Skål (Restaurant)

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A post shared by SKAL NORDIC DINING (@skalnordic) on Feb 10, 2020 at 1:14am PST

Top 10 things to know about Skål:

(1) There’s no getting round it - winter has set in for good. In these times of sub-zero temperatures and little to no sun, it’s not a bad idea to turn to our Scandinavian cousins who, let’s face it, have it even worse than us right now - for comfort, and comfort food.

(2) To that end, I can think of no better place than Upper Street’s Skål in Islington, which offers sensational Nordic cooking with a modern twist, in a snug and welcoming setting.

(3) The venue is made up of one long, narrow space, which leads from the front door up to the open-plan kitchen and specials board. With its sparse furniture and minimal décor, Skål is hardly what one would call cosy, but it is definitely intimate, pleasingly unpretentious and hygge as hell.

(4) The restaurant is a family affair, with father and daughter manning the kitchen and front of house respectively. The service is impeccable, and you can tell the place attracts a lot of regulars.

(5) It’s a minor point, but the delightful Scandinavian accents proved to be a lovely grace note for the Skål experience. So much so that I quickly and mercifully mixed my initial plan to bond with the waiting staff over my impression of Swedish Chef from The Muppets. Neither the time nor the place…

(6) Some welcome drinks set the scene - a little pricey but packed with exotic Nordic vodkas and gins, and more than enough to get the conversation flowing.

(7) For starters: kroppkakor dumplings (the menu had me resorting to Google on multiple occasions, but the pronunciation left me flummoxed anyway), wasabi-laced gravadlax and an assortment of pickled vegetables.

(8) My main course of venison meatballs with creamy mash and game sauce went down a treat along with lashings of red wine, while the cured and roasted cod in a white wine sauce offered a tantalising taste of the tundra. Almost worth going without sunlight for months at a time!

(9) Finally, for dessert we were treated to a small but perfectly-formed slice of kladdkaka chocolate cake, and Swedish rice pudding with brandy-soaked cloudberries - like something out of an extremely tasteful Viking banquet.

(10) Overall, Skål is a fantastic little slice of Scandinavia in the heart of Islington. The atmosphere, décor, and above all the heavenly food come together to hold the winter woes at bay for a few hours at least. I hope you’ll join me in raising a glass in saying “Skol!” to Skål!
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