Soren Jessen's Borealis restaurant closes

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Nordic restaurant Borealis, which opened close to Borough Market in southeast London in August last year, has closed.

It was originally launched as the third venture by Danish restaurateur Soren Jessen, and was opened in conjunction with co-working space developer Fora.

Comprising of a restaurant and café offering, Borealis’ kitchen was overseen by Swedish-born chef Robin Freeman.

The restaurant served a selection of Nordic cuisine, with dishes including snaps-cured mackerel with juniper, orange, dill and shaved fennel; veal and pork meatballs with mashed potato, lingonberries and pickled cucumber; and roast cod with brown butter and cauliflower.

In a statement, Fora confirmed the closure of the Borealis restaurant, but said the café would continue to operate.

It said: “Borealis launched at Fora Borough in August 2018 with two distinct offers – a Nordic café and a Nordic restaurant.

“Whilst the café has been incredibly popular with Fora residents and Borough locals, Fora has decided to provide a more informal restaurant offering, so we will be closing the restaurant in order to develop a concept that addresses both Fora residents’ and the wider community’s all-day food desires.”

It has also been confirmed that neither Jessen nor Freeman will continue to be involved with Borealis.

Jessen, previously a banker, owns fine dining restaurant 1 Lombard Street, as well as the more causal Ekte Nordic Kitchen in the Bloomberg Arcade where Freeman currently resides as head chef.