A pop-up restaurant in Sweden named Bord For En (Table For One) will open on May 10. The diner, just like what the name suggests, will only be serving individual diners.
Rasmus Persson and Linda Karlsson are the couple who thought of the unique concept. The pop-up restaurant is located in Varmland, around 350 kilometers or 217 miles from Stockholm, and the restaurant's single table and chair are situated in a lush meadow.
A concept that suits today's crisis
The restaurant forbids any interaction with people. It is an individual experience that is meant to be enjoyed in complete isolation. That means that there is no waitstaff and no other guest on the site. The restaurants will have a limited run, as it will only be open until August 1, and only one person a day will be served so Persson and Karlsson can give their full focus to the guest.
According to the couple, they are not doing this to make money, they won't allow spectators either. The couple wants to avoid the feeling of being watched while you eat your food.
Person and Karlsson devised the whole Table for One concept several weeks ago when Karlsson's parents showed up at their home as COVID-19 spread around the world. Karlsson notes that Sweden has issued recommendations, not restrictions, around social distancing practices that were advised by WHO.
Because of the recommendations, Persson and Karlsson decided that instead of letting Karlsson's parents inside the house where they could all enjoy a meal, it would be prudent to set up a table for them outside in the garden which is a safe distance. They did it because Karlsson's parents are both at risk of getting the virus. That was when Table For One was born.
Three courses
Dining alone is acceptable and normalized, but not all restaurants practice solo diner concepts. Karlsson is hoping that their restaurant will further lessen any social awkwardness surrounding the solo diner, especially since the coronavirus outbreak has forced people to stay at least 6 feet away from each other.
So what do you get when you dine in Table For One? The menu of the restaurant is inspired by Persson's travels and memories. The diner will be served Swedish-style hash browns, smetana, which is a type of sour cream, seaweed caviar, and wood plucked sorrel is the starter.
After the first course, the diner will be served yellow carrot-ginger puree, browned hazelnut butter, sweet corn croquettes, serpent, and serpent root ash. The dessert is called "Last Days of Summer" which consists of ginned blueberries, iced buttermilk, and viola sugar from beets on the couple's farm.
Drinks are also available but none of them are alcoholic. Seedlip, think elderflower and strawberries will be served in a small bottle. The drinks are prepared by Joel Söderbäck who helms numerous high-end bars in Stockholm. Söderbäck wants to create his concoctions through the locally farmed and seasonal ingredients.
The food and drink will be brought to the guest in a picnic basket that is tied to a rope leading to the kitchen window of the restaurant. When asked whether there will exceptions for more than one guest, the couple said that it is not possible.
