{"id":161121,"date":"2026-09-07T11:49:17","date_gmt":"2026-09-07T11:49:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/161121\/"},"modified":"2026-09-07T11:49:17","modified_gmt":"2026-09-07T11:49:17","slug":"frantzen-from-stockholm-to-dubai-the-former-soccer-player-turned-chef-who-now-has-three-latest-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/161121\/","title":{"rendered":"Frantz\u00e9n, from Stockholm to Dubai: the former soccer player turned chef who now has three | Latest news"},"content":{"rendered":"

In Dubai, Bj\u00f6rn Frantz\u00e9n has pulled off a remarkable feat. His restaurant, FZN, located in the historic and majestic Atlantis The Palm, earned three Michelin stars less than a year after opening. This achievement demonstrates\u2014following his successes in Stockholm and Singapore\u2014just how perfectly calibrated the former Swedish soccer player\u2019s concept is and how Dubai continues to prove itself as one of the most fertile grounds for this type of dining<\/p>\n

An atmosphere that breaks the mold\"FRANTZEN\u00a0<\/p>\n

As soon as you ring the bell at the small wooden door next to the more casual Studio Frantz\u00e9n, you immediately realize that this isn\u2019t going to be the usual stuffy traditional fine-dining experience. The music\u2014present but never intrusive\u2014sets the pace for the evening. The atmosphere is relaxed, almost electric\u2014a world away from the silent, formal rituals still so common in high-end dining. Guests chat, laugh, and enjoy pleasant conversation with a dining room staff that is precise and extremely competent, yet never comes across as stiff.<\/p>\n

\"fzn\u00a0<\/p>\n

The experience begins in the lounge, an almost home-like setting where the first snacks are served and the ingredients to be tasted at dinner are presented. It\u2019s a statement of intent\u2014the moment when the guest immediately grasps the restaurant\u2019s philosophy. No forced narrative about sustainability or supply chains. The ingredients are simply the best available (Norwegian scallops, Australian meats, white truffles from Alba…) and come from all over the world, often via private jet. There\u2019s no green rhetoric; there\u2019s only one priority: total control over the ingredients and the result on the plate. A result that, after all, is impeccable.<\/p>\n

The cuisine: Nordic precision and Japanese influences\"fzn\u00a0<\/p>\n

From the lounge, you descend one floor to the main dining room, where a counter wraps around the open kitchen, accommodating most of the diners. The kitchen team, led by Chef Torsten Vildgaard and his right-hand man Luigi Esposito, works in full view with pinpoint precision and a striking sense of ease. Because a service that seems to flow naturally, without any apparent effort, is clearly the result of meticulous planning down to the smallest detail.<\/p>\n

\"FRANTZEN\u00a0<\/p>\n

The dishes remain true to Bj\u00f6rn Frantz\u00e9n\u2019s style: a Nordic foundation, Japanese influences, and an almost imperceptible technique that perfectly balances sharp flavor contrasts. The menu opens with Norwegian scallops, delivered that very morning, nestled on a bed of brown butter and topped with a generous portion of white truffle. An opulent start that, as we said, leaves nothing to be desired.<\/p>\n

\"fzn\u00a0<\/p>\n

Next comes a lobster tail with the underside coated in puffed Koshihikari rice, served with two sauces: a butter-and-yuzu emulsion and a \u201cchoron,\u201d which is a tomato-based b\u00e9arnaise. A dish with an incredibly refined flavor and an over-the-top sense of comfort, which works precisely because it isn\u2019t afraid to be exactly what it is.<\/p>\n

\"FRANTZEN\u00a0<\/p>\n

Next comes the chawanmushi with king crab, ikura, and fermented fennel. It\u2019s a dish in which softness, saltiness, acidity, and temperature strike a very delicate balance, without ever becoming heavy\u2014which is something one might expect from a dish like this.<\/p>\n

\"fzn\u00a0The Signature Dishes<\/p>\n

Of course, Frantz\u00e9n\u2019s signature dishes are a must, even if they\u2019re presented slightly differently than in Singapore and Stockholm. The French Toast is perhaps the most iconic: spelt bread made with sourdough starter, braised onions, seared foie gras, and house-cured beef ham. A sumptuous dish but perfectly balanced, even though the description on the menu seems to promise excess. And then there\u2019s the famous \u201conion, almond, licorice\u201d combination, a staple on the menu, presented here as an onion velout\u00e9 with chopped toasted almonds, milk foam, licorice cream, and almond oil. A play on sweetness and texture that places the dish on the ever-intriguing boundary between savory and dessert.<\/p>\n

\"fzn\u00a0<\/p>\n

But there\u2019s still one more course before we move on to dessert\u2014probably the most interesting of the entire evening. A French pigeon glazed with smoked maple syrup and Earl Grey, featuring a much bolder flavor profile than the previous courses on the menu. Accompanying it is another icon of the Frantz\u00e9n universe: the Parker House roll, a reinterpretation of the small American roll that originated in the 19th century at a Boston hotel of the same name, served here warm with a three-layer butter: salted French butter, truffle butter, and shallot confit butter. Irresistible.<\/p>\n

\"fzn\u00a0<\/p>\n

The meal concludes with a dessert featuring raspberries, pistachios, matcha, and oolong tea mousse\u2014perfectly balanced, just like everything else. Special mention goes to the wine pairings, which\u2014despite a monumental wine cellar stocked with highly prestigious labels\u2014also feature lesser-known selections, always maintaining the highest quality and delightfully complementing the dishes without ever overpowering them. It\u2019s a smart choice that demonstrates confidence and maturity.<\/p>\n

\"FRANTZEN\u00a0Why FZN Works<\/p>\n

To wrap up dinner, shortly after midnight, we gather on the lounge terrace overlooking the Dubai skyline to sample petit fours and Scandinavian candies. A moment that\u2019s almost mundane, yet perfect in its simplicity. And it is precisely here that you realize what FZN truly is: a place that manages to be both refined and surprisingly relaxed, luxurious without ever becoming stuffy. A rare balance that can\u2019t be improvised and that requires a deep understanding of what you want to be\u2014and what you don\u2019t want to appear to be.<\/p>\n

\"FRANTZEN\u00a0<\/p>\n

The fact that Michelin has recognized this approach so quickly is significant. Not only because of the quality of the execution (which is beyond question), but because it shows that today there is also room for a deliberate and conscious form of gastronomic luxury. A luxury that doesn\u2019t need justification, but finds its legitimacy precisely in the honesty with which it presents itself. In a landscape where high-end dining increasingly tends to tone things down and seek the broadest possible appeal, FZN chooses the opposite path. And it succeeds.<\/p>\n

Contact<\/p>\n

Atlantis The Palm, Crescent Road, The Palm Jumeirah, Dubai, United Arab Emirates<\/p>\n

receptionfzn@restaurantfzn.com<\/p>\n

Website<\/a><\/p>\n

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