Portrait of Claes Björling
i. Biography
Claes Björling has been the steady culinary presence at NISCH in Stockholm since 2012, the year he started the restaurant. In a dining world that often prizes reinvention and constant movement, his work has been defined by continuity: one role, held over time, and shaped around a seasonal tasting menu. That kind of singular focus gives the kitchen a clear line. At NISCH, Claes Björling has built an identity on what is freshest, most timely, and most expressive of the moment.
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Coming Up
Claes Björling has been chef of NISCH since 2012.
Where They Are Now
Since 2012, Björling has remained chef at the Stockholm restaurant, guiding the kitchen through a seasonal and tasting-menu format. That approach keeps the menu in step with the calendar, so each service reflects a particular point in time rather than a fixed repeat. At NISCH, the emphasis is on discipline and sequence: dishes arranged with intent, each one serving the larger structure of the meal. That long tenure has also tied the restaurant’s identity closely to Claes Björling’s name.
Since 2012, NISCH and Björling have developed together, with the work reading less as a series of turns than as a sustained commitment to a single culinary language. The throughline is seasonal cooking, expressed through the frame of a tasting menu.
Signature
Claes Björling is a chef whose craft centers on a seasonal tasting menu.
FAQ
Asked of Claes
What is Claes Björling's current role?
As of 2026, Claes Björling is chef.
What is Claes Björling known for?
Seasonal tasting menu.
The Sunday email
Read about chefs like Claes Björling in the Sunday email.
Every Sunday we send a lead story and up to four more about the chefs, winemakers, sommeliers and hoteliers behind the restaurants, bars, wineries and hotels we cover.
Recent stories
Free. One email a week, and you can unsubscribe from any issue.