Gondolen — Restaurant in Stockholm

We booked with expectations being medium to high after a few friends had highly recommended booking a table. Start from the start the service was excellent. Well engaged staff all night! The 1st dishes were fantastic. The pilgrim mussel and oyster. Unfortunately that was were the good food experience stopped. The lobster was pretty flat in taste. Was disappointing when the start of the dish doesn’t turn up. The Karl-Johan mushroom ravioli was in a tasty broth and the filling was ok, however the pasta was slightly too thick and tasted flour like which was a huge disappointment. The main course was simply a huge let down. The braised ox cheek just didn’t make the grade. The texture was good, but it lacked flavour and the sauce was also lacking in flavour. The mash potato was beyond basic. The dish was edible but wasn’t anything special in comparison to the same dish at another restaurant. The truffle risotto was among one of the most blandest dishes experienced at a restaurant. The dish first of all looked like it had more in common with a soup and to top it off there wasn’t any truffle flavour at all. The staff asked how our main dish was and feedback was give lan and the waitress was very surprised which is always the case when they simply expect an, oh yes, very good thank you. She did come back after a few minutes and said that the kitchen had been notified as well as the maitre d’. We were offered complimentary coffee or tea to which we declined. The wine was good, so that eased the suffering of the food! The view from the restaurant is great from previous visits. Unfortunately Mother Nature had different plans and the view was blocked by fog, no one’s fault and it gave a different perspective of sitting in a cloud which was nice. The atmosphere was lively with noise. It’s one of these things that of course is difficult. Different guests bring different sounds levels with them. Not fully sure how you would combat this other then perhaps giving diners more space. Having more space would maybe give it a little bit more of a personal touch and paying extra would be likely to be understood. All in all this dinning experience just did not live up to the expectations which was very...

Very good restaurant. We arrived a little late and the still accommodated us. My guests were an hour late and the held the table for us while I enjoyed a drink at the bar. The bar itself is somewhat small with very limited seating nonetheless, the service is good and they have a very wide range of cocktails, wines and sprits.

Once at the table the service maintained its high standard. We were served bread, of which there was four types, ordered our wine all while asking them to wait for the rest of my guest to arrive. Once they did and we ordered the food was served very swiftly all correct and hot the first time round. The presentation of each dish (4 covers) for both the starters and mines was very good too. They have a large wine list offering many wines under US$ 120 with many very high end wines costing well over that amount.

The service standard was very good through out the evening wth the waitress constantly smiling and willing to accommodate our very trying requirement. I was impressed.

On the top floor they have an open air bar which is very nice as you get a great view of Sweden and you should really try and go and have a drink up there, I would imagine it is very nice at sunset.

All in all it was very good high end restaurant with great food, wine and service. Moreover, I did not think that it was expensive, under US$350 four 4 people, wine and...

I have been several time in the last 5 years and drank at the bar, always great till yesterday evening,

Food was wonderful but really overpriced as Sweden is for food and drink!

It was my girlfriends Birthday and she enjoyed the evening till we got to the bar. I went to the bathroom while she waited to order. The two barmen were not too busy because most Swedes have gone away for Easter. So she waited. The barmen looked at her but did not have the courtesy to ask her what she would like or at least tell her that they would be with her shortly.

I spoke to the barmen and they did really not seem to care. Even being sarcastic when I said we were leaving and going to tell the manager.

Having worked at a Maitre d and manger in Chelsea and the West End of London. I know that a barmen should be polite,aware of all at the bar and always communicate in a friendly manor.

The Barmen should be your friend, a person you look forward to seeing and vice versa.

I will go back soon, but have a bad taste in my mouth...