The Prince and The Hawker

I love when restaurants don’t try to be much more than excellently cooked food. Recently in Stockholm, I had the pleasure of dining at Hantverket. When you walk in, you can tell the restaurant is classy but unpretentious.

Throughout the dinner, I got the sense that the dishes were simply meant to be well-executed food rooted in Swedish cuisine, without being self-important. It makes sense since hantverk means craftsmanship in Swedish, and the restuarant owner is a former carpenter and interior designer.

We arrived early and our table wasn’t ready yet, so we went to the bar to get a couple of drinks. I don’t really drink alcohol, so I’ve been enjoying the recent increase in availability of inventive non-alcoholic drinks I’ve seen at restaurants. Unfortunately, the Currantade I got at Hantverket was a bit boring, especially for the steep price. Maybe I’ve been spoiled for choice at other restaurants. No matter, I still had a great meal ahead of me.

After being shown to the table, the server explained that the menu is split into four sections; snacks, cold plates, hot plates, and desserts. It was nice to see an even number of selections across all categories. Everything described on the menu looked scrumptious.

The interior of the restaurant was tastefully decorated. Tables were nicely spaced out and the lighting and artwork provided an intimate mood. I could appreciate the thoughtfulness behind the decor.

Time to Eat

We decided to start with a pair of snacks to share: the salmon tartare and the hasselback potatoes.
The salmon tartare was probably the most interesting dish of the evening. The layers of salmon, chili, tapioca, roe, pumpkin and kataifi were meticulously built inside an escargot dish. We were instructed to scoop each serving out as a whole with a spoon. As I sunk into the spoonful, there was an endless parade of flavours in my mouth. There was first some tartness, followed by a kick of wasabi, a little umami, and then the creaminess of the salmon tartare at the bottom. The distinctiveness of each layer was what was most intriguing.

The presentation of the hasselback potato was amazing. Interestingly, hasselback potatoes were purportedly invented in Stockholm in 1953 at a nearby restaurant, Hasselbacken. Hantverket’s rendition has sour cream, scallions and roe stuffed inside, a classic flavour combination. However, I found the dish a little lacklustre. I think the miniature size of the potato combined with the hasselback technique caused a texture that was neither very crispy nor very soft.

I decided to go for one cold and one hot plate. The cold squid dish was monochromatic, masking the exciting flavours hidden in the dish. Squid and shredded zucchini noodles were mixed together with yoghurt creme creating the spirit of a pasta dish, topped with shaved squid, leek ash, and grilled feta. The squid was cooked perfectly, and the flavours were interesting. My only gripe with the dish was the slightly overpowering feta.

For my hot dish, I chose the lamb. It was a lovely assortment of elements. With a double serving of lamb (sausage and rump), the dish really showcased the protein’s versatility. The cabbage salad served as a mild backdrop for the lamb components, while the beetroot and mustard seeds gave the dish an acidic accent as well as contrast in colour.

Finally, for dessert, I couldn’t resist the warm bread pudding on the menu. I really enjoyed this dish. While the photo below makes it look a bit dry, it was anything but. The bread pudding was complex in flavour and extremely moist. The scoop of ice cream was unassuming, but hid layers of caramelised apple flavour. This was enhanced by the slices of marinated apple on top. To round it all off, the sweetened rye bread crumble added crunch and a deep caramel accent.

Final Thoughts

This was a fun and enjoyable dinner at Hantverket. The flavours were imaginative. My partner also commented that the dishes really captured a certain inspiration from Swedish cuisine.

The level of sophistication of food was well worth the moderate price point. And with a variety of dishes small and big, hot and cold, diners can choose to eat as much or as little as they want. No matter what you choose, you’ll be delighted with well-crafted, innovative dishes.