From fine dining to fun dining: Legendary Stockholm restaurant gets a new twist

Forget the sombreros, the cacti and the sugar skulls - this is Latin America beyond the clichés, with appetite for life, flavours and rhythms in focus.

The premises were previously home to luxury restaurant F12, the eponymous jewel in the group’s crown. The change is total: gone are the white table cloths and the carefully spaced forks. Instead, there is hot music and wallpaper with dancing animals. 

“The F12 Group came to us with an idea of a Latin American place with fabulous food and a relaxed vibe, and of course we leapt on the opportunity. We’ve seen this change around the world for a few years now: people aren’t interested in following a lot of rules in order to get to eat really good food anymore, they want to talk and laugh and put their elbows on the table,” says Erik Nissen Johansen, Stylt founder and creative director. “There’s a revolution underway in the hospitality world, and Publico is an example of the restaurant of the future. Strict and neat are out, relaxed and informal are in."

Stylt have put a lot of energy into capturing the Latin American spontaneity and joi de vivre, in order to do justice to the owner’s vision and level of ambition. Almost the whole interior is custom-designed, from the wallpapers and fabrics with flowers and leaves to the cane furniture. Latin America’s unique flora and fauna has inspired many of the patterns, including the one covering the front of the long bar.

Many of the details are completely unique, such as the leather lamps handmade by a Mexican saddler, and the rope chandeliers commissioned from an Australian macramé artist. The overall impression is colourful, welcoming and atmospheric - a place where you don’t mind lingering long after the food is eaten and the music and dancing have taken over.

“The F12 Group took the brave decision to close down a legend, and we’re incredibly proud and happy that they chose to work with us when it came to developing the replacement,” says Erik Nissen. “When you create something as groundbreaking as this, you’re actually contributing to the development of the entire Swedish restaurant industry."

Publico opened on 30 February.