Imagine leaving a bustling European town on a public transportation boat that leaves every hour and within a few minutes, being whisked to a remote island — request the captain take you to Styrso Skaret. There’s not any car traffic besides a lone emergency vehicle, but a sophisticated, elegant restaurant awaits. That’s exactly how it is to visit the restaurant at Sweden’s Pension Styrso Skaret. I’m very happy that I had the opportunity to be hosted to experience it!
It’s an inn that serves lunch and dinner to the public. Owner Ola Tulldahl and his wife Ylva are a young couple who have been in the hospitality business for several years. Despite their youth, they’ve been renovating the grand cottage on the hill to resemble “grandmother’s house”. This means that it has an eclectic, vintage style, rather than the ubiquitous modern Scandanavian look. Don’t worry, you won’t be knocked in the face by Hummel figurines — you’ll just be charmed by comforting touches like a real burning fireplace and comfy sofas. Soft jazz plays in the background. Ola says that if you have 4 hours, you can come and have dinner, if you have 6 hours, you can take a stroll on the island after your meal.
In the main dining room — though you can also take your meal in one of the more intimate rooms — you’ll find Jeffersonian windows, very high ceilings and floral touches on white background. The restaurant has a collector’s treasure trove of fine whiskeys. Their wine selection comes from small, hard to find vineyards, so that your drinking experience will be unlike you’ve ever had. They have special evenings like lobster and goose nights in season, as well as poetry nights with local authors.
It’s a tradition at the restaurant that the meal starts with soup. On the day I was there, the soup was cream of green tomato from the garden, served with Swedish breads and crisps, accompanied by a compound butter with cranberries.
Looking out onto the sea, you feel the whim of what it yields: not every fish or seafood is available every day. They have their own local providers sending the catch of the day. On that day, I got to try tender, creamy plaice fish with carrots, blue and black cauliflower, leeks and pumpkin seeds — so seasonal! Presentation is gentle, yet highlights the beauty of each ingredient.
When you leave to catch the boat back to the mainland, don’t forget to adjust the signaling mirror: Styrso Skaret is not one of the regular stops and you have to let the captain know you’re there!
Luxe & Down-Home Cuisine/Culture/Travel/Style 