I SPENT MY LAST BIRTHDAY in Stockholm, Sweden, with my niece Kit, doing a bump in the kitchen of a celebrated local eatery called Punk Royale. But it’s not what you think.
When we arrived for our reservation at this hole in the wall in the city’s Södermalm neighbourhood, the door swung open to a small and darkly lit space overflowing with pounding music, neon lights and blasts of smoke from a ceiling-mounted smoke machine.
Lime-green tape and lockboxes
Before my eyes could adjust, we were brusquely ushered in by a lean waiter wearing a gas mask and dressed only in a tank top and his underwear. After quickly confirming our names on the reservation list, he immediately slapped a piece of glowing lime-green duct tape with “En Nöt” on Kit’s back, alerting the staff and fellow patrons of the restaurant to her nut allergy.
Photo: Punk Royale/Fredrik Skogkvist
He then whisked us to our seats at the end of a communal table next to six Swedes, flipped open a small portable lock box and ordered us to put our phones inside. We didn’t see them again until we got our bill.
Then it was off to the kitchen for the bump. A surly and burly chef spooned the bump onto the back of our hands and ordered us to lick it – immediately followed by a shot of ice-cold vodka as a chaser. That bump was a heaping tablespoon of the creamiest, most delicious caviar I have ever had. And thus began a two hour and 15-minute dining experience that was the most immersive dining experience I have ever had.
The Punk Royale signature: fine dining caviar served without pretension or spoons. Photo: Punk Royale/Fredrik Skogkvist
Eighteen courses in the dark
Each morsel of our 18-course tasting menu arrived with little refinement, which I quickly learned is all part of the experience. The servers were purposefully bordering on impolite, but it was all part of a sexy, rough swagger.
When presented with the Foie Gras au Torchon with rose hip and brioche, we were instructed to shoot the syringe full of sweet wine laying next to it immediately after popping the brioche in our mouths. We were given a black glove as a utensil versus a spoon for the ice cream course. The Pork belly, Szechuan spice with pickled gooseberry and the smoked oyster with pineapple ice cream were both incredible.
Photo: Punk Royale/Fredrik Skogkvist
At one point I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned around only to have one of the cheeky servers shove a spoon with lobster, cep mushroom and truffle into my mouth. I think I heard him say “open up” over the din of the chattering crowd and throbbing music.
The included beverages were flowing generously. Riesling, Chardonnay and beer were poured into glasses followed by simple instructions, “drink this with that” and “hurry up.” And if red wine spilled onto the table during a pour, we were told not to worry about it. The Nordic staple of Aquavit was our final tipple.
Luxury without pretension
Katherine Bont is part of the creative team behind all of the iterations of Punk Royale; one in Copenhagen, one in Oslo and the latest opening in London, England. But, she is particularly proud of the original Stockholm location where we ate, which opened in 2015.
“The idea was to create fine dining without the stiffness and luxury without pretension in each location,” says Katherine, “But the Södermalm location reflects modern Swedish culture: bold, confident, experimental, slightly irreverent and deeply connected to ingredients. It also reflects the Swedish social culture of shared experiences, humour and intensity.”
Photo: Punk Royale/Fredrik Skogkvist
The “Royale” in the name is supposed to represent the luxury, craftsmanship and the indulgence that diners will experience. The “Punk” in the name is meant to represent the irreverent attitude, not the music genre, which became evident as our ears were barraged with an eclectic wave of music, ranging from hip-hop and electronic to nostalgic pop and classics.
Singing Eurovision with strangers
Our six Swedish table mates who nodded politely at us when we originally sat down had become fast friends somewhere between the eighth and ninth courses. As it turned out, they too were celebrating a birthday, so communal table toasts became part of the meal.
My immediate seat neighbour, Daniel Kasselmaas, taught me the words to “Euphoria,” Sweden’s second most famous Eurovision entry from some 20 years ago that had the entire restaurant screaming at the top of their lungs.
With our phones back in hand, we burst out of the restaurant to go find a bar and continue the party with our new Swedish posse. I asked Daniel what he thought of Punk Royale.
“They brought the food, told me to open my mouth and shoved it in. It was controlled chaos,” he gushed. “It was delicious. And I loved it.”
At a Glance: Punk Royale
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Location: Folkungagatan 128, Södermalm, Stockholm
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Reservations: Bookings open 60 days ahead on a rolling day-to-day basis. Email info@punkroyale.com for specific requests or to join the waitlist.
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Website: punkroyale.com
