Restaurant Köttbaren

Great burger!

Last week I had a meeting with a colleague over drinks at Köttbaren and, as we stayed there for a bite to eat afterwards, I thought it would a great opportunity to blog about the restaurant. To start off with... the name. It is Swedish for "the meat bar" and it describes the restaurant very well! Not only is the menu heavy on meat & sausage, but there is also an actual butcher shop in the restaurant where they sell fine cuts of meat as well as sauces, spices and barbecue implements. The wait staff's uniforms (white butcher smocks) add to the ambiance.

Entrance from the street Tegnérgatan.

The restaurant is located in the downtown area and is actually the more casual, sister restaurant to Grill, which is lcoated right around the corner from Köttbaren. For an extra Concierge tip... Grill, which I have written about before, is where I celebrated my birthday with friends last night. Super yummy! But back to Köttbaren...

Mini-boutique with everything you need to grill a great steak.

One thing to keep in mind with Köttbaren is that they do not accept table reservations unless you are a group of 8 or more persons (and then only on Mondays through Wednesdays). So it is on a drop-in basis! We arrived quite early (5-5:30pm) and the restaurant was basically empty, but by 7pm it was full with happy diners with people waiting in the bar for seats. They have long tables for 8+ persons which you share with other diners, family style. They do also have counter space next to the window. This is a fun idea and the tables are wide enough that it doesn't feel like everyone at the table is privy to your conversation.

Dining room, pre dinner rush...

For dinner, I decided on their hamburger. It should be noted that gourmet hamburgers are the latest trend in Stockholm's culinary world. Some are actually calling it a "burger war" with restaurants putting forth their version of a gourmet burger (finer meat used along with fancier toppings, like truffle mayonnaise). Click here for a list of the best burgers in town (Google translate button in top right hand corner). I can report that the burger at Köttbaren was very good!

...and during dinner rush.

To get to Köttbaren from the Rival Hotel... take the subway (green line) from nearby Slussen, 4 stops northbound to the station Rådmansgatan. They will be expanding the concept in the coming months, opening a second Köttbaren on the street Vasagatan. Not sure on the exact location or when they will open yet. Click here for more restaurant reviews!

Butcher shop in the restaurant.