Last summer brought with it the relaunch of one of Operakällaren’s all time great success stories: the smorgasbord! With the legendary gastronomic traditions of Werner Vögelis and Tore Wretman paired with award-winning Chef des Cuisines Stefano Catenacci’s touch, the grand buffet filled with Swedish delicacies got an overwhelming reception. Now the smorgasboard will be served this summer as well.
- The majority of last year’s guests were international tourists who loved the opportunity to experience the famous ‘smorgasboard’ concept, says Abbe Ibrahim, Operakällaren’s Managing Director. We also noticed a growing interest in Swedish food traditions from locals as well, with Stockholmers of all ages coming to enjoy the classical buffet.
The most popular dishes at the buffet are the salmon delicacies. Foreign guests often ask for reindeer, either because they are interested in tasting this northern Scandinavian specialty or – in odd cases – because they don’t wish to eat Santa’s conveyance. At Operakällaren one also noticed a difference between the generations. Senior guests are more interested in the different herrings and younger guests prefer the variety of salads and desserts.
26 May-27 August, Operakällaren’s classic smorgasbord, will be served in the evenings Thursdays to Saturdays, 5pm – 9pm, with special opening hours on public holidays. Price 390 SEK.
Smörgåsbord, smorgasbord...
\u200bThe smorgasbord is a traditional Swedish buffet that has developed from the middle classes’ so called aquavit spread, which was popular from the 16th century until the smorgasbord made its breakthrough in the mid-19th century. Tore Wretman is one of the great icons of Swedish artistic cuisine. During his time at Operakällaren, he re-established the Swedish smorgasbord and marketed it around the world. For example, he presented a replica of the Operakällaren buffet in the Swedish Pavilion during the New York World Fair in 1964, which was an enormous success! Tore Wretman also changed the classic buffet by dividing it up into five table visits. The first is named ‘His Majesty the Herring’ and the second includes all the other cold ish platters, ‘smoked, cured, salted, poached and aspics’. The third visit consists of cold meats (sausages, preserves, aspics, pâtés and joints of meat) and salads. The fourth visit is made up of ‘small hot dishes’ and the fifth and final visit is reserved for the desserts. Now it’s the turn of Operakällaren’s star chef Stefano Catenacci to manage this gastronomic legacy.
At Operakällaren’s buffet
\u200bPickled herring, ‘matjes’ herring, mustard cured herring, archipelago herring, sea shrimps, smoked salmon, gravlax, hot smoked salmon, egg-anchovy salad, smoked sausages, pork liver pâté, farmhouse pâté, smoked reindeer, poached ham, roast beef, tomato salad, ‘moja’ salad, gravlax salad, chicken salad, summer salad, prawn salad, ‘Jansson’s temptation’ potato and anchovy gratin, cocktail sausages, meatballs, dish of the day, delicious side dishes, cheeses and bread, Oscar II’s cake, fresh fruit salad with walnuts and honey yoghurt, pecan pie, lemon meringue pie, strawberries and cream. Variations may occur.
About Operakällaren & the Nobis group
\u200bOperakällaren serves international haute cuisine, signed by Stefano Catenacci. Operakällaren is Purveyor to His Majesty the King and has been honored with membership in the prestigious association of restaurants "Les Grandes Tables du Monde/Traditions & Qualité" and has recently been rewarded by prestigious White Guide’s “Best restaurant of the Year – Overall Experience” award. Nobis is one of Scandinavia’s leading groups in the hospitality industry. The corporation employs more than 450 people and turns over about SEK 700 million. The operation includes first-class hotels, restaurants and nightclubs, conference and event venues and catering.
Images & more information about Operakällaren
\u200bFor more information, please contact Therese Forslund, Marketing assistant at Operakällaren, +46 8-676 58 00 or therese@operakallaren.se. High resolution pictures can also be downloaded in our online image archive: http://www.operakallaren.se/files.asp?catID=815