Restaurant Taverna Brillo

And my adventure in new restaurants in Stockholm continues! This time I visited Taverna Brillo with a few friends. Taverna Brillo is part of a restaurant conglomerate that includes old favorites Sturehof and Riche. Brillo reminds me of Mario Batali's Eataly in NYC... both in the cuisine (Italian) and the concept. It is made up of a large dining room surrounded by a "market place" which includes a florist, bakery, pizzeria, gelateria and several bars. When it was first described to me, I thought it was all in one large locale... but actually the different parts are connected by a series of corridors. The restaurant is located in the fashionable Stureplan district, where many restaurants, bars and nightclubs are found.

Almost everything, except the menu, is similar to Brillo's sister restaurants (Sturehof & Riche)... from the interior design to the clientele to the staff. They have proven to be winning concepts, so why argue with that? Brillo is a restaurant you visit with friends or colleagues... it is a boisterous atmosphere with happy people straining to see and be seen. Not sure if this is the right restaurant for a romantic dinner (especially on the weekend) but, for a visitor, this is a great restaurant to see the locals in action. Also a nice place to take a break from shopping for lunch or a gelato and coffee.

Speaking of boisterous people... the bars seemed to be very popular and the Greenhouse Bar (Växthusbaren) in the back has DJ's playing on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. They are open until 2am every night of the week, except on Sundays when they close at midnight. As I mentioned, their location on Stureplan makes Brillo a perfect place to start an evening on the town.

The cuisine is Italian... with gourmet pizzas, pastas as well as fish & meat dishes. Some good vegetarian options. We started with grilled bread with different toppings (baked pumpkin, crab, steak tartare), followed by pasta (I had the rigatoni with crispy sweetbreads and pancetta... delicious!) and finally some classic Italian gelato (hazlenut & pistaccio for me). It was all very good. To get there from the Rival Hotel is easy... four stations on the subway (red line) to Östermalmstorg, exiting to Stureplan. Otherwise 7-8 minutes by taxi. Click here for more restaurant recommendations.

Restaurant Taverna Brillo

Posted by zlatin

And my adventure in new restaurants in Stockholm continues! This time I visited Taverna Brillo with a few friends. Taverna Brillo is part of a restaurant conglomerate that includes old favorites Sturehof and Riche. Brillo reminds me of Mario Batali's Eataly in NYC... both in the cuisine (Italian) and the concept. It is made up of a large dining room surrounded by a "market place" which includes a florist, bakery, pizzeria, gelateria and several bars. When it was first described to me, I thought it was all in one large locale... but actually the different parts are connected by a series of corridors. The restaurant is located in the fashionable Stureplan district, where many restaurants, bars and nightclubs are found.

Almost everything, except the menu, is similar to Brillo's sister restaurants (Sturehof & Riche)... from the interior design to the clientele to the staff. They have proven to be winning concepts, so why argue with that? Brillo is a restaurant you visit with friends or colleagues... it is a boisterous atmosphere with happy people straining to see and be seen. Not sure if this is the right restaurant for a romantic dinner (especially on the weekend) but, for a visitor, this is a great restaurant to see the locals in action. Also a nice place to take a break from shopping for lunch or a gelato and coffee.

Speaking of boisterous people... the bars seemed to be very popular and the Greenhouse Bar (Växthusbaren) in the back has DJ's playing on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. They are open until 2am every night of the week, except on Sundays when they close at midnight. As I mentioned, their location on Stureplan makes Brillo a perfect place to start an evening on the town.

The cuisine is Italian... with gourmet pizzas, pastas as well as fish & meat dishes. Some good vegetarian options. We started with grilled bread with different toppings (baked pumpkin, crab, steak tartare), followed by pasta (I had the rigatoni with crispy sweetbreads and pancetta... delicious!) and finally some classic Italian gelato (hazlenut & pistaccio for me). It was all very good. To get there from the Rival Hotel is easy... four stations on the subway (red line) to Östermalmstorg, exiting to Stureplan. Otherwise 7-8 minutes by taxi. Click here for more restaurant recommendations.

