Pontus!

Pontus! review Rate it

While Swedes may, on the whole, be a modest bunch, Pontus Frithiof has no such qualms. First came Pontus in the Greenhouse (which closed in 2007); followed by Pontus by the Sea, a French brasserie in Gamla Stan; and now it's simply Pontus!, a huge three-floor eaterie close to Stureplan. The newspaper Svenska Dagbladet compared it to London's Quaglino's, gave it five stars and said it was 'magnificent and like nothing else in Stockholm'.

'The idea was to combine three different concepts in one restaurant,' says Frithiof. 'There's an oyster bar with the best oysters in Sweden; a cocktail bar where you can eat dim sum, sashimi and sushi; and a dining room with modern, fresh food.'

Decor leans towards the dramatic. In the main dining room the walls are decorated with custom-made wallpaper depicting many of Pontus's favourite books - including, of course, Pontus by the Book.

The main menu is divided into three parts: Harvest, Catch and Season. Instead of starters and main courses, dishes come in three sizes so diners can structure their meal as they wish. There's also a strong emphasis on vegetables, which will please diners exasperated by the paucity of vegetarian options in Stockholm.

For people who just want to drop in for a drink and eye up the stunning decor, the must-try cocktail is the shizu martini, made from OP Andersson aquavit and Japanese shizu leaf. It's a delicious fusion of Swedish and foreign influences - much like Frithiof and his new restaurant.