Walking around Old Town Stockholm, we ended up at Ebenist for dinner as it was the only place we could find that would accommodate us without a reservation. As it was our first meal in Sweden, we ordered more "traditional fare" but according to the locals we talked to, no one really eats traditional food much anymore... It's more for tourists. Nonetheless, we had to give it a go.
As an appetizer, we had the Reindeer Tartare (175 SEK). With smoked egg yolk creme, it was creamy and tender. Flavourwise, I found it very mild (much like beef tartare) and not gamey in the least. It was seasoned well with black pepper and watercress vinaigrette. The puffed wild rice added a nice chewy texture (almost like bacon bits) to the dish.
We also had the Reindeer entrée (335 SEK). Considering the price, I found it to be quite small with only three slices of meat. The meat itself was cooked to a medium rare and was tender. It paired well with the tart pickled beer onions, crisp diced apples, chopped hazelnuts and vinegar jus. The sautéed kale was a great touch and added some earthy flavours.
The Swedish Meatballs (215 SEK) were fairly large in size and were covered with a delicious gravy creme sauce. The lingon berries and pickled cucumber added a bright splash of flavour and the potato purée was good.
Finally, the Grilled Artic Char (285 SEK) was nicely cooked with a crispy skin and moist meat. It was accompanied by a fennel and citrus salad with herbs and olive oil. The salad was mediocre. I found the spiralized veggies to be a little too thick. It was refreshing but lacked flavour.
Overall, I found the food good but not spectacular. The ambiance is very nice and had we been given a table in the patio, overlooking the square, I suspect it would have been even nicer. Service was friendly but slow. It took a long time for our mains to arrive which was unfortunate given that we were already really hungry when we arrived. Food was pricey. read more