Scan Magazine | Restaurant of the Month | Sweden
Photo: K25
Ricard Constantinou.
Restaurant of the Month, Sweden
Spoilt for choice Your friend would like to go for a burger, whereas you fancy a Vietnamese pho. Sound familiar? At K25, this problem is easily solved as 11 different restaurants share one roof. Located right in the centre of Stockholm, this bustling restaurant hall has rejuvenated the food scene in the Swedish capital. By Pia Petersson | Photos: Stefan Andersson
“I don’t really like the term ‘food court’ – I prefer restaurant hall,” says Ricard Constantinou, founder of K25. For him, paying attention to detail and developing strong conceptual ideas has been successful. Starting his first business at the age of 16, this entrepreneur and food enthusiast has been a godsend to all foodies living in or visiting Stockholm for over three decades now. Among his many brain children are a food theatre and the healthy food chain Panini Internazionale. It comes as no surprise that Constantinou has been awarded the prize of Restaurant Visionary of the Year as well as Restaurant Innovator of the Year – and K25 might be his most ambitious project to date. It all came about in 2013, when a huge space on one of the most central streets of Stockholm was suddenly free and 140 | Issue 105 | October 2017
Constantinou was asked if he wanted to do something here. “It was just this massive, rough open space. I envisaged a busy, dynamic city square with lots of different cuisines to choose from,” he explains. His vision proved rewarding – four years later, K25 welcomes upwards of 5,000 guests every day.
in the area flock to K25. In the evening, a slightly younger clientele takes over before heading out to clubs, theatres and bars. “I’d say it’s an urban restaurant hall attracting a diverse crowd,” Constantinou suggests. With restaurants serving everything from Tex-Mex to kebabs with a French touch, there certainly is something to please everyone here. In addition, given that all restaurants offer takeaway, K25 is an obvious metropolitan crowd pleaser for natives and tourists alike.
K25 is named after its location, Kungsgatan 25. This street has been the hub of the culture scene in Stockholm for decades. However, when K25 opened its doors, the street had been slightly neglected for a while and needed some TLC. “This is a vital, historical centre of the city. I do think we’ve revitalised the area – Kungsgatan needed something like K25,” says Constantinou. During lunch, those working in the many advertising, bank and legal offices
Web: www.k25.nu