Just because New Nordic cuisine has conquered the world doesn’t mean that you want to eat Scandinavian food every night – and particularly if you live in Stockholm. Some nights in Sweden you want to be transported to the Left Bank in Paris; you want some Belle Époque with your bubbly.
If you’re wandering through Stockholm’s Gamla Stan (Old Town) late in the evening, it’s possible that you’ll be attracted to the rose lantern glowing above the doorway of Brasserie le Rouge.
Opened in 2007, Le Rouge sprawls through two adjacent buildings on three separate floors, not unlike what used to be called a “French hotel” in some parts of the States, which meant that the first floors were for dining, while the upper floors were where you went for more licentious fun.
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Mix in the revelry of La Coupole in Paris with the chic of Café de Flore and then fold in some serious cuisine from Manhattan’s Balthazar and the result is Brasserie le Rouge in Stockholm‘s Old Town.
Decorated with as much crimson and burgundy as a set from Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge, Brasserie le Rouge is furnished in period detail: gilt-framed portraits and gold-swagged red velvet curtains, billowy fabric ceilings, and crystal chandeliers with fringed shades. The restaurant’s various rooms resemble a Belle Époque bordello conjoined with a French Colonialist opium den where patrons cavort merrily between the dining room, a lounge, the bar, and a private salon. As the night progresses, flamboyant hosts and DJs transform the lounge and bar into a lively party.
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With a menu written in French above English subtitles, Brasserie le Rouge focuses on traditional brasserie favorites such as escargots and les huitres, bouillabaisse and moules frites. Regional Swedish produce is utilized to capture the comforting flavors of classic French cuisine.
Brasserie le Rouge is part of Grupp F12, the restaurant group that was founded in 1994 with the opening of the group’s signature restaurant, the highly-touted F12. Grupp F12 operates no less than nine themed restaurants located throughout the city, making it possible to dine around Europe without ever leaving Stockholm.
At Brasserie le Rouge, everything is lovely behind rose-colored glasses and a magnum of pink Champagne.
