Easy Kitchen, Holiday Inn Åre

I've been coming to the village of Åre every Easter for as long as I can remember. My grandmother lived only an hour away on a farm that is now inhabited by one of my uncles. I find the way hotels and tourist attractions have popped up horrible, but I also understand the need to bring the tourists to the village. It is a ski resort after all.

While working at a grocery store not far from my uncle's house, I was treated to the Easy Kitchen restaurant at Holiday Inn Åre. It's a beautiful restaurant with dark oak details and finish, and soft, innovative light fixtures. The ramps, a nod at being friendly to the differently abled guests, were hard to spot and I nearly tripped on the first one. I hope those who use wheel chairs or canes are better prepared or there will be accidents.

This day, the lunch buffe was cooked cod, potatoes, oven baked chicken, and rice. Included in the price was a salad buffe and one glass of water or soda. Personally, I feel that if you charge what they do for food, the beverages should only be limited if they contain alcohol. One 2.5 dl glass per costumer is just being cheap, especially if it's water. 

The food was mediocre at best. The chicken was dry and under seasoned. The fish was watery and also under seasoned. The high light was the potatoes, but only because the rest was so bland. At the salad table, the only interesting bit was the cold cuts, though I have a hard time understanding why you need cold, boiled salmon at a salad table.

All in all, I'm happy we managed to get the "hillbilly discount", because I would never pay more than the 85 SEK per person we did pay for this food. It was just boring. So, if you can, find a nice local person to take you, and don't pay full price.