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Buhres Restaurant – Kivik |
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Written by Nigel
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Tuesday, 05 August 2008 |
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It’s not often I’m prompted to put pen to paper [figuratively if not literally in this electronic age] but I was so impressed with Buhres that I am going to do so. Everyone who knows me knows I love my food so impressing me in a restaurant isn’t always easy. Buhres did this in spades.
|  As you can see from the date of my last entry [almost a month] things have been a little hectic around here. We’ve had guests for a couple of weeks which has meant a wonderful round of exploring new places and revisiting old ones. We were in Österlen exploring the wonderful landscape that south-eastern Scania has in abundance and it never ceases to fascinate me. Österlen the brochures assure me is where the light meets the sea. This isn’t just words, this is the real deal, and driving round the quiet [even in high season] roads it’s easy to see why this part of Skåne with its beautiful peaceful natural beauty is a magnet for tourists.
Right in the heart of Österlen, in the middle of miles upon miles of apple trees is Kivik [shi-vik]. We spent the morning exploring the some of Sweden's finest ancient monuments. Ales Stenar (Ale's Stones) perch on a cliff edge near Ystad. The shape of a great Viking ship 200ft in length, they were outlined some 1,500 years ago in rough grey and pink stones nearly as high as a man. Up the coast at Kivik is the Kungagraven or King's Grave, a domed hill of stones twice as old as Ales Stenar, with a regal grave at its heart.
This Bronze Age grave in central Kivik is impressive. Legend told of a treasure being hidden in it, which is why a couple of adventurers ruined the inner chamber in the 18th century but this has been reconstructed and now shows historical carvings on the stones inside The slabs that form the grave are incised with enigmatic figures: a man blowing a curved horn, long-backed animals, geometric patterns and what appear to be graceful dancers disguised as seals. It was windy and boisterous on the cliffs, with the great stone ship silent and solemn in the tomb of the unknown Bronze Age king. | | | | | |   | |  We had planned to go to the Musteri for lunch; they advertise a Swedish buffet that is an excellent introduction to Swedish cuisine. However when we got there it seems the buffet wasn’t on and we were faced with the run of the mill Caesar salad and roast beef – not exactly what we had planned. Disappointed we left and decided to see what was available in Kivik itself and down by the harbour we found the gem that is Buhres.
It is located in the most picturesque spot at one end of the harbour overlooking the sapphire blue Baltic, the wooden yachts and fishing boats and the red and gold painted houses. Equally beautiful is the restaurant's interior; spacious and quite austere, but with warming elements in the form of wooden floorboards, clean Scandinavian lines and a wall of glass providing excellent views. Outside is a wooden decked terrace providing more seating and even better views.
We arrived for an early light lunch and opted for the warm smoked salmon – a classic you can get in any restaurant worth the name up and down the country. There were lots of other very typical food on the menu including smörgåsbord of pickled herring and the classic Swedish open faced sandwich. The quality of the food was equal to its idyllic location. The Salmon arrived with steamed new potatoes with a senap sauce [a Swedish mild mustard] and a horseradish cream, all topped with a slice of lemon and the ubiquitous dill sprig. This was lovely, very homely and perfect for a balmy Swedish afternoon. The salmon was excellent, a standout dish: very simple, perfectly balanced and with beautiful texture.
The aim of this restaurant is to showcase Scanian cooking, solely using produce that is regionally available. They do this brilliantly, serving food that is clean and modern, but with respect to its heritage. It is refreshing to dine in a restaurant that has a sense of purpose that takes pride in this purpose, and finds innovation where others have previously seen only limitation. It’s no surprise that this restaurant won the coveted Kungsfenan award [The Swedish national seafood award in the maritime gastronomy category] in 2004.
If my opinion means anything this Kivik institution is well worth a visit. In the beginning, Mr Buhre was a fisherman whose wife pickled his herring but their pickled herring sold so well that he now buys the same local fish from ex colleagues to supply his restaurant. There is also a delicatessen selling many of the ingredients of the dishes served in the restaurant and other choice items from around the world.
http:\www.buhresfisk.se
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 05 August 2008 )
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