Laponiakåtan - Arvidsjaur

When passing Arvidsjaur I got the possibility to have lunch at Laponiakåtan. The food was excellent and the price was lower than expected for a sunday lunch. Inside the building there were many nice painting made by Pirak.

The location is great, with a beautiful view of the lake. The food was served cold, so it tasted like a left over meal that was really good yesterday. We informed about serious allergies, but they still got the order wrong. Also got different drinks than we ordered. The staff seemed grumpy. Over all the place is way too expencive for the quality of the restaurant.

The restaurant is associated with the Laponia Hotel across the street. It is on a lake, and the outside tables were all occupied when we arrived. We were told by the hotel not to go to dinner before 8 pm because it was busy. The food and service are very good.

First we had to wait appr. an hour to order (in the end we had to fetch one of them by the counter), then we had to wait a long time for the starter, then we waited 45 min. from we finished the starter till we got the main course served (after having asked for it again). For the 3 of us who like the meat cooked medium rare, it was good, but for the 2 who ordered it well done, it was terribly bland and at the same time well undercooked. Won’t come back next time, since we don’t like to wait for hours to get food and drinks...

I ordered the deer filet, which was perfectly cooked to medium-rare and incredibly tender. Surprisingly, the tomato salad that accompanied it was the best I’ve ever had, despite being an unconventional choice. Although the waiter was inexperienced and seemed unsure about the food and wine menus, he maintained his smile throughout the service and was quick to apologize for any mistakes. The two 15-year-old girls I brought along opted for the regular burger, which was also cooked to perfection, topped with well-prepared pickled red onions and delicious fries. I sampled a couple of bites and found it comparable to some of the upscale burger joints I've visited. Unfortunately, the drinks menu was somewhat limited, but the wines I had by the glass were decent and paired well with our meals. I would have preferred to choose from the bottle menu if I hadn’t been dining alone. Additionally, the restaurant is situated in an idyllic spot by a small lake on the outskirts of Arvidsjaur. The view on that beautiful day, with temperatures reaching 29 degrees Celsius, was serene and calming. The dessert, a milk chocolate mousse, was tasty, but the meat truly stole the show. In a week, I’ll be heading to Stockholm to try a restaurant aiming for Michelin recognition. If they want to impress me, they'll have to do more than just match this wonderful experience—especially considering that the prices at Laponiakåtan are quite reasonable.