Part of At last! There’s a Scandinavian – or at least ‘Nordic inspired’ – restaurant in
The décor is a mix between an Ikea catalogue and the contemporary fashion for stripped-back interior design in bars/restaurants e.g. filament bulbs, mismatched furniture and succulents everywhere. Although we visited in the evening, I can imagine that the huge glass windows overlooking the cityscape makes KuPP feel like a light and spacious place to eat during the daytime.
Having ordered a Fjord cocktail – a refreshing mix of Aperol, cinzana bianco, soda and cloudberry syrup, complete with whole cloudberries for decoration – and a KuPP Lager for my companion, we greedily investigated the menu. KuPP places an emphasis on sharing so has lots of options to pick and choose from including bords, grazing plates, main meals and sides. After a brief negotiation with one of the waiting staff, we were persuaded not to order two sharing bords but to start with the Fiske bord and to see how we got on. This was part of the beauty of dining at KuPP: much like tapas bars, you are free to order additional grazing plates as you go without being rushed to move from savoury to sweet courses.
The service was quick and we were presented with a very Instagram-worth sharing platter with the waiting staff explaining each element before we got stuck in. The ample portion of Norwegian gravadlax was delectable, and the Nordic skagen prawns (like a zingier prawn cocktail made with sour cream, lemon and dill) were clean tasting and comforting. Though initially sceptical of the sauce, the coffee, mustard and dill concoction worked surprisingly well with the oak & apple wood house smoked trout and mackerel, with the nutty undertones of the coffee lifting the flavours of dill and mustard without becoming overpowering. The potato salad was excellent, the roasted beetroot pleasant, and the pickled vegetables (fennel, pepper, red onion, radish and carrot) appropriately acidic but textually interesting to eat, with hints of mustard, vinegar and aniseed coming through. The skinny fries with herb salt were crisp and the freshly baked rye bread and Leksands Knäcke crispbread perfectly complemented the dishes. We agreed that the bords are very good value for money (£25 per bord) and are sufficiently filling, especially as a lunchtime meal.
Ignoring our almost full stomachs and eager to try more, we ordered a couple more dishes to round off the main course. The homemade potted rabbit served with pickled vegetables and sourdough was rich and gamey in flavour. Sadly, the house smoked pork meatballs were surprisingly underwhelming and under seasoned but the sour hop mustard gravy and chive hollandaise sauce covering them was gorgeous – I can see why they keep the recipe a secret!
Whilst I wasn’t able to squeeze in another bite, thankfully my companion nobly opted to have a dessert. The white chocolate and peppaekakor (gingersnap) cheesecake was creamy and the biscuit base was warming with spicy ginger notes. Having had a taste, I would return just to have the cheesecake. I tried the classic (70% cocoa) award-winning hot chocolate which was very enjoyable – not too sweet and super comforting on a cold wintry night.
We received excellent service from the waiting staff who were good humoured and made us feel very welcome and well looked after. I would happily return to eat at KuPP at anytime of day, and am keen to sample more of their Nordic-themed cocktails. Jubel!