Studio Canteen - a new concept by Marion Ringborg
Written by Natalia Muntean
After years of influencing Stockholm’s dining scene, from co-founding Garba to running Studio Marion, chef and entrepreneur Marion Ringborg is returning with a new concept centred on daytime dining. “I’ve felt for a long time that Stockholm needed places where lunch isn’t just functional,” she says. “I want to offer something that treats your day a little bit.”
On 28 November, Ringborg opens the doors to Studio Canteen, her new café and lunch restaurant in the heart of Stockholm. The space, which she describes as “a living room you actually want to spend the day in,” blends well-cooked food, pastries and house-made drinks with an atmosphere that feels warm and personal to Marion.
The menu is built on the flavours that define Ringborg’s cooking: a blend between British comfort and Italian simplicity, with other influences woven throughout. Expect dishes inspired by classic British cooking, like savoury pies, alongside fresh pasta and salads. “We love to work with capers and parmesan and lemon and olive oil – that will be the base,” she says. The menu will always offer a few staple dishes, together with a weekly special that shifts with the seasons.
As in all her projects, Ringborg brings a personal layer. “My mum is from Gambia, and that’s the food I’ve been eating my whole life, so of course it will be fun to get that in too,” she says. Her favourite dish? Jollof rice. And the flavour she always returns to? “Jasmine.”
Pastries are central to Studio Canteen’s identity – simple, flavour-led and comforting. Think polenta cake with jasmine cream, tiramisu and chocolate-forward desserts made with natural ingredients and intuitive combinations. “I’m not a pastry chef, I just really love flavours,” she says. “Pastry for me has been very much learn-by-doing.”
The drinks menu is equally thoughtful. Alongside coffee, tea and matcha, Studio Canteen offers its own house-made shrubs – bright, fruit-and-vinegar-based drinks in flavours like kimchi soda, rose & hibiscus, and saffron & sea buckthorn. The idea grew out of Ringborg’s pregnancies and her desire for something flavourful and alcohol-free during the day. “I wanted a grown-up drink that’s really nice but works during the day – that’s how I started making shrubs,” she says.
Studio Canteen extends the creative spirit of Studio Marion, but this time the expression is softer, lighter and more intimate. Ringborg has designed the entire interior herself, filling the space with second-hand pine furniture, natural fabrics and mismatched vintage chairs handpicked in antique stores. “The interior is very personal. I’ve chosen second-hand furniture, light wood, fabrics… everything is picked by me because I want the space to feel like a home.”
Beyond the café area lies a large event space, able to host around 100 people. It’s intentionally kept clean and adaptable, ready for art exhibitions, fashion events, private dinners or creative gatherings. “I’ve been doing events for years, but always in other places,” Ringborg says. “I wanted a home base where I could host bigger events and fully shape the atmosphere myself.”
Studio Canteen is open Monday to Saturday, 10–17, with a dedicated Saturday brunch featuring a set menu and signature drinks. Everything is available for takeaway, and businesses nearby can pre-order lunches and fika. As Ringborg puts it, “If someone walks out feeling lighter, or inspired, or just a little happier than when they came in, that’s success to me.”
