Sweden fared well on the latest Zagat list of best restaurants in the world, boasting two restaurants in this year’s top 10. Coming in at an impressive second place is the red-hot Ekstedt restaurant in Stockholm, with Zagat officials praising the impressive Scandinavian open flame cuisine from head chef Niklas Ekstedt.
Speaking about the food at Ekstedt, the author of the review said, “The result? You can barely get into the place.”
The eatery has been praised for its signature mains, such as hay-smoked char served with trout caviar and chanterelle preserve, as well as reindeer calf with caramelised cabbage.
Meanwhile, Fäviken Magasinet in rural Jämtland County also made the list, gaining attention for its constantly evolving menu of local foods brought from area hunters or harvested from the surrounding estate.
Zagat said of the unique eatery, “The chef’s cooking philosophy is founded on his hyper-local products, some foraged and many farmed on-site, put together simply and daringly with that unmistakable Scandinavian edge.”
Fäviken Magasinet partner Johan Agrell told The Local that the recognition is a much welcomed honour: “If you run a restaurant in the middle of nowhere, publicity is a good thing, but it’s never the goal.”