EAT > Punk Royale, Stockholm (18/20)

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Punk Royale in Stockholm is a full-throttle, sensory overload of a dining room—anarchic, immersive and gleefully irreverent, yet underpinned by seriously precise, luxurious cooking. It is the kind of place you book for a story as much as a meal, and walk out of hours later a little dazed, smelling faintly of smoke and champagne.

I first went to the original Punk Royale in Stockholm with my friend Chris. It was shortly after it first opened, there were amazing reviews and it was near impossible to get a booking. Reservations opened at 3am one month before the date you wanted and tables booked out in 15-20 minutes it was crazy. Chris set his alarm and made the reservation, the resulting meal and experience is still one of the most entertaining nights of my life. Fast forward nearly a decade and Punk Royale has since then expanded to Copenhagen, Oslo and London.

AMBIENCE >

On the scruffier stretch of Folkungagatan in Södermalm, Punk Royale hides behind an unassuming frontage that gives little away about the mayhem inside. Step through the door and you are in a low-lit, smoke-hazed bunker where music pounds, staff orbit the room with a conspiratorial glint, and the line between kitchen and dining room blurs into a single, hyperactive stage.

Phones are swiftly confiscated, menus never appear, and the night runs on house rules: surrender control, keep an open mind, and expect to be played with. Water might arrive from a plastic watering can into cartoon tumblers, vodka is just as likely to be poured from a petrol can as a bottle, and pristine linens become the backdrop for candle wax, caviar bumps, and the occasional rogue garnish.

Despite the provocation, there is warmth underneath the chaos: a tight, international team that reads the room instinctively and calibrates the experience to each table’s appetite for mischief. The result is a strangely intimate kind of theatre—raucous, rule-breaking, but always anchored in the sense that you are being well looked after, even as the night careers gleefully off script.

EAT >

With no à la carte and no printed list, Punk Royale runs on a long-form tasting menu that can easily climb towards twenty courses, delivered at a pace that keeps you permanently half a step behind. The cooking leans lavish —Norwegian lobster, foie gras, truffle, caviar—yet the plating and delivery channel pure punk: a spoonful of something silky and decadent is shoved towards your mouth before an explanation, or a bite arrives in your hand with an instruction and a grin.

Textures and flavours are dialled up rather than whispered; rich crustaceans are cut with sharp acidity, smoke and fat play against precise seasoning, and familiar luxury ingredients are bent just far enough to feel slightly unhinged but never gratuitous. Under the strobe of theatrics, there is a classically trained palate at work: sauces are glossy and deep, reductions clean, and the arc of the menu manages real rhythm, alternating intensity and relief in a way that keeps fatigue at bay.

There is indulgence everywhere—caviar bumps licked off the back of your hand, creamy, truffle-laced bites that border on obscene—but the kitchen never fully abandons balance. Lighter, produce-led plates land just when needed, often built on high-quality Scandinavian seafood and seasonal vegetables from local producers, and by the time the last savoury morsel disappears, the experience feels both excessive and surprisingly coherent.

DRINK >

Drinks are structured to match the set menu: you choose between an alcoholic or non-alcoholic pairing, then trust the team to drive. The “with alcohol” route leans into the restaurant’s hedonistic streak—think house Pale Ale to loosen the mood, chilled vodka shots to chase caviar, and a rolling line-up of wines that tilt towards expressive, food-loving styles rather than trophy labels.

Glassware is half-joke, half-genius: beer in branded bottles, water in kids’ tumblers, spirits tipped from improbable vessels—yet the liquid inside is thoughtfully chosen, with enough acidity and freshness to cut through the richness on the plate. The non-alcoholic pairings show similar intent, with clarified juices and house-made soft pairings echoing the structure of classic wine matches while keeping the experience just as layered for those skipping alcohol.

For those who prefer more control, there is scope to order additional bottles at the table’s pace, but the house format rewards trust. Pricing sits firmly in the “event dining” bracket—especially on weekends—yet the generosity of pouring and the sheer volume of courses mean it lands closer to immersive performance than a conventional tasting menu.

CONCLUSION >

Punk Royale is not a restaurant for everyone; it is loud, smoky, and occasionally confrontational, more fever dream than quiet Nordic temple. Yet for diners who enjoy their luxury with a side of chaos—and who are willing to relinquish control for a few hours—it delivers one of Stockholm’s most unforgettable nights out, where high-end produce, sharp cooking, and high-octane theatre crash together in glorious, organised anarchy.

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