New Commuter Train from Arlanda Airport

Photo by Lars Näslund, SL

I have been waiting a bit to write about this... until I got a chance to visit Arlanda and check it out myself. There are many ways to get from Arlanda Airport to downtown Stockholm: taxi, bus and high speed train (Arlanda Express). All great options, depending on your budget and time constraints. Now there is a new option, which is of special interest to guests of the Rival Hotel! Stockholm has an extensive commuter train system (called pendeltåg in Swedish) run by SL, the same company that runs the busses and subways. They have now extended a track and built a station at the airport. The station, called Arlanda Centralstation (or Arlanda C for short), is located between terminals 4 & 5, in Sky City. Trains depart at 13 and 43 minutes past the hour and the trip to Stockholm Central (Centralen) takes 38 minutes.

Arlanda C station in Sky City, between terminals 4 & 5

What is of particular interest for guests of the Rival Hotel is that the train continues south after Stockholm Central to Stockholm's Södra Station... which is located just 4 blocks from the hotel! Exit to the street Swedenborgsgatan, turn left on the street and walk 4 blocks to the square Mariatorget. We are located on the right-hand side of the square. So, instead of taking the Arlanda Express to the Stockholm Central and then having to take a taxi or subway to the hotel, guests can now take the commuter train the whole way (just about). The journey between Arlanda and Stockholm's Södra takes 43 minutes.

Many signs guiding to Arlanda C

Even more good news... the trip is quite inexpensive. A ticket costs 125 SEK. Compare that to a taxi which takes the same amount of time and costs 520 SEK and the Arlanda Express which costs 260 SEK but only takes you as far as the central train station. If you have a SL card (good for all commuter trains, busses, subways and some ferries) then you only need to buy a supplementary ticket for 75 SEK. They do sell the SL card at the Arlanda C station. Now for the bad news (you knew it couldn't be all good news). The trains only depart every half hour. So if you happen to just miss a train, you may have to wait up to 30 minutes for the next train. But if you aren't in a rush, or plan wisely, then this is a great option!

Entrance to Stockholm Södra Station,
4 blocks from the Rival Hotel.

New Commuter Train from Arlanda Airport

Posted by zlatin

Photo by Lars Näslund, SL

I have been waiting a bit to write about this... until I got a chance to visit Arlanda and check it out myself. There are many ways to get from Arlanda Airport to downtown Stockholm: taxi, bus and high speed train (Arlanda Express). All great options, depending on your budget and time constraints. Now there is a new option, which is of special interest to guests of the Rival Hotel! Stockholm has an extensive commuter train system (called pendeltåg in Swedish) run by SL, the same company that runs the busses and subways. They have now extended a track and built a station at the airport. The station, called Arlanda Centralstation (or Arlanda C for short), is located between terminals 4 & 5, in Sky City. Trains depart at 13 and 43 minutes past the hour and the trip to Stockholm Central (Centralen) takes 38 minutes.

Arlanda C station in Sky City, between terminals 4 & 5

What is of particular interest for guests of the Rival Hotel is that the train continues south after Stockholm Central to Stockholm's Södra Station... which is located just 4 blocks from the hotel! Exit to the street Swedenborgsgatan, turn left on the street and walk 4 blocks to the square Mariatorget. We are located on the right-hand side of the square. So, instead of taking the Arlanda Express to the Stockholm Central and then having to take a taxi or subway to the hotel, guests can now take the commuter train the whole way (just about). The journey between Arlanda and Stockholm's Södra takes 43 minutes.

Many signs guiding to Arlanda C

Even more good news... the trip is quite inexpensive. A ticket costs 125 SEK. Compare that to a taxi which takes the same amount of time and costs 520 SEK and the Arlanda Express which costs 260 SEK but only takes you as far as the central train station. If you have a SL card (good for all commuter trains, busses, subways and some ferries) then you only need to buy a supplementary ticket for 75 SEK. They do sell the SL card at the Arlanda C station. Now for the bad news (you knew it couldn't be all good news). The trains only depart every half hour. So if you happen to just miss a train, you may have to wait up to 30 minutes for the next train. But if you aren't in a rush, or plan wisely, then this is a great option!

Entrance to Stockholm Södra Station,
4 blocks from the Rival Hotel.

Restaurant Farang

Yes, yes, yes...! Those were my thoughts after visiting the newly opened restaurant Farang this week. I had been getting favorable reports sent from friends who had dined there, so I was curious if it is as good as they were saying. It is!

