Food & drink / Restaurant Liv – with Stockholm in the lead role

Restaurant Liv – with Stockholm in the lead role

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The place where Tommy Myllymäki and Pi Le have opened their new restaurant encompasses both the old and the new Stockholm. Here, the silhouette of the City Hall, the roof ridges of the Old Town and the new glass architecture of Slussen meet in an unusual contrast between then and now. But Liv is not just about food. The architecture, the view, the music, the people and even the QR codes are parts of the same story.

THE LOCK HAS BEEN UNDER for many years been more of a construction site than a destination. Now, perhaps the city's most discussed urban development project is starting to take shape in earnest. Our goal is Mälarterrassen, at the top of one of the two glass pavilions that float above Södermalmstorg. The project was designed by Foster + Partners in collaboration with Berg Arkitektkontor, an international expression that has been given a distinct Swedish touch. From the quay, we take the escalator up. Anyone who wants to can choose Mälartrappan instead. The first thing that strikes me is that Liv doesn't feel like a restaurant. More like stepping straight into Stockholm. The paving outside continues seamlessly into the restaurant. Wood meets
stainless steel. White fixtures resemble stylized street lamps. The interior is restrained, almost self-evident. Nothing competes for attention because the view already has it. The City Hall rises above Riddarfjärden, the silhouette of Gamla Stan spreads out in front of the windows and below it, work is underway to complete the new Slussen.
The restaurant can accommodate around 70 guests.

Half of us sit on generous sofas upholstered in lion-yellow velvet, half at the bar with a clear view into the open kitchen at the far end of the room. The menu is divided into cold and hot starters, main courses and desserts. For those who want to leave the decisions to the kitchen, there is a ready-made four-course menu. The kitchen is headed by Gaston Muñiz together with Svante Dahlberg. Today, Gaston is holding the baton. There is a concentrated calm in the kitchen. The plates leave the door without stress, but with a precision that reveals experience rather than haste. While we study the menu, we order a P2, where Granny Smith apple sets the tone. Several of the house cocktails are also available in non-alcoholic versions, a matter of course that now feels more the norm than an option. I start with hamachi, served with kumquat, makrut lime and grapes. It will be the most memorable dish of the day. The buttery clear view into the open kitchen at the far end of the room.
The menu is divided into cold and hot starters, main courses and desserts. For those who want to leave the decisions to the kitchen, there is a ready-made four-course menu. The kitchen is led by Gaston Muñiz together with Svante Dahlberg. Today, Gaston is holding the baton.

NOTHING COMPETES FOR ATTENTION BECAUSE THE VIEW ALREADY HAS IT

There is a concentrated calm in the kitchen. The plates leave the door without stress, but with a precision that reveals experience rather than haste. While we study the menu, we order a P2, where Granny Smith apple sets the tone. Several of the house cocktails are also available in non-alcoholic versions, a matter of course that now feels more the norm than an option. I start with hamachi, served with kumquat, makrut lime and grapes. It will be the most memorable dish of the day. The buttery one: the fish gets the exact counterpoint of the citrus acid. The combination is clean, precise and restrained. My company chooses white asparagus with white radish and green leaves, flavored with Nordic curry, lovage and jalapeño. A dish that feels fresh and generous without being overprocessed. For the main course, we both choose halibut with tarragon, colatura and lime. The sauce brings to mind a beurre blanc, but is airier, lighter, more transparent in its expression. The flavours are clean and balanced. The kitchen shows a self-confidence that doesn't need to be highlighted by exaggeration. The menu is based on the raw material as the hub. Around it, a flavor landscape of sourness, saltiness and sweetness is built – from kumquat, tamarind to parmesan and sherry. The dessert continues in the same vein. For me, stewed rhubarb with roses, rosé wine and meringue, while my company chooses yogurt sorbet with lemon and caramel. I steal a spoon and appreciate the refreshing acidity that breaks with the sweetness of the caramel. What ultimately lingers is the whole. Life feels well-crafted rather than arranged. The staff moves naturally in the room, conversations flow and the kitchen works with a quiet focus. Both Tommy Myllymäki and Pi Le are on site. When I ask Pi what his role is, he laughs: I try to find all the mistakes. Everything that can be done better. The same philosophy permeates the entire business. The menu does not follow a fixed calendar.

– It all depends on the ingredients, he says. Outside, Uteliv, the restaurant's more relaxed outdoor concept, awaits. When the weather permits, the terrace opens and becomes an extension of the place. Here, guests order via QR code directly at the table and choose between sandwiches, snacks and drinks. The ambition is clear: Liv should be more than a restaurant and Uteliv more than an outdoor terrace. Together, they will fill the Mälarterrassen with movement, music and people, sometimes planned, sometimes completely spontaneous. And perhaps that is precisely where its strength lies. Liv does not try to compete with the view or the architecture. It lets them be part of the experience. Here, it is not just the food that carries the experience – it is Stockholm itself.