Eponymously named for the zinc and marble bar that is the restaurant’s focal point, Zink Grill‘s origins are the result of a serendipitous wander into a warehouse outside Paris that was filled with French restaurant curios and artifacts.
With a provenance that includes the French singer and Hollywood star, Yves Montand, the handsome zinc bar dates from 1933 at an erstwhile hangout favored by Montand for its croissants and pastis.
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Now located on a cobblestone street in the center of Stockholm’s upscale shopping district, Bibliotekstan, Zink Grill might also be considered an example of Ernest Hemingway’s “clean, well-lighted place,” a neighborhood bistro where the clientele returns for simple, well-prepared food that utilizes high-quality ingredients.
Opened in 2008 as a convivial boite for Champagne and cocktails, Zink Grill has become an acclaimed restaurant celebrated for its charcuterie. For the past two years, Zink Grill has been named one of Sweden’s top ten meat restaurants by Beringer, one of the world’s oldest winemakers.
For their charcuterie, Zink Grill employs the “Ferrari” of prosciutto slicers and all of the meat is served on slabs of black Carrara marble.
© Zink Grill
Open on weekday mornings for a charming French continental breakfast (think Balthazar in New York, with the bistro chairs still piled high from the night before), Zink Grill is popular throughout the day and provides a perfect respite for a Swedish “fika” after an afternoon of retail therapy at nearby NK.
Part of the PDF Brasserie Group, which includes Stockholm favorites Brut Bar, Restaurant Prinsen, Il Tempo, Villa Godthem, and the latest progeny of the prolific restaurateurs, Wiener Cafeet, Zink Grill benefits from the ambassadorial social skills of maitre d’, Jonas Andersson, who is also listed as the restaurant’s “Mood Manager.”
© MRNY
A born raconteur with a flamboyant history of entertaining royals, politicians, and fashion heavies, alongside his former boyfriend, one of Europe’s leading porn stars, Andersson hosts the party at Zink Grill with the skill and panache of Elsa Maxwell, insuring that everyone laughs often and eats well.
