For some time now, aira has opened for lunch, which means you can actually get a star experience on your plate for a really good price. The menu offers four servings and of course you can also choose a matching drinks package.

WE GO OUT to Biskopsudden on Djurgården by car this time, there is a private jetty for those who want to dock with a boat and there is also the possibility of landing by helicopter. We take a look at the marina before we step into the Aira restaurant, which is housed in a purpose-built building made of concrete and rusted metal, which is anchored to the seabed below with the help of steel piles, designed and decorated by architect Jonas Bohlin.

Since Aira opened its doors on March 20, 2020, the restaurant has received attention and praise for both its food and its environment. A project directed by the star chef Tommy Myllymääki and the Swedish Braisserigruppen in collaboration with Jonas Bohlin who decorated several of their other restaurants, such as Sturehof, where his lamp Liv has been hanging since 1995.

The entire building is based on Jonas Bohlin's hand sketches and drawings, which were in turn translated into digital format by Dinell Johansson architects. It is clear here that the environment and the seasons are invited to accompany the Michelin-starred food.

Already in its first year, Aira received the award for business restaurant of the year from Dagens Industri. At the same time, the building itself, created by Jonas Bohlin, received the Golden Chair for best interior architecture at the Architecture Gala that same year with a justification that read:
”"A total dramaturgical experience where deep knowledge of function and materials, lighting and acoustics characterize the design. A care that is not only shown in the dining room - for the kitchen staff, this is a workplace to enjoy for many years. Several of the leading Swedish designers and artists of recent decades are generously represented, skillfully brought together by the interior designer, also the house architect, whose unmistakable design language has been developed to perfection here. Aira is the culmination of his long professional life."”

Four servings

Our experience starts with us stepping right into the middle of the kitchen which is divided into a number of different cooking stations. There is also a Chef's Table for those who really want to get into the middle of the cooking, but we continue into the restaurant. Round tables, white tablecloths and a lunch menu that offers four servings:

Meny

First
Hiramasa, fermented grapes, lavender and pepper oil

Other
Juniper-smoked char, parsley, porcini mushrooms and roasted chicken broth

Third
Charcoal-grilled lamb, 'nduja, cabbage and herb jus

Fourth
Hot chiboust, punch ice cream and raspberries

really good choice – the drinks are made by the staff here on site with a focus on matching the different dishes.

– We work with Swedish berries and fruits and as much as possible we try to pick what we have in our own gardens, either at our place or in our garden at Ulriksdal in Solna, says Cathrine Everts, General Manager at Aira.

Food meets drink

Hiramasan was combined with a rhubarb drink with raspberries from Gotland infused with dried elderflower.

The char was combined with a red currant juice that had been cooked in a juicer along with blackcurrant leaves and roses.

The lamb was combined with a drink made from Aronia berries from Sörmland, a berry with a hardness that can be compared to red wine. To soften the drink, blueberries and a little tar syrup are added.

Chiboust was combined with plums cooked in juice and flavored with preserved bird's-eye flowers.

These fine combinations definitely contributed to enhancing the dining experience and are something we can really recommend. It may seem expensive with a non-alcoholic drink package for 550 kronor, but considering all the work and all the fine ingredients you get, this is truly an experience boost.

Aira

Open: Wednesday – Saturday

Lunch menu, 4 servings: 995 SEK, wine package 950 SEK, non-alcoholic package 550 SEK

Dinner, tasting menu: 2,950 SEK, wine package 1,950 SEK, combo package 1,400 SEK, non-alcoholic package 950 SEK Table reservation required Biskopsvägen 9, Stockholm

www.aira.se

Fine material choices

At Aira, the noise level is muted in such a way that the conversation from the other tables is never intrusive. The materials are consistently solid and somewhere I read that Jonas Bohlin, when selecting different types of wood here, primarily chose to work with types of wood that bear fruit and that in theory could be served here at the restaurant. One example is cherry wood, which is found in the gaps in the aisle that divides the restaurant into two parts.
The venue is divided into a kitchen and restaurant, as well as a chambre séparée upstairs with space for up to 16 people and an orangery where you can either start or end your dining experience. The private dining room has a magnificent view of the entire venue while being just that, private. Up here there is also the opportunity to have a drink on the balcony outside.

The chair saga

As a guest, you sit here either on a comfortable sofa or on a chair of the Saga model manufactured by Gärsnäs. A model whose original was designed by Åke Axelsson and which was previously found at Operakällaren in Stockholm. Åke Axelsson has now had this chair updated together with Jonas Bohlin.

However, the story is a little longer than that. The chair was on board the ship Wellamo that previously cruised between Helsinki and Turku. Here, architects Peter Celsing and Tore Wretmans discovered its comfort and decided that this chair should be moved into the Operakällaren. After this, they simply borrowed a chair from the captain and their own version was created. A small chair - a saga in itself.

Coffee and cake

Finally, we have a cup of coffee and three small delicacies outside in the orangery. Here, space is the source of inspiration and while the shadows play over the concrete walls, two of Jonas Bohlin's magnificent Andromeda luminaires float above us. These are manufactured in triplicate by Örsjö lighting, and in addition to the two that hang here, Jonas has one in private ownership that sometimes lets its light illuminate an exhibition.

We have had a nice afternoon and thank the kitchen and service before we set off. Satisfied and pleasantly full, three hours later we step out into the sun among the dizzying autumn leaves and I take a picture of the red leaves against the angry facade. When we get into the car, we see the restaurant's plantation on the other side of the road, and most likely we just ate something that was grown right here.