Westminster, Scandinavian Restaurant Guide

“Mesmerising (even hypnotic) food and the live-fire kitchen meant I didn’t notice anything much that was going on around me!” – Stockholm star-chef Niklas Ekstedt’s dining room in Westminster’s Hyatt hotel captivates many diners with its theatrical Scandi flourishes. His “enthusiastic team” delivers “engaging explanations of each dish” and creates a “very interesting menu” that can be “absolutely fabulous”. Even those who say the food is “very good” however, can still feel it is “very overpriced”.

Down a cute Covent Garden alley, this tiny Scandi café with a handful of seats outside in summer is sweet in more ways than one: “the renowned Princess Tarta is criminally delicious and can be personalised to order… 100% authentic too!”

2022 Review: “Still turning out wonderful cinnamon buns and coffee” along with some “excellent Scandi sandwiches”, this Nordic fixture in Soho remains “well worth a visit”.

“Excellent smørrebrød” (open sandwiches) are on display at this Fitzrovia café, “but a lot of people go for the Swedish meatballs” – “this is where I head when homesick”, says an expat reporter. “There also is a little shop downstairs selling Scandi goodies”.

Soren Jessen’s “slick, Nordic cafe in the City of London” occupies part of the Bloomberg Arcade and contributes to the development’s renown for offering “good food in the dry desert of the Square Mile”. It majors in Danish smørrebrød (rye bread with toppings): “nice for a change”, but “you can rack up a fair bill eating these delicate one-bite-and-they-are-gone appetisers” (though “there there are decent main courses such as fish, schnitzel and venison fillet”). On the downside, results can end up seeming “not as Scandi and varied as expected” – “I prefer IKEA meatballs, even if they are not as prettily presented!”

2023 Review: “Great coffee and an always-buzzy vibe” make it worth remembering this attractive, all-day Marylebone deli/café, which serves a mix of patisserie, cakes, soups, salads and sarnies from breakfast onwards.

“Tasty and authentic” Scandinavian dishes including “excellent fish” are on the menu at this “surprisingly cosy and stylish” Nordic outfit in Islington, where “attentive service” ensures an enjoyable meal. Top Menu Tip – “the venison meatballs with lingonberry sauce deserve a special mention”.

A headline act in Harrods’ pitch to be a gastronomic destination – this Nordic two-year-old is overseen from afar by a three-Michelin-star chef from Stockholm and occupies a striking, purpose-built, double-height space on the fifth floor. All reports agree its wide-ranging menu provides a “terrific blend of Scandinavian and Asian food” and the extensive array of wine-coolers at the edge of the room showcase a heavyweight wine selection. One or two reporters find the lower dining space “a bit moribund”, but you can always head upstairs to the “lovely rooftop, with terrace” (which is covered and heated even in the winter months).