The pub that doesn't exist, shines...

Out in a field, in a large barn in the countryside lies The pub that doesn't exist. More precisely in Närkesberg, just over two kilometres east of Askersund. Here Davide and Sandra run their charming restaurant that specialises in local produce that you wash down with good Hungarian wine. Why Hungarian wine, you might ask? "Because we like it so much!" was the answer when we asked.

One tip is to arrive well in advance of your booking, because you will want to spend a few minutes looking around. Here it is not Scandinavian stripped down or "less is more" that applies. There is stuff everywhere, old signs, cans, football shirts, odd furniture and other things you just can't take your eyes off.

But enough about barns, gadgets and odd pieces of furniture, it's time to sit down at the table.

We started with a glass of bubbly, a pink Cap Classique from South Africa, served in a pair of lovely swaying (hand-blown?) glasses. A very nice start to the dinner. We then continued with the first course of the evening, a raw steak on local thigh with, among other things, ramson mayonnaise, parmesan and Hallsberg mushrooms. This was served with a white wine from Tokaj, and not at all the sweet variety we usually think of, but one with just the right freshness to match the raw steak.

The next dish served was duck breast with potato bake, nettle emulsion and asparagus. I guess the nettles were picked around the corner of the barn. 🙂 In the glasses we got their own red natural wine from Franz Weninger in Austria.

The icing on the cake was a Yuzu mousse cake with homemade coconut ice cream, chocolate cream and pineapple compote. And now the Tokay came out again, but this time the sweeter version. A really good and sweet ending to the dinner.

We had a really nice evening at the Inn that doesn't exist, with great food and drink served with a relaxed yet professional service. Now we drank wine with the food but we got the feeling that they made a little extra effort to find good non-alcoholic alternatives. The pub is located in the countryside and you need a car to get there and home, which is why at least one of the company should stay away from the alcoholic drinks. We had our campervan with us and had checked if it was okay to park it in their large car park. We also noticed that we were not the only motorhome there.

I would also like to mention their food truck and the newly opened café. Sandra and Davide are not lazy and their truck pops up here and there in the cities around Askersund and at various events. As of this year, they have also opened a café a few miles south of Örebro in Rönne kapell. We haven't been there yet, but expect a visit this summer.