several. Not that you’ll want to let anyone else near your plate.
Where: 53, 5 Merchant Square, Paddington, W2 1AS
Website: www.kupp.co
Curious Yellow Kafe
It’s unclear if the spelling of the word ‘cafe’ or the Swedish food is more curious at Curious Yellow Kafé, but the latter obviously informs the former, giving Hoxton a splendid Scandinavian café. They serve plenty of Swedish dishes with a slant toward the healthy.
Where: 77 Pitfield Street, Hoxton, N1 6BT
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