Hantverket: Playful craftsmanship at an award-winning Stockholm restaurant

Delicious creative takes on classic food, an intimate but lively setting and an attentive team: these are the building blocks for the 2019 Gulddraken-winning restaurant Hantverket in central Stockholm, where dining is about more than just the food.

“Our goal is for our menu to feel inclusive, sympathetic and delicious. One of the best compliments we get is ‘I can’t decide what to choose, it all looks so good’,” says Stefan Ekengren, partner and head chef.

Restaurant Hantverket is spacious and welcoming, with an open kitchen and a joyous team that take care of you from the moment you enter. During service, the chefs, waitstaff and management team move around, getting to know guests and making sure that everyone is having a good time.

“We want to create an exciting and dynamic dining room that feels grand but also intimate. The way the restaurant is designed makes it possible to have intimate conversations without missing a word whilst there’s a birthday party going on just metres away. Family dinners, business meetings and parties can all coexist in this space, which makes it incredibly fun,” says Ekengren.

Left: Photo: Hantverket. Right: Stefan-Ekengren. Photo: Hantverket

In the moment

The menu consists of a wide range of dishes, inspired by Swedish comfort food and ingredients. Signature dishes include crispy Hasselback potatoes with bleak roe, smetana (sour cream) and spring onion; green tomato soup; and beef tartar with Jerusalem artichoke, gruyère cheese and hazelnuts.
“Our food is playful and exciting with focus on Scandinavian flavours and elements of southern Europe. Our main objective is to provide food that creates a moment – it lets you enjoy the ‘here and now’. Guests should feel: ‘I am here, at Hantverket’,” explains Ekengren.

The craft

Hantverket, which in Swedish simply means ‘Craftsmanship’, was opened in 2016 by Torbjörn Blomqvist, owner of Stockholm Meeting Selection, who is himself a craftsman. He designed and built the restaurant to feel big, warm and genuine.

Ekengren joined in 2017 and has thereafter helped establish the menu and the concept. “We’ve been doing really well. We have a well-thought-out concept, a team that loves working together, a great dining room and great recipes,” he says. “Our focus is not only on the food, but also on the overall experience where service, food and ambiance all come together to create a great restaurant.”

Photo: Thomas-Wingstedt

Web: www.restauranghantverket.se
Instagram: @restauranghantverket
Facebook: Restaurang Hantverket