Speceriet is my favorite lunch spot in Stockholm. The sister restaurant of one Michelin star Gastrologik is located in the quiet street Artillerigatan. The simple menu is written with chalk on a board and features a small daily selection of lunch platters, a dessert, and drink recommendations. Beautiful copper lamps dominate the minimalist design of the room and two long shared tables invite to a social eating experience. It’s these kinds of places that motivates me to make extensive guides to cities like Stockholm. Our evening dinner reservation awaited at the flagship Gastrologik next door. Booking in advance is of key importance here! Speceriet, on the other hand, accepts walk-ins as well. From the outside, the two eateries look very similar, although a small sign by each door reveals the true identity. Also, Speceriet hasn’t got the long curtains in the window like the secretive Gastrologik, and small tables lined up outside will guide you to the correct entrance during opening hours.
Note: This restaurant has closed permanently.
We ordered the cauliflower dish with endives and shallots – a great vegetarian option that makes you forget you’re actually eating vegetarian. At least, I did not regret skipping the pork. We also picked Speceriet’s classic chicken salad which had a delightfully uncomplicated and rustic presentation with each element separated on the plate. To finish, we all shared a rhubarb sorbet dessert – truly refreshing summer flavors!
Speceriet is unpretentious, easily accessible, and offers the same high-quality ingredients as Gastrologik. Sister restaurant with a higher turnover of tables can be crucial to the survival of a high-end fine dining restaurant. This seems to have become very common in Stockholm. Frantzén has The Flying Elk, Mathias Dahlgren has Matbaren, and so on. In Copenhagen, the restaurant Relæ has expanded not only to one, but several more casual eateries: Manfreds, Bæst, and Mirabelle so far. Oslo is lagging behind a bit, but the always economically sound Statholdergaarden has a casual cellar tavern. Speceriet is currently being refurbished and they reopen again in August. I’m excited to see how the new joint looks like, and can’t wait to return for my next lunch here.
What’s your favorite lunch spot in Stockholm? Please share in a comment.