Gondolen

The only hand-cut tartare on this list, and the only one that isn't beef. Veal, tarragon and capers by the fistful, suspended above Slussen.

The review

Gondolen has hung thirty-three metres above Slussen since 1935 — Gustaf V took the first table — and it reopened in October 2023 after three dark years, now run by the same house as Teatergrillen and Sturehof. The tartare breaks this list's rules twice. It is veal, not beef, and it is the only plate here whose menu states outright that it was cut by hand. Both choices show. Veal is paler and milder, so the seasoning has to do more work, and it does: dijonnaise for body, a tarragon vinaigrette lifting the whole thing with a clean anise note no classic build ever offers, herbs, and capers in quantity — enough that fellow diners warn you about them before the plate lands. There is no egg yolk, no onion, no fries; just grilled sourdough with charred edges. It is a leaner, more austerely French reading of the dish, and it works, though I missed the richness a yolk would have brought. The menu lists it at two prices without explaining the difference, which is either confidence or an oversight. The kitchen is uneven elsewhere and the critics have been split since the relaunch, but this plate is precise. Sit on the view side and let the city finish the job.

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