One of the many restaurants at the City’s Bloomberg Arcade, Ekte was, on a Tuesday lunchtime, buzzing. The apartment-like space (bookshelves and communal tables) was packed with office workers, all lapping up the Scandi-style menu of healthy meats, fish and bread.
Danish frikadeller meatballs were the stars of the show – much better than the Swedish ones you’ve tried at Ikea. Nicely fatty, they came served over smooth mash and rich gravy, offset by a few tart lingonberries and a pile of pickled cucumbers. The Devon crab on crispy butter-fried toast wasn’t bad either: tender meat with a good hit of citrus salt and a rich confit egg yolk on top. A selection of smørrebrød (open sandwiches) made up a big part of the menu, but sadly the two I tried weren’t great. One came topped with lacklustre curried herring; the other was a slightly drab combo of tomato and aubergine mayonnaise. The house-baked rye bread was delicious, though – order a side and take the nutty leftovers home to toast.
It’s a pity that Ekte is in the shadow of the dark, corporate arcade – it kind of brings down the wholesome Scandi vibe. Still, it’s worth a quick lunch or dinner if you’re in the area. If only to try those meatballs.