I would like to preface this report by explaining that Swedes have been in a passionate love affair with Southeast Asia over the past 15 years or so. The region, especially Thailand, has been the #1 vacation destination for Swedes for awhile now. As a result, restaurants featuring the region's cuisine have been very popular in Stockholm over the past decade. Farang, however, takes this trend to the next level. They have steered clear of trying to resemble a restaurant in Thailand and have opted to serve a fusion of Thai, Malaysian, Vietnamese and Indonesian cuisines in a sleek, modern atmosphere.

Open kitchen along right hand side

Farang is the brain child of Tommi Björck and Matti Wikberg, famous chefs from Finland. They run several successful restaurants in Helsinki, including the original Farang. They have teamed up with top Swedish chef Kim Öhman to open Farang in Stockholm. Farang is located in downtown Stockholm in the building that once housed the Stockholm electricity company (Elektricitetsverk), which gives it a real industrial feel (design-wise). The gray & black color palette and use of natural materials adds to this feel. A cocktail bar and lounge are located at the entrance to the restaurant... followed by a corridor which leads you into the main dining room. The room is very spacious (seating for 160) with an open kitchen running along the entire right hand side.

"Street style" appetizers

The meal was fantastic! This was definitely the best dinner with Southeast Asian cuisine that I have had outside of the region itself. They do have tasting menus, which were recommended to us, but we opted to choose from the menu. We started with Bo La Lot "Street Style" snacks... minced meat wrapped in cha plu leaves. For the main course they offer "share" dishes which are meant, as the name suggests, to be shared. We took the Crispy Pork with Palm Sugar Caramel and the Coconut Braised Duck in Red Curry (both with extra sauces and condiments). They were absolutely delicious and perfectly prepared. To be honest, it was almost too much food! Finally, for dessert we split an order of Ho Chi Minh Xoco... mint chocolate with salted caramel and Vietnamese mint ice cream. I almost forgot how full I was.

Crispy Pork!

The service was great as well. Personable and willing to explain dishes as they came to the table. This place has gotten a lot of positive buzz, so booking in advance is a good idea. If you are staying at the Rival Hotel, you can contact me directly and I will help you make a reservation.

Duck in Red Curry. Mmmm...

Restaurant Farang

Posted by zlatin

Yes, yes, yes...! Those were my thoughts after visiting the newly opened restaurant Farang this week. I had been getting favorable reports sent from friends who had dined there, so I was curious if it is as good as they were saying. It is!

I would like to preface this report by explaining that Swedes have been in a passionate love affair with Southeast Asia over the past 15 years or so. The region, especially Thailand, has been the #1 vacation destination for Swedes for awhile now. As a result, restaurants featuring the region's cuisine have been very popular in Stockholm over the past decade. Farang, however, takes this trend to the next level. They have steered clear of trying to resemble a restaurant in Thailand and have opted to serve a fusion of Thai, Malaysian, Vietnamese and Indonesian cuisines in a sleek, modern atmosphere.

Open kitchen along right hand side

Farang is the brain child of Tommi Björck and Matti Wikberg, famous chefs from Finland. They run several successful restaurants in Helsinki, including the original Farang. They have teamed up with top Swedish chef Kim Öhman to open Farang in Stockholm. Farang is located in downtown Stockholm in the building that once housed the Stockholm electricity company (Elektricitetsverk), which gives it a real industrial feel (design-wise). The gray & black color palette and use of natural materials adds to this feel. A cocktail bar and lounge are located at the entrance to the restaurant... followed by a corridor which leads you into the main dining room. The room is very spacious (seating for 160) with an open kitchen running along the entire right hand side.

"Street style" appetizers

The meal was fantastic! This was definitely the best dinner with Southeast Asian cuisine that I have had outside of the region itself. They do have tasting menus, which were recommended to us, but we opted to choose from the menu. We started with Bo La Lot "Street Style" snacks... minced meat wrapped in cha plu leaves. For the main course they offer "share" dishes which are meant, as the name suggests, to be shared. We took the Crispy Pork with Palm Sugar Caramel and the Coconut Braised Duck in Red Curry (both with extra sauces and condiments). They were absolutely delicious and perfectly prepared. To be honest, it was almost too much food! Finally, for dessert we split an order of Ho Chi Minh Xoco... mint chocolate with salted caramel and Vietnamese mint ice cream. I almost forgot how full I was.

Crispy Pork!

