Borealis — London, UK

As dark evenings draw in, Borealis in Borough offers Londoners a serene Nordic inspired retreat. The concept, from restaurateur Soren Jessen of city-worker favourite 1 Lombard street, is Scandinavian, simple and fresh, and like Lombard, offers a characterful spot worthy of both a smart meeting or an intimate dinner for two.
Borealis is connected to Fora, a pioneering co-working company from Enrico Sanna and Katrina Larkin, who worked together with design studio JLK to curate an atmosphere that combines effortless Scandinavian cool with a suave London member’s club aesthetic.
Hans Wegner Wishbone chairs in oak and rows of low hanging Louis Poulsen VL45 Radiohus pendants bring warmth to dark timber surfaces and bespoke, ribbed metal dividers. And, the service matches the concept and design, as Fora train their front of house at École hôtelière de Lausanne.
Scandi-staples ensue across the menu and the freshness of the fish and meat makes up for the simplicity, where capers, cress, ligonberry, dill, shallots, horseradish, pickled cucumber, beetroot and Kolhrabi, all reoccur in variously refreshing melodies.
One note that is particularly piquant; the smørrebrød features herring four different ways – curried, fried and picked, spiced, and with tomato – all somewhat surprisingly refined, certainly if the last time you braved herring was in a white baguette on the north German coast, not quite Scandinavia.
ADDRESS
180 Borough High St
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Harriet Thorpe is a writer, journalist and editor covering architecture, design and culture, with particular interest in sustainability, 20th-century architecture and community. After studying History of Art at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and Journalism at City University in London, she developed her interest in architecture working at Wallpaper* magazine and today contributes to Wallpaper*, The World of Interiors and Icon magazine, amongst other titles. She is author of The Sustainable City (2022, Hoxton Mini Press), a book about sustainable architecture in London, and the Modern Cambridge Map (2023, Blue Crow Media), a map of 20th-century architecture in Cambridge, the city where she grew up.
-
All-In is the Paris-based label making full-force fashion for main character dressing
Part of our monthly Uprising series, Wallpaper* meets Benjamin Barron and Bror August Vestbø of All-In, the LVMH Prize-nominated label which bases its collections on a riotous cast of characters – real and imagined
By Orla Brennan
-
Maserati joins forces with Giorgetti for a turbo-charged relationship
Announcing their marriage during Milan Design Week, the brands unveiled a collection, a car and a long term commitment
By Hugo Macdonald
-
Through an innovative new training program, Poltrona Frau aims to safeguard Italian craft
The heritage furniture manufacturer is training a new generation of leather artisans
By Cristina Kiran Piotti
-
One Club Row is London’s answer to the Lower East Side
Located at the site of the former hotspot Les Trois Garçons, One Club Row brings back noughties glamour with 19th-century interiors, gourmet bites, and jazz nights
By Ben McCormack
-
Marylebone restaurant Nina turns up the volume on Italian dining
At Nina, don’t expect a view of the Amalfi Coast. Do expect pasta, leopard print and industrial chic
By Sofia de la Cruz
-
Wallpaper* checks in at Treehouse Hotel Manchester: you may not want to leaf
Treehouse Hotel Manchester offers a nature-infused biophilic sanctuary amidst the city’s ever-growing architectural canopy
By Imogen Green
-
Dining at Pyrá feels like a Mediterranean kiss on both cheeks
Designed by House of Dré, this Lonsdale Road addition dishes up an enticing fusion of Greek and Spanish cooking
By Sofia de la Cruz
-
London restaurant Tatar Bunar puts Ukrainian heritage front and centre
Family recipes and contemporary design merge at this new east London restaurant by Ukrainian restaurateurs Anna Andriienko and Alex Cooper
By Ben McCormack
-
Corner Corner may be London's most unique entertainment destination yet
The newly-opened venue combines food, jazz and—yes—urban farming beneath one sprawling roof
By Sofia de la Cruz
-
For a taste of Greece, head to this playful new restaurant in London’s Chelsea
Pachamama Group’s latest venture, Bottarga, dishes up taverna flavours in an edgy bistro-style setting
By Sofia de la Cruz
-
A buzzy Korean pop-up becomes a permanent fixture in East London
Chef Joo Won has turned his Calong pop-up permanent in the arty enclave of Stoke Newington
By Ben McCormack