Magnus Nilsson

Gastronomic research at the highest level

Magnus Nillson has been at the helm of one of the world’s best restaurants, Faviken, for eleven years. In December 2019, to the general astonishment, he decided to close the restaurant that had earned him two Michelin stars. The reason for the choice is emotionality: one morning he got out of bed and the desire to go to the restaurant had vanished.

It is not for everyone to make such an important and responsible decision. For many, once they have achieved success, it is difficult to leave that world where you are worshipped almost as a deity. Magnus did two things out of the ordinary: guide the Faviken to Olympus and leave it when the time was right. A chef who knows when it’s time to stop, to devote himself to family and rest, because after years of dedicating himself mind and body to this project, he was almost at the end of his rope.

With Faviken, Chef Nillson is aware that he has created a place that could not be found before, but it is almost certain that even after it closes, it will be difficult to find oneself sitting down again to enjoy such a menu.

“In the heart of Sweden, this restaurant has been one of the world’s most important gastronomic centers for eleven years.”

Formed by 20,000 acres of land, the land was owned by a local family who hired Magnus Nillson as sommelier in 2008. From the winery to the kitchen did not pass by much and from that moment he started to make people talk about him.

He began to propose a typical Nordic cuisine, using only fresh and local ingredients, according to seasonality. He even goes every morning to retrieve the catch of the day to be proposed on the menu. The menu includes fourteen courses except for the appetizers. He tends to use traditional products, such as raw meat, vegetables and wild herbs, all combined with the famous ice creams that the chef enjoys creating with what he has at his disposal.

“What happened to Magnus after the closure of Faviken? Now he is in Madrid, with another star of the culinary firmament: Renè Redzepi.”

He is the director of the Academy for Chefs of Madrid, a non-profit association that aims to promote dialogue in the world of gastronomy. A chef of Magnus Nillson’s caliber will be a fundamental element in creating a culinary culture aimed at the awareness that the earth cannot be exploited to the point of exhaustion. A balance must be found and Magnus knows this well.