The service was great as well. Personable and willing to explain dishes as they came to the table. This place has gotten a lot of positive buzz, so booking in advance is a good idea. If you are staying at the Rival Hotel, you can contact me directly and I will help you make a reservation.

Duck in Red Curry. Mmmm...

Restaurant Nosh & Chow

Hold on to your hats, I have been out trying new restaurants (lots of new restaurants have recently opened, or will soon)... and first out is Nosh & Chow. This restaurant opened in January and is the first of two restaurants which will be found in the same building. The second restaurant (to be located on the second floor) is slated to open this autumn. The "theme", if you want to call it that, of the restaurant is that they offer four menus to choose from. Each from a different region of the world. When we were there, the regions were Russia/Karelia, Southeast Asia, North Africa and North America. I have now noticed that they have changed it to Alps, Southeast Asia, North Africa and Peru. So I assume the regions will change from time to time. Each menu isn't large: 2 appetizers, 3-4 main courses and 2 desserts from each region. Their website, which I have linked above, is mainly in Swedish.. but if you scroll down you will find the menus in English as well.

Tacos! With requisite marguerita...

My friend and I both chose the tacos from the North American menu. I am a Mexican cuisine aficionado, and I must admit that they were pretty good tacos. Not the fast food variety, these tacos were filled with quality ingredients! For dessert we split a mint tea sorbet with a citrus and pistachio salad (from North Africa). Fresh and light. I did find, unfortunately, the wine list to be a bit expensive with few quality choices on the lower end of the price scale. The only other negative aspect I found was that the service was a bit spotty. But, having worked for many years in the restaurant business, I know that little hiccups are to be expected in the first few months after a restaurant opens.

Bar at entrance to dining room 

The interior design (by Spanish architect Lázaro Rosa-Violán) of the restaurant is quite eclectic with a mix of different styles and materials. Perhaps designed to match the menu? Very nice with a decidedly masculine vibe (chrome, mirrors, dark wood, somber textiles, etc;). There is a bar in the dining room as well as one in a separate room and they can be quite popular, especially on the weekends. I did spy another smaller dining room adjacent to the open kitchen with a large beautiful table in the center. Chefs' Table? Looked great at any rate. I must say that just the spa-like bathrooms alone are worth a visit...

Bar in separate room.

Nosh & Chow is located on the street Norrlandsgatan, right in the Stureplan district which is filled with restaurants, bars and nightclubs. This makes it a good place to dine before an evening out or a place to add on your bar-hopping itinerary. One note: the sign is a bit hard to spot as you are walking down the street, so keep your eyes open. It is easy to get to the restaurant from the Rival Hotel... just four stations on the subway (red line) to Östermalmstorg station (exit Stureplan), otherwise a 7-8 minute taxi ride.

Restaurant Nosh & Chow

Posted by zlatin

Hold on to your hats, I have been out trying new restaurants (lots of new restaurants have recently opened, or will soon)... and first out is Nosh & Chow. This restaurant opened in January and is the first of two restaurants which will be found in the same building. The second restaurant (to be located on the second floor) is slated to open this autumn. The "theme", if you want to call it that, of the restaurant is that they offer four menus to choose from. Each from a different region of the world. When we were there, the regions were Russia/Karelia, Southeast Asia, North Africa and North America. I have now noticed that they have changed it to Alps, Southeast Asia, North Africa and Peru. So I assume the regions will change from time to time. Each menu isn't large: 2 appetizers, 3-4 main courses and 2 desserts from each region. Their website, which I have linked above, is mainly in Swedish.. but if you scroll down you will find the menus in English as well.

Tacos! With requisite marguerita...

My friend and I both chose the tacos from the North American menu. I am a Mexican cuisine aficionado, and I must admit that they were pretty good tacos. Not the fast food variety, these tacos were filled with quality ingredients! For dessert we split a mint tea sorbet with a citrus and pistachio salad (from North Africa). Fresh and light. I did find, unfortunately, the wine list to be a bit expensive with few quality choices on the lower end of the price scale. The only other negative aspect I found was that the service was a bit spotty. But, having worked for many years in the restaurant business, I know that little hiccups are to be expected in the first few months after a restaurant opens.

