Björn Frantzén & Daniel Lindeberg as Guest chefs in the Ikarus

November 2011 at Restaurant Ikarus: Frantzén & Lindeberg

Surprises for dinner

“Expect the unexpected; it can happen in the blink of an eye …”
Nothing describes the “Frantzén/Lindeberg” restaurant in Stockholm better than the theme tune to a German TV show from the 1980s. The owners, Björn Frantzén (executive chef) and Daniel Lindeberg (pastry chef) offer their guests a menu full of surprises at their mini restaurant in the Gamla Stan district. And they do it on such a high and innovative level that they themselves have recently been surprised, too – by being awarded two Guide Michelin stars.

But how did Björn Frantzén, a passionate chef, and Daniel Lindeberg, an enthusiastic pastry cook, actually become Frantzén/Lindeberg? They first ran into one another at the starred Edsbacka Krog Restaurant in 1998. Not long afterwards, the idea of opening a restaurant together began to form. But it was only after another 10 years of working together at renowned restaurants, such as the two-star Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons in Oxfordshire or the Pied à Terre in London, which also holds two stars, that the idea came to fruition.

In February 2008, Björn Frantzén and Daniel Lindeberg opened Frantzén/Lindeberg in the former premises of a Michelin-starred restaurant, the Mistral. It was a mere six months before the small restaurant with just 20 seats began to create a buzz within gourmet circles. And by then, there was no way of stopping its success. Just one year after the opening, the congenial duo was awarded a coveted Michelin star. More prizes and awards followed.

But what is the secret of Frantzén/Lindeberg’s success that makes its menu so unique? Quite simply, there is none! Guests can choose between a five-course and a seven-course menu, and then they simply get a list of ingredients that are used to create the individual courses. “Nature decides what we cook,” is the philosophy behind this “carte blanche” or empty menu. Only high-quality ingredients that are freshly available are used for the chefs’ creations. These ingredients, however, are combined in a surprising manner so that gourmets are only too willing to embark on a “voyage of discovery” that includes creations such as French toast “à la maison” with truffle tea, silverskin onions, Parmesan and 100-year old vinegar. Or grilled Normandy veal marinated in whey for two days, served with morel mushrooms and homegrown lemon thyme and lettuce. Then there’s the “cheeseburger”, a dessert (!) made from French macaroon halves with chocolate “meat balls”, raspberry sauce, fresh mint and mango sauce – arranged like a real burger. Is this the new Scandinavian cuisine? “No,” says Frantzén, “it is the ’find-the-best-ingredients-that-the- world-has-to-offer’ cuisine!”

It was only a matter of time before Frantzén and Lindeberg were acknowledged for these unusual creations and received an additional Michelin star. It was on 16 March 2010 that the “Frantzén/Lindeberg” was honoured with two Michelin stars as the second restaurant in all of Sweden. Their goal for the future? “A third star!”

Björn Frantzén and Daniel Lindeberg love surprises, especially when they come as a distinction from the Guide Michelin. And their guests love being treated to innovative and exciting creations course after course, too. Thus, it would be more than a surprise if they didn’t receive a third Michelin star in the not too distant future.