Berns Asiatiska

Dim Sum Under the Chandeliers

3.5 of 5

Stockholm does brunch in a way that surprised me. Here, the weekend spread is Asian. Sushi, dim sum, hot dishes and cold ones, laid out in a room attached to the old entertainment palace of Berns Salonger. It is brunch for people who think eggs Benedict is a failure of imagination.

Berns says the brunch pairs fresh local produce with authentic Asian ingredients, and it runs on Saturdays and Sundays. I could not find the price, so I will not give you a number. Treat it as a special occasion meal and check the booking page. A buffet in a grand room can be a trap, with too much food and not enough care. Done well, it is a generous way to eat, and Visit Stockholm's brunch guide recommends it for exactly that.

Go early, bring an appetite, and take the dim sum seriously, since steamed things lose their charm after ten minutes under a lamp. Walk the plates in rounds, not piles. Then take a slow lap through the park outside. Brunch is the meal where everyone is trying too hard. At Berns they just put out more food than you can eat, and that has a certain honesty.

Order this: Sushi, Dim sum, Hot dishes from the buffet
The damage: $$$
Go: Saturday or Sunday, early in the service
Find it: Näckströmsgatan 8, 111 47 Stockholm (inside Berns)