Bar at entrance to dining room 

The interior design (by Spanish architect Lázaro Rosa-Violán) of the restaurant is quite eclectic with a mix of different styles and materials. Perhaps designed to match the menu? Very nice with a decidedly masculine vibe (chrome, mirrors, dark wood, somber textiles, etc;). There is a bar in the dining room as well as one in a separate room and they can be quite popular, especially on the weekends. I did spy another smaller dining room adjacent to the open kitchen with a large beautiful table in the center. Chefs' Table? Looked great at any rate. I must say that just the spa-like bathrooms alone are worth a visit...

Bar in separate room.

Nosh & Chow is located on the street Norrlandsgatan, right in the Stureplan district which is filled with restaurants, bars and nightclubs. This makes it a good place to dine before an evening out or a place to add on your bar-hopping itinerary. One note: the sign is a bit hard to spot as you are walking down the street, so keep your eyes open. It is easy to get to the restaurant from the Rival Hotel... just four stations on the subway (red line) to Östermalmstorg station (exit Stureplan), otherwise a 7-8 minute taxi ride.

Royal Palace Sprint (Skiing in Gamla Stan)

Photo by Henrik Trygg, Stockholm Visitors Board

One of world's most unique sporting events takes place in Stockholm tomorrow (Wednesday, March 20th)... the Royal Palace Sprint! This is a cross country sprint skiing competition. What makes it unique is that the course is in the middle of a major city, around the Royal Palace located in Gamla Stan. This isn't any amatuer event either... it is part of the World Cup series, so some of the best cross country skiers will be competing! This is the final sprint event of the season and the winner of the Sprint Cup will be announced and "crowned". Important points for the overall World Cup trophy (awarded this coming weekend in Falun, Sweden) are up for grabs as well. Apparently, there is only 15 points separating the top three in the current standings (Levkov, Northug and Cologna). So this is serious business!

Photo by Henrik Trygg, Stockholm Visitors Board

This will be the tenth time this event will be held here in Stockholm. The good news is that this is the first time I can remember that the weather has been "wintery" when the event has been held. Usually it is warm, spring weather and the fact that they truck in snow has been met with raised eyebrows by the locals. This year it is cold and snowy! The bad news is that this is apparently the last time for a few years that they will have the event in Stockholm... I read a quote from an official this morning where he said "hopefully by 2016". So, if you are in town, head down to Gamla Stan and see this unique event!

Photo by... me (from last year). Bad quality but, hey, they ski really fast! Hard to catch them!

The qualification rounds will be held between 2 and 2:45pm. The opening ceremonies with HRH Prince Carl Philip will be at 3pm followed by the semifinals and finals. The award ceremony, with His Majesty the King, will be held at 5:30pm. So plenty of chances all afternoon to see some quality skiing and spot some royals.

Royal Palace Sprint (Skiing in Gamla Stan)

Posted by zlatin

Photo by Henrik Trygg, Stockholm Visitors Board

One of world's most unique sporting events takes place in Stockholm tomorrow (Wednesday, March 20th)... the Royal Palace Sprint! This is a cross country sprint skiing competition. What makes it unique is that the course is in the middle of a major city, around the Royal Palace located in Gamla Stan. This isn't any amatuer event either... it is part of the World Cup series, so some of the best cross country skiers will be competing! This is the final sprint event of the season and the winner of the Sprint Cup will be announced and "crowned". Important points for the overall World Cup trophy (awarded this coming weekend in Falun, Sweden) are up for grabs as well. Apparently, there is only 15 points separating the top three in the current standings (Levkov, Northug and Cologna). So this is serious business!

Photo by Henrik Trygg, Stockholm Visitors Board

This will be the tenth time this event will be held here in Stockholm. The good news is that this is the first time I can remember that the weather has been "wintery" when the event has been held. Usually it is warm, spring weather and the fact that they truck in snow has been met with raised eyebrows by the locals. This year it is cold and snowy! The bad news is that this is apparently the last time for a few years that they will have the event in Stockholm... I read a quote from an official this morning where he said "hopefully by 2016". So, if you are in town, head down to Gamla Stan and see this unique event!

Photo by... me (from last year). Bad quality but, hey, they ski really fast! Hard to catch them!

The qualification rounds will be held between 2 and 2:45pm. The opening ceremonies with HRH Prince Carl Philip will be at 3pm followed by the semifinals and finals. The award ceremony, with His Majesty the King, will be held at 5:30pm. So plenty of chances all afternoon to see some quality skiing and spot some royals.