Totally Stockholm 1
Jonatan and Louis during the renovations. A PERSO
NAL DINING EXPERIENCE Personal conversations about taste set the stage for dinner at new restaurant Persona. Words and photo: Veronika Seigerlund They got to know each other working at Restaurang Franzén, and now chef Louis Cespedes and sommelier Jonatan Nyström are the duo behind the new venture Persona. Together, they’ve decided to create a restaurant where the personal taste preferences of the guests are taken into account. Upon entering, the customer enters into a chat about their favourite flavours, and the menu is then tweaked to match their tastebuds, and of course choice of wine. The result is a dynamic tasting menu that varies at every table, something that really sets the restaurant apart. At the same time, they’re also there for more straightforward guests, just looking to pop in for a bottle of wine and something lighter to eat. Jonatan: The first thing that happens when you enter the premises is that we take you downstairs into the wine cellar. That’s where the experience and the conversation with the guests begins. And that’s the foundation of this restaurant, a conversation. We want to know who you are and what you like and what you don’t like. You have a 14 look at what you would like to drink and discuss it with us. It’s a visual experience as well as a physical experience. You look at the labels and can feel the wine bottles and create some sort of relationship with the wine, at the same time as you find out what you will have to eat. Louis: The raw produce at any given night will be openly displayed in a glass fridge in the cellar so you will be able to see it when you make your wine pairings. Then we adapt the menu to the tastes of each respective guest and choice of wine, through different accompanying ingredients and sauces. At one table they might have a grilled turbot with a heavy gravy, whereas their neighbours might have a poached turbot with buerre blanc. We can re-design the dish based on their preferences and choice of wine. We will order the best raw produce we can find, not just what’s plentiful. One day we might have eight lobsters and 20 portions of beef, so everyone’s not having the same main course. It doesn’t matter, because we all like different things. Upstairs there’s a dining room with 25 seats, an open kitchen with bar seating and a lounge area with couches and armchairs. L: We still don’t really know how the restaurant will evolve. The more guests that come, the more we get to know them. We’ll see what and how people like to eat and drink. We want to build up relationships with our guests and be approachable and inclusive. People’s input is vital to us. Are you aiming for stars? J: We want to create a really cool and exclusive dining experience and the best judge of that is of course the Guide Michelin. Persona is situated a stone’s throw from Standvägen, at Torstenssongatan, Östermalm. The house is from the 1800s and has recently been renovated. Persona opened its doors late November. A tasting menu sets you back 1,800 kronor, not including drinks.