Koka restaurant, in Gothenburg, Sweden, takes a new, simpler approach to fine dining.

After 14 years of running one of the top restaurants in Sweden, Björn Persson, owner of Kock & Vin, felt it was time for a change. With the idea of making fine dining a more accessible event, Perrson brought in architect Johan Olsson, of Bornstein Lyckefors to transform the Gothenburg hotspot. “Dining out at a high-class restaurant doesn’t have to be fancy nor expensive,” says Persson, of his concept for Koka.

The project set a challenge for the architect to match the ideals set in the kitchen, with simple, yet refined dishes that allow local ingredients to take centre stage. In just 12 days the white tablecloths, stucco and all traces of stuffiness were stripped away and a completely new aesthetic, perfectly reflecting the new concept, was introduced. Light and airy, the Koko palette is clean and uncomplicated, with wide planks of Douglas fir used on both the walls and floors.

A wine coloured textile forms a passepartout which frames the ornate, glassed-in, 19th century ceiling, acing as acoustic insulation while adding a touch of softness to a room full of hard surfaces, as well as a pop of colour against the calm wood. Small platforms of pine and rocks from a local beach sit on each leather-wrapped table top and Ascent lamps, designed by Daniel Rybakken for Luceplan, provide individual lighting for each table.

The inviting new interior has contributed to the restaurant becoming popular with a new walk-in clientele says Perrson. ““We have seen a great increase in the number of guests that walk in without having made a reservation. That never happened before.”