Stockholm’s best negroni?

Living in Stockholm, and being a big negroni lover, and after reading this list about the best negronis in town, I had to pay the number one entry, Ciccio’s, a visit.

Ciccio’s ’Negroni XL’ is, according to their menu, served ”generous”, and additionaly comes with a few included negroni friendly nibbles in the shape of above salami and olives. The price is 185 sek (when we visited in 2023), so it’s a bit steep, but since it’s also quite large, and you get some snacks which is unusual in Stockholm, it’s quite worthwhile in my mind. At least compared to other similar venues.

Ciccio’s brands themselves as an American-Italian restaurant, but they also have a small bar area where you can hang out if you like me only visited for the negroni. The interior is quite rustic and old school, in a good way. And felt like an appropriate place to have a stiff drink like a negroni in.

The negroni came pre-mixed from a container in the bar (you can see it in the background in above picture), but is of course made in-house by mixing gin, campari and vermouth into the drink we all (okay most of us) love.

The negronis were really good to be honest. Nice classic flavour, and excellently complimented by the salami and olive nibbles. It is also sufficiently large so that you can get a good idea of the flavour before it’s already gone, as I’ve experienced with a few smaller negronis through the years.

All in all, Ciccio’s is absolutely both a good bar and a nice place to enjoy a near perfect negroni in Stockholm.

Oklahoma smash burger recipe

This weekend is Walpurgis weekend in Sweden, and it’s also a weekend when most people have their ”grill premiere” after a long Winter. As I live in a small apartment, I have no grill, but was still craving something grilled for dinner. I’ve seen Oklahoma style smash burgers being made across the internet for years, and I thought now might be the time to try.

Ingredients for two

• 1 large yellow onion (or red or white/silver), thinly sliced.

• About 400 grams of minced beef formed into 4 meatballs. Preferably chuck roll or similar with extra high fat content (because flavour and crust).

• 4 slices of cheddar cheese (or as much as you’d like).

• 2-4 burger buns depending on if you prefer one double or two single burgers. I like brioche with sesame seeds.

• 1 dl (~0,4 cups) of mayo, 1 tablespoon mustard, 1 tablespoon ketchup and a splash of hot sauce depending on how much spice you like.

Cooking instructions

1. Heat up a frying pan until very hot. Add one of the meatballs, put a handful of sliced onion on top of it and then use a spatula, a burger smashing thingy or the bottom of a pan (perhaps with baking paper in between) to smash the burger as thin as possible. This is how you smash burgers and why they get so crispy and thin. Don’t keep pressing after it’s initially smashed though as you’ll lose the beef juices.

2. After a minute or two, flip the burger and let fry another minute. Put on the cheese and let melt for a minute before removing the burger from the pan. Repeat with all your burgers.

3. Mix the mayo, ketchup, mustard and hot sauce into a sauce. Toast your breads lightly on the inside.

4. Add sauce to bottom bread, put an Oklahoma smash burger on top, and then the top bun. Serve with fries, pickles and a nice glass of red. I love French red such as those from Crozes-Hermitage, or perhaps a cold IPA style beer with burgers.