Vasastanskrogen, has become an institution

You can’t miss that this place has been around for a while. First, the eye falls on the dark tabletops, the collage wall to the left of the bar, and the interior details – oak barrels, Hötorg artwork and Cobra candlesticks designed by Georg Jensen. Hello, 90s! Krogkommissionen believes that although we know it was only twelve years ago We were here last time Then Bar Nombre is brand new (2012).

“Half a flight of stairs there is a stylish chef’s table with a view into the kitchen,” the committee’s envoy wrote at the time. In the basement, they found a “dining room that is a bit gloomy for this time of year.” All of this still holds true, even though the “chef’s table” has become fairly mainstream over the years.

Although a bit arrogant Dare to lean back, not even try to keep up, and it seems to hit home. The outdoor dining area here is full, as is the large dining room. There are a few pairs of friends sitting on the high stools, who have obviously been here before, and are generally middle-aged or older. That is, those of you who first came here in the 90s and never quite understood why burgundy as a wall color has disappeared everywhere else? This become So warm and cozy.

One very lovely aspect of how Bar Nombre has really taken root in Odengatan is that every member of staff is fully aware that they now represent an institution. They do so with pride and determination. The classics on the menu are highlighted: the large or small cooked charcuterie tray (SEK 195/340), the pork – Secreto iberico bellota, the secret of the Iberian Peninsula, the detail of a pig that only eats acorns – (SEK 325) and basil sorbet (SEK 130).

Twelve years ago, our emissaries enjoyed Bar Nombre’s imaginative cuisine. They sampled chopped fruit purees, crispy beef cheeks, “lovely” scallops with a cloud of ramen onions, and drank “eerily beautiful blackcurrant drinks.” Overall, they thought they were visiting “a kitchen that never sneaks in.”

Our return visit wasn’t quite as consistent. The drinks were still beautiful, but oh well, we both slipped at the vanilla foam of the rhubarb drink Barbasita (160 SEK). It would have been nice if there had been a warning about all that gooey sweetness mixed into the glass.

In 2012, when the committee tasted the piglet, “one of KK’s envoys had tears in his eyes, the treatment of the meat was unparalleled”. This will not happen in the 2024 vintage. The Secreto ibericon was dry and the composition of the whole dish was a bit different. The dark Pata Negra sky could hardly coexist harmoniously with the sunny, half-ripe tomatoes. Sad, because the idea was good. The separate side dish was also interesting – the chicharron (fried pork skin), which we hope will be offered more often!

But we will be really happy. Twelve years later, at the sausage tray. Thin slices of sausage, serrano ham and air-dried beef melt in your mouth. The main course of red shrimp (165 SEK) was equally fascinating. A layer of hot Harris mayonnaise covered the beautiful fried shreds of shredded prawns. Three generous and well-prepared large shrimps were placed on top of the mayonnaise, and a clear slice of lardo (seasoned pork fat) wrapped this exquisite meal together in a way that we will never forget.

Finally, our colleague was pleasantly surprised by the “vegetarian option” on the menu. If anything, it was a time marker, this particular option had plenty for those who don’t eat meat. Here, too, time seemed to have stopped at the Nombre bar. Sure, there were asparagus for the main course and artichokes for the starter, but still, only an omnivore could spend a full evening in a restaurant with such a rich selection. Today’s society, especially in central Stockholm, offers more options to suit all preferences.

However, it was the finale of Krogkommissionen revisited that received the highest praise and surpassed the premiere’s more restrained notes on the dessert menu. The basil sorbet that we now think has been there since the beginning seems completely unspoiled by time. The spiced green sorbet egg was a big hit, set atop a vanilla-flavored yogurt mousse and passionfruit curd. Slices of broken lemon meringue were scattered everywhere. A grown-up version of Suisse. An even more Eton mess. Hats off.

KK anno 2012 hope The pub here is not only a “temporary memory of 10th-century Vasastan, but a long-term pub companion”. Overall, time itself has clearly fulfilled hopes. There is also a generally stable cooking, which, despite its downturns, often surprises in the other direction.

The tabletop is what regulars, regulars and returnees like us wear. We may meet here again in the thirties.

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