On this episode of A Table in the Corner, Russel sits down with Jesper Nilsson, the Swedish-born chef behind Ëlgr, his popular restaurant on Kloof Street.
Jesper’s cooking carries the clarity and discipline often associated with Scandinavian kitchens, but it’s firmly rooted in the produce and rhythm of Cape Town. The result is a restaurant that isn’t Nordic transplanted into South Africa, but something shaped by both places: restrained, ingredient-led cooking in a relaxed dining room where regulars gather as easily for a pizza and beer as they do for a date night meal.
In the conversation, Jesper traces his journey from chef school in Sweden to training locally at the International Culinary Academy, cooking in Franschhoek and eventually returning from Sweden to open Ëlgr at just 28 years old. He reflects on how his time at Malmö restaurant ‘Bastard’ reshaped his thinking about kitchen culture, leadership and the collaborative structure that now defines his team.
Russel and Jesper also talk about the craft behind the menu – from house-made charcuterie and fermentation projects to the unexpectedly beloved pizzas – and about the discipline required to maintain consistency after four consecutive Eat Out Restaurant Awards one-star ratings.
It’s a conversation about how a chef’s identity forms: what you carry with you from where you grew up, what you learn along the way, and how those influences settle into a restaurant that reflects both the cook and the city around it.
- www.rwm2012.comOn Instagram @a_table_inthecornerCover image sketched by Courtney Cara LawsonAll profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise creditedTitle music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay