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PONTUS!
Pontus! is the new restaurant/bar opened by a most enterprising young Stockholm chef, Pontus Frithiof. Pontus in the Greenhouse, his famed spot in the Old Town, is now closed after almost a decade, and this place just off Stureplan opened in May 2007. The two dining rooms are stylish and comfortable. One room consisting of curving S’s of gray banquettes tinged with pink, the walls covered with trompe l’oeil renditions of bookcases. The second features long rows of two-tops, round tables with green couches and black leather armchairs, and a series of private booths framed by gray and maroon sheers. The menu shows Pontus’ typical exuberance, from seared tuna with truffles to duck with spicy carrot cream, deer with sugar beets, or the tempting “seven different ways to enjoy vegetables.” There’s a very different atmosphere in the bar, all black and white with the occasional tangerine-hued couch breaking up the stark palette. It’s a great spot for a quick lunch, semi-buffet style, where the staff dishes up your selections from among two appetizers, mains, breads, and dessert. The main dining room is so appealing, though, and Pontus’ cuisine is as dynamic as ever, so you’ll definitely want to spend an evening there as well. Brunnsgatan 1. Tel: 011-46-8-545-27300. http://www.pontusfrithiof.com

BERNS ASIAN
The restaurant in this gay-friendly hotel has always been a winner with guests and non-guests alike. Now, there’s something new to look forward to. It’s been transformed into an Asian restaurant called, not surprisingly, Berns Asian—a fitting concept for this historic building that just after World War II housed what’s believed to be Sweden’s first Chinese restaurant. Here, bamboo mats and blue/white porcelain create an Eastern feel that somehow harmonizes with the ornate coffered ceilings and chandeliers. The amazingly nice staff treats you to such wonders as chili-glazed cod with lotus root chips, lemongrass chicken and peanut sauce, or Burmese lobster bisque. Francophiles will want to check out their new French bistro in a small pavilion in front of the hotel. Those who want to indulge (relatively) guilt-free can nosh at the afternoon Asian pastry buffet or Asian Sunday brunch. For a lovely dinner, though, visit this alluring spot whose atmosphere combines Zen simplicity with European baroque and whose menu offers a panoply of Asian delights. Berzelii Park. Tel: 011-46-8-566-32222. http://www.berns.se

KUNGSHOLMEN
Right on the waterfront, Kungsholmen is the latest outpost of the F12 group, whose restaurants include not just F12 but such other popular spots as Restaurangen and Grill. Kungsholmen (named, of course, after the island it’s on) is like an upscale food court where the wait staff does all the work of visiting the various stations. Have a seat in the long, narrow waterfront restaurant, jazzy with red pillars, low tables, and the various “food bars” flanking the main room and devoted to sushi, salads, soup, bread, and ice cream, as well as “bistro” and “grill” bars. Enjoy international flavors from Thai carrot soup to a very Swedish cod with prawns, egg, and horseradish, French-tinged duck a l’orange, or Lebanese lamb salad. Look out over the water or people-watch among the trendy crowd that packs the place, particularly on weekends, till midnight or later. As is the trend in much of Stockholm, small plates and shareable meals are the name of the day here. Norr Mälarstrand, Quay 464. Tel: 011-46-8-505-24450. http://www.kungsholmen.com

F12
We’ve said it before, but it merits repeating: don’t miss this spot. From the starkly modern décor you might not guess you’ve stumbled into a Michelin-starred restaurant, but with the casually perfect service (and, more importantly, Danyel Couet and Paul Svensson’s culinary creativity), you soon realize you’ve entered a culinary mecca. For a more casual and less pricy exploration of new worlds of flavor, try a lunchtime visit for such wonders as Jerusalem artichoke soup with scallops and trout roe, and monkfish velouté with mango and cauliflower. For a true splurge, do a dinnertime “traditional” or “innovative” tasting menu, seven courses of pure pleasure. Lobster with caramelized hazelnuts and yuzu pushes the flavor envelope, while turbot with oysters and mussels is a Piscean delight. Flavors meld intriguingly in such dishes as split peas with langoustines and mint, or goat cheese with rose vinegar and thyme. By the time you’ve polished off the apple soufflé or coffee tiramisu, you might just find yourself saying, as we often do, “F12 again tomorrow? Well, why not?” Fredsgatan 12. Tel: 011-46-8-248-052. http://www.fredsgatan12.com

MALARPAVILJONGEN
First, have a drink on the terrace, which is set on a jetty right in the lake. It’s a gay-popular bar with the city’s most perfect view of Lake Mälaren and the island of Södermalm across the water. Then proceed to this sweet little restaurant, surrounded by green and overlooking the lake, for a dinner that bursts with fresh flavor and is prepared with creativity that isn’t show-offy but lets the fresh ingredients speak for themselves. Try dill-fried Baltic herring, grilled lamb with parmesan and rosemary potatoes au gratin, or a unique vegetarian halloumi-burger. The lake grows dark as you move on to dessert (or perhaps stop back on the jetty for a nightcap), the lights of the city casting a glow across the water for as romantic and laid-back a setting as Stockholm holds. Combine this with the inventive but not pretentious cooking, and the sweetest wait staff in town, and you have a perfect--and perfectly Stockholm—evening. Norr Mälarstrand 64. Tel: 011-46-8-650-8701. http://www.malarpaviljongen.se

EAST
Popular East features a pan-Asian menu from Thai to Korean to Japanese to Vietnamese. Several rooms create a variety of atmospheres. The main room features wood walls and tables, drawings on several walls of chic people interspersed with the occasional ostrich or goose, and a long aquarium on the entrance wall. In nice weather you can choose a seat on the front terrace, shaded by umbrellas, or check out the little sushi bar in front. The staff is delightful, the atmosphere abuzz with activity but somehow still restful, and the food spicy and delicious. Choose zesty mussels with thin slices of Thai chili, piled in a bowl atop a sweet/spicy broth with sprigs of coriander flying out of the bowl. Move onto tamarind duck, chili-lemon chicken, or the Korean dish chicken bibim bap. From sushi to kimchi, lamb with chile-cranberry dressing to lime/chili coriander ceviche, the menu travels the east (and beyond) to present one of Stockholm’s spiciest selections. Stureplan 13. Tel: 011-46-8-611-4959. http://www.east.se

MATHIAS DAHLGREN
Noted chef Dahlgren (who for years helmed the Michelin-starred Bon Lloc, now closed) has opened his new spot in the rarefied realms of the Grand Hotel in a custom-designed restaurant that’s as appealing to the eyes as to the taste buds. With a restrained and elegant look of taupe, gold, and white, velvet sofas, and windows framing a postcard-like vista, the newly-redesigned dining room is a stunner. The setting, though, is just the backdrop for Dahlgren’s culinary wonders. His menu changes daily based on freshly-available ingredients, so you might find anything from spring lamb with spinach and shallots to pan-fried turbot, or celeriac royal with fried langoustine tails. Desserts are equally wide-ranging, and your choice might be “wild chocolate” with sour cream and brown butter, or a sweet/bitter soup of unripe strawberries, orange, and grapefruit. Whether you choose the dining room or the more casual bar with a lighter menu, this is one of Sweden’s most interesting chefs, and you owe it to yourself to sample the magic creations he provides. Södra Blasieholmshamnen 6. Tel: 011-46-8-679 35 84. http://www.mdghs.com

[Published: June, 2008]