Smaka brings Nordic dining to London's Whitechapel

23 March 2016 by Carol Millett

The rise and rise of Nordic cuisine continues with the opening of Smaka, a new Swedish restaurant in Whitechapel, London.

Smaka, which is Swedish for ‘taste', has been opened by Swedish entrepreneur Dennie Apt. This is his first venture into the restaurant sector.

The restaurant aims to offer the best elements of Swedish dining, with a menu, designed and cooked by Apt, that ranges from Swedish waffles and homemade Bircher for breakfast to Nordic sandwiches, home cured salmon and traditional Swedish meatballs for lunch. Apt describes the food as "simple and honest with flavours reminiscent of my upbringing in Sweden."

He added: "Swedish "husmanskost" denotes traditional Swedish dishes with predominantly local ingredients such as fish, grains, potato, root vegetables, apples and berries and the usage of time-consuming cooking methods. Here at SMAKA, that's exactly what we serve."

Promising the "full Nordic experience", the venue, which has 52 covers, will also offer Swedish Löfbergs coffee, hot chocolate, cinnamon buns and seasonal specialities. Customers can also order food via Smaka's delivery service.

Open for breakfast, lunch and Sunday brunch, the restaurant has been designed to feel light and spacious, whilst at the same time relaxed and intimate. Apt said the Scandi-designed venue aims to emphasise the restaurant's fresh, healthy theme.

He explained: "I have tried to recreate a feeling of being in the Swedish country side by using different woods and natural colors. My brand is a moose head and we have also introduced antlers in different shapes and forms throughout. To top it off a full wall mural of a Swedish summer birch forest meets you when entering the venue."

Apt is on the hunt for front of house staff and plans to take on an additional chef in the near future.