Located within Great Scotland Yard Hotel, which was formerly the headquarters for the Metropolitan Police, Ekstedt at the Yard manages to feel special, upscale and cosy all at the same time. With minimalistic décor, an open plan kitchen, dark interiors and dried herbs hanging from the wall, the aesthetic makes the word “Hyyge” spring to mind. The restaurant has a unique approach in that it serves a standard five or seven course menu to all (with dietary alterations when needed), served by Swedish chef Niklas Ekstedt, who made an appearance on MasterChef UK this year.
The food is cooked using a rustic approach, with wood fires and scaled back cooking methods as our ancestors would have before the time of gas. The menu is an experimental fusion of Scandinavian flavours, seasonal produce and wood-fired cooking methods rather unlike anything I have ever tried before. I recently went with my friend and colleague Glen to give the menu a try and I will start off by saying that the night was certainly a culinary experience.
The meal first began with an invitation to visit the kitchen to watch the chefs prepare the first course, which was a flambadou oyster served with beurre blanc – a creamy butter sauce made with vinegar, white wine and shallots. The experience of watching the chefs cook the oyster using intensely hot wood-fire methods was such a unique experience and unlike anything I’ve ever done before. We then got to try them for ourselves in the kitchen and, although .
