Global furniture retailer IKEA is well-known in many regions for its in-house food offerings. Their meatballs are considered an iconic delicacy across stores worldwide. The brand has recently made a landmark foray into the dining industry with the opening of its first standalone Swedish restaurant on King Street in Hammersmith, London. The establishment is located next to IKEA’s revamped Hammersmith City Store. The space used to house a Wasabi restaurant and can now seat 75 diners, as per the company.
Highlights from the menu include IKEA’s signature meatballs served with mashed potatoes, peas, cream sauce and lingonberry jam, a veg version of the same (called “plant balls”), penne pasta, salmon with couscous and yoghurt, etc. There’s also an offering called “Children’s Pasta and Tomato Sauce,” which includes a soft drink and a piece of fruit. The establishment serves breakfast dishes till 11 am daily. Guests can choose between combos such as the six-piece “Small Cooked Breakfast” (featuring bacon, sausage, hash brown, omelette, baked beans and tomato) and the nine-piece “Regular Cooked Breakfast,” featuring extra portions of bacon, sausage and hash browns.
Photo Credit: IKEA
Matthew Gould, Market Manager at IKEA London City, said in a statement, “We know how much our customers love the IKEA restaurant and we’re excited to celebrate the opening of our very first high street restaurant. Fans of our delicious dishes can recharge during their shopping trip with our famous Swedish meatballs, pop in for a traditional Swedish ‘fika’ break for coffee and a sweet treat, or find an affordable meal for the kids right on the high street.”
The children’s meal mentioned earlier is the most affordable menu item highlighted and is currently priced at 0.95 GBP (approx Rs 100). As per a report in The Guardian, some of the initial customers at the IKEA restaurant have lauded the relatively low cost of the food, especially by London standards.
