Restaurant: Den Gyldene Freden Location: Österlånggatan 51 Stockholm, Sweden Phone: (08) 24 97 60 Price Range: 96:- SEK - 375:- SEK

Number of visits: 1
Last visit before review: August 6, 2001

Randy had: Duck sausage with cep mushrooms, pumpkin purée, and orange sauce with ginger.

Jeff had: Brisket of beef with cubed potatoes in cream.

We shared: Raspberry mousse with blackcurrant sorbet & blueberry pie, tureen of grapefruit with honey savarin & aniseed sorbet, and elderflower tarte with caramel & compote of gooseberries (there were 3 of us).

Rating 12 (of 12) Excellent

Randy says: I got the duck sausage because the waitress told us it had won the chef some awards. It had ground duck as well as some small pieces of duck meat. It was moist and juicy and well seasoned, but I couldn't detect the ginger or cep mushrooms. The purée was smooth and flavorful, and a little sweet. It was bursting with pumpkinness. There were grilled rutabagas which were delicious, crisp, and a little nutty. Visually, except for the duck sausage itself, the plate was a masterpiece of art. It was good, but I wasn't thrilled by it as I hoped based on the awards it's won.

Jeff says: The brisket was one of the traditional Swedish dishes offered. It was like dried corned beef, but very salty. The potato cubes in cream sauce were soft and delicious. I wasn't disappointed.

Randy says: Each dessert was visually stunning; a thoughtful balance of colors and flavors. The home-made breads were all good, but the dark rye bread was fantastic. It was faintly sweet, and moist with a nice aroma.

Jeff says: The desserts were all exquisite. The gooseberries that came with the elderflower tarte were too tart for me, though.

Den Gyldene Freden (loosely translated from archaic Swedish as Contented Peace) is the place to go for both traditional Swedish cooking and cutting edge culinary achievement. The traditional dishes are reasonably priced, but the master creations are expensive. The menu is changed daily.

The restaurant dates to 1722, but the building in Gamla Stan, the Old City, is much older. Below the entry level are vaults and cellars dating probably back to the 16th century. At first we were seated on the main level, but it was a bit smoky and we asked if there might be a non-smoking area. To our surprise there was (probably due to the high volume of Americans who visit and ask for such), and we were led down to a cellar that looked like a medieval dungeon with 4 dining tables in it. This provided a much more interesting dining environment, although a little cigarette smoke did creep in from the next dungeon over. The service was exceptional. The waitress appeared frequently with a basket of home-made breads which were all delicious, and refilled our glasses of water often. She was very attentive and courteous, as well as knowledgeable about the menu. Den Gyldene Freden is an experience not to be missed.