Djursholm outside Stockholm, also known as the “Garden City”. is home to a delightful destination. Getting there is a bit of a trek, but well worth the effort. Situated right on the small main street is Brasserie Greta, a lively restaurant with French roots, offering a classic brasserie atmosphere blended with a modern, French “living room” feel.

Maître Restaurateur Sébastien Denie hails from the French countryside, where his family still lives. Despite his many years in Sweden, Sébastien feels genuinely French. He considers himself half-French and half-Swedish. Nowadays leaning more towards the Swedish side. “Perhaps too Swedish,” he laughs. The whole family works at the brasserie, including his wife and children. It was his wife, Victoria, who drew Sébastien to Sweden after the couple met in Brussels.

Every summer, the family travels to Sébastien’s childhood home to enjoy country life and reconnect with their proud French heritage. Vegetables are grown on the farm, which is also home to chickens, rabbits, and goats. It is close to a neighbour’s pig farm and to areas for hunting game.

What Sébastien appreciates most is the proximity to Swedish nature. “I can be in the mushroom woods in 15 minutes, I love picking mushrooms,” he says. Sébastien belongs to two hunting teams. If luck is on his side, game meat will be present at the autumn menu. Sébastien loves Swedish ingredients and sources produce as locally as possible for the restaurant, even if the vegetable selection is somewhat limited in winter by French standards. His chickens, however, come from France, where they roam freely and graze over vast areas. Finding meat that meets Sébastien’s exacting standards is a bit harder, but he is persistent and has tested every available supplier.

The menu is distinctly French, featuring classic dishes we have come to recognize. But one thing Sébastien would never dare to serve is Andouillette, a French tripe sausage. He compares it to Swedish “surströmming” [Ed. fermented herring], but anyone who has tried both knows that is actually a generous comparison. That very special sausage had better stay in the French kitchens which are certainly excellent at making use of every part of the animal, so to speak.

Sébastien’s wines are mostly French, and the cellar is more than well-stocked. French rosé is a favourite and is often served from three litre bottles. He is also very proud of Greta’s own red wine, produced in collaboration with the Clarence Dillon family at Domaine Clarence Dillon. A classic 2018 Bordeaux blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc which is a must-try.

Sébastien’s culinary career appears to have followed a remarkably straight upward trajectory. For the most part, almost always, he has been headhunted, certainly because he decided early on that he would be the top student in culinary school, nothing less. A teacher recognized his potential and helped him secure his first internship. Sébastien’s journey took him from a Michelin-starred restaurant in Lyon to the five star Conrad Hotel in Brussels. In Sweden, he got a job at the legendary Operakällaren and was part of the team when the restaurant earned its first Michelin star, an achievement that brought significant prestige and new demands. Stefano Catenacci and Werner Vögeli were both Master Chefs of the highest calibre. It was Werner who taught Sébastien everything about the traditional Swedish julbord, Christmas “smorgasbord”, and instilled in him a love for the well-known Swedish Västerbotten cheese. Joël Robuchon, the world’s most famous chef at the time, and Paul Bocuse are among the international star chefs with whom Sébastien has had the honour of working during various guest appearances.

The final stops before Brasserie Greta included Brasserie Pontus By The Sea, where Swedish Maître Pontus Frithiof became his mentor and role model, followed by 13 years at the French Embassy in Stockholm. There, he prepared countless lunches and dinners for parties large and small. Sébastien’s guests frequently included royals, presidents, Nobel winners and celebrities.

Working in a restaurant kitchen is a tough life. Everyone has heard stories about angry head chefs throwing saucepans. It is actually true! Sébastien spent the early part of his career in that environment and admits, somewhat sheepishly, that he adopted some of that attitude himself. “We weren't exactly nice,” he adds with a touch of irony. Looking back, he can't quite understand how it happened. “A flying saucepan didn’t exactly improve the quality,” he notes. If anything, it made things worse, leaving staff terrified. A fear that inevitably showed in the cooking. Then, of course, they’d get yelled at for that, too. Sébastien eventually transformed into a great boss and team leader; his crew is now tight-knit, skilled, and cheerful.

Brasserie Greta is his special passion project. Unfortunately, the brasserie’s opening coincided with the pandemic coronavirus and all its consequences. Yet, his new customers rallied round. If they couldn’t visit the restaurant in person, they ordered food for delivery. Word of his excellent cuisine spread beyond Djursholm. Thanks to this, Sébastien weathered the crisis unscathed, retaining his entire staff and financial stability.

His local regulars keep coming back faithfully, and Sébastien knows them all by name. Visitors from further afield receive an especially warm welcome and often become repeat customers. Sébastien views other eateries on the street as a positive presence, as it is easier to attract diners when there are several options to choose from in the “village”, as he calls the upscale area of Djursholm when no one is listening. On Friday lunchtimes, a small snack, often of oysters, is served. Later in the day, the immensely popular “After Work” gathering kicks off. That’s when “everyone” shows up.

So, make sure to visit Brasserie Greta whenever you get the chance because in his next life, Sébastien plans to become a space scientist!

Catarina Offe
Conseiller Gastronomique