Restaurant review | The beloved Strömsö chef’s new restaurant is a two-star show

Sweden Teatern has celebrated its 155th anniversary this year. So far, in addition to the general fallerallala-type celebrations, the following has happened: in August, a restaurant was opened in the theater building.

There have been cafes at the western end of the Esplanadi park before, but now there is a wholesome treatment with lunch, dinner and snacks.

The restaurant has a handsomely catchy name, Royale Estrad, and it belongs to a celebrity chef from Åland known from TV by Michael Björklund to a growing business empire. In addition to restaurants, Björklund’s CV includes wine imports, a distillery and its own kalsar brand.

Royale Estrad has such a safe concept that its menu could have been designed by, for example, the janitor of the Svenska Teatern instead of Björklund, who was chosen as the chef of the year in both Finland and Sweden. There are self-evident Nordic classics, from skagen bread to crab soup to Rydberg steak.

If you compare the menu to Estrad’s most obvious model, i.e. Bakfickan from Stockholm’s Operakällaren, there are quite a few hits.

But why not. Of course, elaborate classic food has its place.

In the starters the line carries. Toast Skagen, crab soup and tartar are all sure-fire but unsurprising performances. Skagen has succulent prawns, sweet island bread and pickled red onion and a rich sauce. A few roe deer bring a touch of luxury.

The crab soup is rich and crunchy. However, towards the end of the spooning, you start to crave something exciting. Estrada’s version of tartare is not crazy at all. The meat is of high quality, and the dish has plenty of sprouts, root shavings, and other such coincidences, all of which cannot be explained, because the dishes are not presented.

In the main dishes, the cooking starts. The fried whitefish is indeed fresh and the white wine sauce splashes nicely, but the chef hasn’t had the best day for frying. The skin of the fish is not crispy.

Biff Rydberg looks grim. Anemic chunks of fried potatoes and fried pieces of tenderloin lie on the plate. On top is an egg yolk and a little chopped parsley. A spoonful of mayonnaise is mixed in. The taste beats the appearance, but it’s still far from what you’d like a succulent luxury pot pan to be like.

A simple mushroom risotto wins the main course comparison. The composition is a bit too porridge-like, but there are no complaints about the taste. Mushrooms get to shine.

In the dessert phase, the plot has become clear. The most obvious ones are on offer: crème brûlée, brownie and cheeses. On the first visit, the preparation of the crème brûlée did not go as well as in Strömsö, because the pudding tastes like egg. Most of the time, it is because the mass has been overcooked.

Opera bread is an almost forgotten retro food. Picture: Jasmine Färling / HS

On the menu there is a separate back pocket section where warm sandwiches are offered. And surprise surprise, almost forgotten retro food works.

The mincemeat patty in the opera sandwich is royally thick and juicy. Of course, the portion falls into the category of crumbly food and it doesn’t combine in the best possible way with white tablecloths. It would be perfect for the sweat after a wet night at the bar.

As said, there is nothing wrong with traditionalism, but lack of surprise is not a virtue either. At last, on the second visit, I really started to look for even a small sign of ingenuity from Estradi’s kitchen. The minimum requirement is that the classics are skillfully executed. However, on two visits, there were a lot of mistakes.

Björklund has promised that in the future there will be a seafood platter and oysters on the menu. That might well add to Estrada’s appeal. Now it was only enough for two stars.

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