Let us start with the high pulse. When it comes to reserving a table at Smörtaxen, it is like almost winning the lottery. The tables go as fast as the Tümult event with guest chefs – but that is for one night only. Here, they release them for the whole season.
And yes, you guessed it – it is fully booked in the time it takes Florence Griffith-Joyner to run 200 metres (21.34 seconds). My wife had almost the same pulse as her after securing us a table.
Tartlet – Potato – Pickled Onion – Isterband Foam – Dried Tomato
Simply love the food and hate the wines. Yes, “low intervention” is the fancy word. But it does not help – it still tastes like… well, something I would rather not drink.
(If you are curious, I wrote more about my complicated relationship with natural wine here →).
What I cannot understand is, if you are a restaurant owner, why not buy in a couple of traditional safe cards for old-fashioned, grumpy people like me? A bottle of Failla or George would be heaven.
Langoustine XXL – Tandoori – Sweet Chili – Chive Mayo – Puffed Rice
That said, this visit was better than before – they started off with Champagne for the first time, Michel Gonet. I almost fell off the sofa. Smörtaxen does not have many tables, and each one has its own name – a quirky detail that only adds to the charm.
The dinner takes at least four and a half hours, so if you can, go for the sofa when reserving.
This time, they did not have the wine menu by the glass. Instead, they offered a bottle pairing – one white and one red, each with different themes to choose from.
We went for “Safe Card.” Drinkable, but nothing that really lifted the menu. I still do not get the high acidity and funky flavours – they rarely pair well with food.
Crustade – Lobster – Västerbotten – Crown Dill Cheese
The cooking at Smörtaxen continues to impress – and this time, a few dishes even topped our last visit. This is a high level of cooking. The first three snacks could easily compete with three Michelin star restaurants.
Especially the second snack: Best of Västkusten – crustade, mayo on white asparagus, cucumber, Norway lobster stewed in Västerbotten cheese, chives, and lumpfish roe, topped with grated crown dill cheese from Arla Unika.
Crisp, complex, with layers of flavour, and perfectly balanced. An impressive start.
Also worth noting: the pace of the dishes was much better this time. There was a noticeably improved flow in how the team worked, which made the whole evening feel smoother.
Cannot wait for the next themed season – if we get a table. Fingers crossed at the roulette wheel.
White and Green Asparagus – Cheese Efterglöd – Ramson Hollandaise – Chicken Skin
★ The previous theme was Japan – read the review here →.
April 2025
Dinner
We are all in. Just hoping luck is on our side again.
A simple yes!
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