Ekte Nordic Kitchen - Bloomberg Arcade, London

Cuisine: Nordic
Style Points: 4/5
Location: City of London
Price: ££
Overall: 4/5

Set up by Danish-born restaurateur Soren Jessen and launched in April 2018, Ekte means ‘genuine’ or ‘real’ in Norwegian, and that’s what they aim to offer. The restaurant, cafe and deli is open daily throughout the day, for both eat-in or take away, with changing menus from breakfast through lunch and dinner. I love the simple décor and design of the venue, complete with Sven the deer head overseeing patrons from the far end of the restaurant. I also like the open view of the kitchen which allows you to see how the chefs prepare and craft the dishes.

Covid Safety Measures:

Socially distanced tables
Hand-sanitiser at the entrance and washrooms

Social distancing guidelines are all in effect here and there’s plenty of room between tables.

Food?

When I arrived for dinner at Ekte I was intrigued by the menu and ready to try a variety of Nordic dishes.

Based on the recommendations of Ekte’s friendly and helpful manager Spiros, we started with a few Smørrebrød, which are traditional Danish open sandwiches with freshly made toppings placed on thin sourdough Rye bread.

We tried the Skagen Mix (chopped prawn, crab, red onion and lemon in mayonnaise with crème fraiche, topped with lumpfish roe & dill), New Potato and Smoked Mayonnaise (new potatoes and smoked mayonnaise with capers, crispy shallot onions and mustard cress) and chicken and tarragon (roasted chicken and tarragon salad with Jerusalem artichoke crisps & spring onions).

Each Smørrebrød came with three pieces and all the dishes looked stunning with vibrant colours from the various toppings. I enjoyed all of them and really loved the fresh flavours present in each of the dishes. Every ingredients is there for a reason with nowhere to hide and they all bring something to the party, so to speak. My favourite was the New Potato & Smoked Mayonnaise largely in part because of the wonderful smokey flavour that really added a whole new dimension to the humble potato.

We then tried a couple of dishes from the Small Plates section and again upon the recommendations of Spiros we went for the red cabbage and pearl barley salad with walnuts & apple and beetroot-cured salmon with watercress and dill dressing. Both dishes were again incredibly fresh and vibrant with wonderful textures coming from the walnuts and apples in the salad. With regards to the latter dish, as you can see from the presentation, this dish is all about the salmon and it delivers in all aspects. The salmon is exceptional and the dill dressing is the perfect accompaniment to the moreish and smokey salmon.

I was really looking forward to dessert and wasn’t disappointed when it arrived. We opted for Kladdkaka (sticky chocolate cake) served with whipped cream, pistachio praline and Cinnamon Bun Ice Cream. Both desserts were delicious but the Kladdkaka was the standout – just the right amount of sweetness with a beautiful array of flavours and textures from the dense cake, the cream and the crunchy praline scattered around and on top of the cake. A perfect finale to a wonderful lunch.

The drinks at Ekte are also exemplary, with a European wine list comprising of 30 wines, as well as Scandinavian-inspired cocktails, craft beers, and schnapps too!

Price?

The prices at Ekte are very reasonable, with Smørrebrød and Small Plates between £6 - £9, and Large Plates between £16 - £25. Desserts are around £5- £6.50.

Overall?

Ekte is the ideal restaurant to try genuine Nordic food in London. Many of the dishes on the menu hark back to the traditional food in the North, overseen by Swedish-born Executive Chef Robin Freeman.

Open all through the day, Ekte is worth a try whether it’s for a cinnamon bun filled breakfast, Smørrebrød lunch, or a full Nordic dinner.

Book your table at Ekte today.
Address: 2-8 Bloomberg Arcade, London EC4N 4TZ
Phone Number: 020 3814 8330
Closest Tube Station: Mansion House/Bank

My meal was complimentary, all opinions are my own.

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