The Chef Who Helped Put Stockholm on the Culinary Map, Niklas Ekstedt
Meet the Chef & Owner of Michelin-starred Restaurant Ekstedt in Stockholm
The Relisher is the place where the world’s top chefs reveal their favorite spots in their home cities. This week, we spoke with Chef Niklas Ekstedt, chef and owner of one-Michelin-starred Restaurant Ekstedt in Stockholm.
Chef Niklas, who has worked at renowned establishments like El Bulli and The Fat Duck, is a household name and cooking legend in his native Sweden. He is credited with helping to establish Stockholm as a culinary destination through his eponymous restaurant in 2011, earning a Michelin star within less than two years. Below, the celebrated Swedish chef shares his favorite hidden gem spots that are largely unknown to tourists.
*At the end of the interview, there is a Google Map link and a summary with links and price ranges for all the mentioned places.
Firstly — Stockholm has an incredible and very special culinary culture catered towards locals. In contrast, European cities like Barcelona, Copenhagen, or Amsterdam tend to cater more towards tourists, and you'll often find that the majority of guests in restaurants are visitors. Additionally, many people have the misconception that Stockholm is very expensive, when in reality, it's 20% to 30% less expensive than Copenhagen.
Coffee & Pastries
Coffee is a religion in Sweden. There's quite a few places that I like, however, Stockholm Roast is probably my favorite. It is also the coffee that we serve in the restaurant. I recommend ordering the pour over coffee — that's how Swedes like to drink their coffee. They're located outside the city in the old meat packing district near a great restaurant called Solen. Although it's outside the city, it's still within walking distance as everything in Stockholm is walking distance.
Sweden is famous for its legendary pastries, and for me, Svedjan is the only bakery that makes pastries right. And the reason for this is that they use whole wheat instead of white flour that's cheap. Whole wheat is the real flour. I recommend ordering the cinnamon rolls (it's so delicious you should probably order two instead of one). Or you can do as the locals and order the cardamom pastry. They also have incredible bread.