Crayfish parties, or kräftskiva in Swedish, are a tradition not to be missed and for the next couple of weeks you can join your own party, right here in Brick Lane, London. With long sharing tables outdoors and indoors and bucket loads (literally) of crayfish and other Swedish goodies like herring, gravadlax, pate and chicken liver pate.
Fika is an awesome Swedish cafe deep in the heart of Brick Lane, which was established with love and passion for the owner’s home culture. The principle of the outlet is based on having a ‘fika’, which is essentially stepping back from your everyday routine to relax, unwind and catch up with friends. Combining food, drink and company will allow you to be re-inspired and refreshed in your life.
So what’s on offer at Fika this summer?
For the next couple of weeks (until it runs out but roughly 16th Aug) you can enjoy all you can eat crayfish for a set price of £35. It will be served up family style around long tables so you can feast with your old friends and some new friends (the friends you’ll meet while you’re there). You also get unlimited bread, butter, herring and gravadlax within this price, just your drinks to buy on top!
The quality of crayfish is fantastic, it’s fresh and juicy, although not the biggest amount of meat, so be prepared to crack open a hell of a lot of shells to get your fill. I also recommend not wearing white as they tend to squirt juice in any direction but the one you expect.
The herring is pickled and strong, so not to everyone’s taste but the majority enjoyed it around our table and it had a really soft texture to it, so undeniably fresh. As if that wasn’t plenty of tasty fish to be getting on with, there’s also heaps of home-made gravadlax – raw salmon cured in salt, sugar and dill. This is perfect for those who love sashimi or similar raw fish dishes.
Add to all of this bottles of beer and traditional Swedish snaps (it’s worth buying a few trust us), you can enjoy a traditional “skål!” and wait for someone to start the singing!
For more info and to book your place:
Fika Bar & Kitchen, 161 Brick Lane, London, E1 6SB
020 7613 2013
Fika@fikalondon.com