Scandinavian Cuisine Invades London

Long before Scandinavian food became a trend in London, I would accompany my Swedish flatmate to Swedish Affar to stock up on necessities such as salted licorice and Oboy … milkshake powder. Swedish Affar was set up ostensibly to provide products for the kitchen cupboards of London's large Swedish community. Now taken over by the TotallySwedish team, the shop serves the same purpose as before, but with a larger variety of stock. Online ordering has been withdrawn, but you can order by phone for delivery at a price. They also sell books, magazines, Swedish greeting cards, children's things, and home accessories. [link]

This recommendation comes by way of numerous real live Scandinavians living in London. If you know any homesick Swedes in London then this (the longest running … Scandinavian restaurant in London) is the place to take them. Marylebone's Crawford Street is something of a mecca for local Swedes. You're likely to hear more Swedish spoken than English -- the TotallySwedish shop is almost next door. An unpretentious, inexpensive place, at Garbo's the service is good, and high-quality, filling comfort food is what you can expect. I have never heard a bad word said about the place. (photo) [link]

Anna Mosesson has come a long way since setting up a stall selling her homemade Swedish fare in Borough Market. On the wake of its success, the restaurant Glas, also at … Borough Market, followed. When the lease was up, she moved north to the top floor of an old tram shed in Islington's Upper Street -- renaming the restaurant Upper Glas. At some point during all this, she also appeared on Masterchef and wrote a book on Swedish food and cooking. Upper Glas is known for serving authentic, simple Swedish classics in comfortable surroundings. (photo) [link]

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Mmm, cinnamon buns. Finnish-owned Nordic Bakery keeps things simple with open rye bread sandwiches, cinnamon buns, and good strong coffee. (The Finns consume more coffee … than anyone else in the world apparently.) The interior is a bit like a very chic cafeteria and proves you don't need loads of cushions and knickknacks to create a cozy space. So: cinnamon buns. I would hedge a bet that these are, if not the best in London, certainly the largest, stickiest, and take the longest to eat. If you'd like, I'd be willing to conduct a rigorous scientific test to confirm this. (photo) [link]

Fairly new to the Bethnal Green Road end of Brick Lane, Fika (a Swedish word for having a coffee and snack break with friends) looks welcoming with its quirky but … minimal interior of blond wood with birch tree line drawings on one wall and a fake grass cutout of a reindeer on another. There's the usual Swedish fare of herring/meatballs, but the restaurant specializes in plankstek -- some dishes are served on an oak smoked plank to impart flavor and aroma. You can also drop in just for coffee and a delicious cinnamon bun or Swedish dessert, such as sticky chocolate cake. [link]