The story
Turn off the main road outside Norrtälje, then turn again, and again, until fields, paddocks and red timber buildings surround you. That is where Cissi & Clara has spent six years earning its place among Sweden's most quietly remarkable restaurants — recognised by the White Guide at a very fine level for its honest, deeply personal approach to Swedish cuisine.
The story begins on Clara's family farm in Torvalla by, where she first ran a private supper club on her own. At the end of 2019 Cissi joined, and the restaurant shifted into a higher gear without losing any of its intimacy. What sets the place apart is the completeness of the duo's commitment: the two of them handle every single moment of the evening — prep, welcome, service, and drink pairings — from first amuse-bouche to final pour.
Guests climb an old-fashioned blue staircase to a dining room that is airy and rustically beautiful: mismatched chairs around four long tables on bare plank floors, three romantic chandeliers dressed with dried botanicals and folded paper flowers. A word of advice from the house — bring indoor shoes, or borrow the slippers provided.
The five-course menu is built from ingredients the duo has foraged, grown, or sourced from neighbouring farms. The White Guide's reviewers singled out a vivid nettle soup crowned with lumpfish roe for its "popping salinity with every spoonful," and a lamb course from Järinge Gård — both perfectly seared fillet and yielding braised breast — alongside charred cauliflower, wild garlic mayo and semi-dried sour cherries delivering deep, interlocking flavours. Drink pairings lean into the same local logic: a house-made kombucha of beetroot and blueberry sits alongside curated natural wines, and the full non-alcoholic package is considered enough to stand on its own — a genuine relief given that a car is the only realistic way to arrive.
After six years, Cissi & Clara in Torvalla is taking its final bow in early 2025. Clara is carrying the spirit of this Swedish cuisine forward into a new restaurant, Viola, on Posthusgatan in central Norrtälje. The warmth, the seasonality, and the hands-on philosophy that made the farm table so special are moving with her.
Recognition
Ambience
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History
Turn off the main road outside Norrtälje, turn off again… and then again, until you eventually find yourself right in the middle of fields, pastures, and farms. One of these farms houses not only horses and small-scale cultivation but also ambitious, genuine gastronomy served with plenty of charm. It was here, on Clara’s family farm, that it all began. Initially as a self-run home kitchen, but in late 2019, colleague Cissi joined, and the restaurant took things to the next level. Owner involvement is at its peak; it is precisely this duo, and no one else, who handles every single aspect of the evening: prep, greeting, service, and drink pairing—all executed consistently with great dedication and genuine care. The intimate restaurant is housed in a red farm building, with the kitchen on the ground floor and a wonderfully airy dining room up one flight of pale blue stairs. Wearing indoor shoes is highly recommended, but slippers are available to borrow. Three romantic chandeliers decorated with dried plants and folded paper flowers hang above four long tables with mismatched chairs on a rustic plank floor. The five-course menu is composed of ingredients that the owners themselves have either foraged, grown, or sourced from nearby farms. After a delightful, refined assortment of amuse-bouches comes a chlorophyll-rich nettle soup, both in color and flavor, generously topped with capelin roe that delivers a popping saltiness with every spoonful. Lamb from Järinge Gård—both as a perfectly seared fillet and a meltingly tender brisket—is accompanied by charred, still slightly crisp cauliflower, wild garlic mayonnaise, and semi-dried sour cherries. These are deep, harmoniously intense flavors. In the glasses, they are matched with Chianti or homemade beetroot and blueberry kombucha. The rest of the non-alcoholic drink package is also well-crafted and interesting—a great relief given the car-dependent location.
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