Restaurant Unn

Intimate dining for 8 at Unn

Les Clefs d'Or Sweden was very grateful to be invited last night to try Restaurant Unn, the sister restaurant of Tak Stockholm... which I visited recently. You can describe Unn as being a dining experience within a restaurant, as it is located in a separate room within Tak itself. Unn is comprised of 8 seats around a chef's table (teppanyaki style) and you have one chef and a sommelier taking care of you during the evening. They serve a set, multiple course menu where all diners are served at the same time.

Tak is a fun and popular restaurant and there is a feeling of luxury being ushered into an intimate, private room, away from the hustle and bustle. Well inside, we were greeted by Chef Albin and Sommelier Mikkel as we took our seats around a teppanyaki table. As champagne was served, they explained Unn's dining concept to us. The cuisine is a fusion of Nordic and Japanese, using a lot of Nordic flavors and ingredients while employing Japanese cooking techniques.

Chef Albin and Sommelier Mikkel presenting the dessert

Albin and Mikkel guided us throughout the evening. I have been to several "chef's table" experiences and the ambiance of the evening is really dependent on the staff as it is such an intimate experience. They were great! Very sociable and informative, without being stuffy, and spoke excellent English. I am always impressed when a chef can create a complicated dish in front of you all the while holding a conversation. I get stressed just when someone asks me a question while I'm trying to boil water.

Presentation of the ingredients

The fresh ingredients for each dish come in their own individual handmade wooden box which the chef presents to the diners before preparing the dish. This is a great presentation of the ingredients and a fantastic way to introduce each course. Unn is able to accommodate some food allergies and dietary restrictions when given advance warning. However, as it is a small, intimate dining experience, they aren't able to work around every type of allergy & restriction. See the full list on their website.

The dishes were all paired with a variety of beverages, like champagne, wine and sake. The Sommelier was very knowledgeable and, as we are more familiar with wine, it was especially interesting to hear about sake, like the different varieties and how it is made. Currently you are able to order three different pairings... with alcoholic beverages, with non alcoholic beverages or a mix of the two. There may be plans in the future of having an "a la carte" beverage list as well. These guys put on quite a show as the evening progressed... ingredients were presented, poured, diced, shaved, seared and even, at times, lit on fire.

Special mention has to be made for Unn's location. As I mentioned earlier, it is located with the restaurant Tak which can be found on the top floor of a building on the square Brunkebergstorg in downtown Stockholm. Above the restaurant, on the rooftop, they have an indoor/outdoor bar and terrace with amazing views of the city. Nothing excites Swedes more than the combination of sunshine and alcohol. This was the definitely the place to be last summer on a warm, sunny evening... and it is bound to be even more popular this coming summer as they are expanding to the rooftop on the neighboring building.

You can't beat this view

The whole project is called "Stockholm Under the Stars" and you will find, besides food & drink, a sun deck, an outdoor gym and cinema and more. There will be a bridge connecting the two rooftops. During this summer's World Cup (football/soccer) they are planning on showing matches on the outdoor cinema screen. Should be a fun time! The best way to get to Tak & Unn from the Hotel Rival is subway (blue line, station Kungsträdgården, exit Regeringsgatan), a 15 minute bus ride, a 30 minute walk or else it is a 5 minute taxi ride.

Booking seats in advance at Unn is a must! They are currently only open on Wednesdays through Saturdays and have one serving an evening. This means only 8 seats an evening, four nights a week, which makes last minute reservations more difficult. You can book through their website or, if you are staying at the Hotel Rival, contact me for further assistance. Click here for more of my restaurant reviews/recommendations.

Sommelier / Barista

A bit of heavenly fudge to end the evening