Restaurant Oxelblom

Oxelblom has been a favorite place of mine for the past year or so to have a glass of wine with friends and enjoy the atmosphere. Last night a colleague and I had the opportunity to have dinner there for the first time and we weren't disappointed!

Oxelblom is a relatively small restaurant with a cosy atmosphere. The dining room resembles a living room (or salon) of yesteryear with mismatched, vintage furniture and quirky design details. Candlelight and classic jazz music (Swedish and international favorites) add to the at-home feeling. They have two small sofa groups as well, which are perfect if you just want to stop by for a drink. Maybe over a game of chess (set provided)?

3 types of "home made" herring with classic accoutrements.

I also really like their unique menu concept. It is all about tastes from around Sweden... from Skåne in the south to Norrbotten in the north! Two of Sweden's 25 counties or provinces are always represented on the menu with the dishes created using the county's local produce. The menu does change every few months as they switch counties. Sweden is a large country with varied landscapes and climates, so local produce can be quite different depending on the county. When we visited the restaurant last night, Bohuslän and Södermanland/Uppland were the counties on the menu.

"pork, appples, beans, red wine"

The dishes on the menu aren't named or described; instead each dish is represented by a list of ingredients. For example, "pork, apples, beans, red wine" or "shrimps, mussels, garlic, parsley". Anticipating what dish the chef will create with the ingredients adds to the dining experience. Each dish (whether cold, hot or sweet) is medium in size and you choose either a 3 or 5 course menu from among the different dishes. We both opted for the 3 course menu last night and I would say that it was comparable in size to having a main course and dessert at another restaurant. Click here for the current menu in English.

Romantic nook...

Another positive note is the service, which is warm and personable. They are great at taking the time to explain their concept and pair wine and beer with the dishes. Oxelblom is located in the popular SoFo district on the island of Södermalm and is only a 15 minute walk from the Rival Hotel. Otherwise it is located in between the subway stations Medborgarplats and Skanstull (green line).

Assorted cheeses, all Swedish!