Rutabaga

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

Mathias Dahlgren's Bold Vegetarian Statement

When Mathias Dahlgren — one of Sweden's foremost gastronomic innovators — closed his top-tier fine dining room and reopened the space as a lacto-ovo vegetarian restaurant inside a Stockholm luxury hotel, the move raised eyebrows. The sceptics have since been silenced. Rutabaga has earned Masters level recognition from the White Guide, the highest tier of Swedish gastronomy criticism, and guests have come flocking. The verdict from the guide says it plainly: Dahlgren has "once again set a new standard for the restaurant experience of the future."

A Room That Earns Its Place

The interior, designed by Eye Interior, sets the tone immediately. Light wood, soft hues and warm lighting create an atmosphere that feels genuinely warm rather than calculated. A particularly thoughtful detail: guests seated along the walls around the communal table are placed in pairs — side by side, facing the room — which encourages both conversation and a sense of shared occasion. The guest mix skews international and curious, reflecting a lifestyle that pairs awareness with appetite. Non-alcoholic drinks receive the same attention as wine; all-natural juices and fruits are prepared à la minute and displayed on the large kitchen island, which also serves as the cocktail station.

Dishes Built for Sharing

All plates at Rutabaga are designed to be shared, and the menu rewards that format with dishes that prompt genuine discussion. Among the standouts noted by White Guide critics: black bean and chickpea "chorizos" in a gossamer rye roll on chimichurri; steamed radishes with apple hollandaise; finely shredded apple and kohlrabi with hazelnuts and green mango oil. Dahlgren's own favourite ingredient — carrot — appears in five variations, from raw to juice to purée, served with smoked cream and tapioca pearls of elder.

The restaurant's most popular signature is the truffle pizza: grilled onion, potato slices and smetana, topped with Umbrian truffle crumbs and Havgus cheese from Arla's Unika line. Paired with a nebbiolo from Le Piane in Piemonte, the White Guide calls it "close to magic."

The wine list leans toward natural styles, with selections such as an orange wine from Croatian producer Movia. It is a list that takes the vegetarian kitchen seriously on every level.

Luxurious Simplicity

What the White Guide ultimately identifies at Rutabaga is "Dahlgren's consistent gift: creating luxurious simplicity." This international vegetarian cooking doesn't announce itself with grand gestures — it earns admiration through precision, restraint and the quality of its ingredients. Guests leaving the restaurant have been known to write on the blackboard guest books: "Ever greener, ever keener." It is hard to improve on that summary.