When The Søvengård opened on Bridge Street in 2016—before the neighborhood blossomed into the lively dining destination it is today—owner Rick Muschiana set out to introduce the New Nordic movement to West Michigan, infused with Midwest charm. Since then, the restaurant has relocated to a beautiful purpose-built space further west at 1232 Bridge St. NW and continues to shape the vibrant local food scene.
It worked well, combining the seasonality and sustainability of the Scandinavian minimalist cuisine with the fresh local farm ingredients and an amazing beverage program.
While most Midwesterners are not the most adventurous eaters, those that like to see the world of culinary delights were excited to try the food and often love it. At the time, it peaked in 2020, when it was named Grand Rapids Magazine’s Restaurant of the Year … just weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down restaurants across the United States and ravaged the restaurant industry.
While Søvengård did reopen as restrictions eased, one can never know what benefits the restaurant missed in the immediate aftereffects of the 2020 ROTY honor, and it closed with its big plans to relocate further west down Bridge Street in early 2022.
“We were closed for two years, that’s a long time and so we really had to kind of reestablish ourselves and remind the community who we are,” said Muschiana.
While there were some growing pains, the long journey has brought the inventive restaurant back into the spotlight as the 2025 Grand Rapids Magazine Restaurant of the Year.
“The first time we won was a little bit unexpected, we had been open for four years, but it was a testament of moving forward. We do things a little out of the norm, and people were a little slow to embrace, so it was great, but then there was the pandemic. I mean, ultimately, it helped our reputation and certainly got our name in front of people that might not have otherwise known it.”
Søvengård spent nearly $3 million on its new location — a larger, thoughtfully designed space that lets diners move between distinct settings, including a sprawling outdoor biergarten. The setting elevates the meal without feeling forced, and the layout makes the restaurant a natural fit for private events. Søvengård also offers catering, extending its Scandinavian-inspired fare beyond the restaurant’s walls.
In line with the New Nordic movement, which was most famously championed by the Danish restaurant Noma and its chef Rene Redzepi, Søvengård changes it menus seasonally to best highlight the local ingredients grown in West Michigan. Søvengård aims to have 90% of its ingredients sourced from within the state.
“We’re going to lean further into our concept,” Muschiana told Grand Rapids Magazine in 2024 of the restaurant’s Midwest-meets-New Nordic ethos. “That’s not just a concept; it’s a philosophical lifestyle choice for how we want to conduct our business and what we think is important.”
The menu starts with a “for the table” section, that includes bread, fries, charcuterie plate and a chicken liver pate. There are little plates, like a whitefish sandwich or a light salad, then the smorrebrod, a Scandinavian-style open-faced sandwich, that can be topped with anything, from heirloom tomatoes to shaved beef with a caramelized onion jam. Then there are the full dinners, like on the late summer menu that included a risotto, a sausage pasta, fried green tomatoes, souvlaki, rainbow trout and a steak.
Occasionally, diners will get lost in the menu and perhaps become intimidated by the ingredients put together on the plates. But the plates are not complicated and easy to read once in front of a diner, and really, the beauty of the New Nordic movement is its simplicity and use of ingredients known locally. And there is a lot to be said when dining out, and that’s to trust the kitchen team and what they’re putting on the menu.
Søvengård is also quick to make changes to accommodate diners looking for vegan, gluten free and dairy free options.
If the Søvengård menu does not appeal at first, there are now plenty of options to choose from to try it out. A first and foremost suggestion, though not ideal in the winter, is to try out its massive biergarten for a beer from the well-curated tap list or a delicious cocktail and something from the first section of the menu. Otherwise, head over for the “social hour,” which is 4-6 p.m. every Wednesday to Friday, offering $6 ‘tini-spressinis and haus lagers, and $1 off draft beers, $2 off wine and $3 off house cocktails. The social hour also offers $6 fries, $15 poutines, a $5 Danish hot dog, and $1 off “smorrebrod” and sammie.
Hot dog night
Perhaps an even more fun time to see what Søvengård is all about is Wednesday’s “Nordic Hot Dog Night,” which runs from 6-9 p.m. It offers three rotating hot dogs, with fries, special sides and features Michigan beers on the menu. On weekends, Søvengård will also feature a “Late Night Street Food” menu which often highlights a different global cuisine’s street and drinks a, like Colombia’s arepas and empanadas with agua fresca or a daiquiri, or a special German night for Oktoberfest.
As for the beverages, the bar is extremely well-thought out with beers tapped from around the globe, something Muschiana set out to do when he first opened during a time when Michigan beer was often all bars would highlight. A nice, simple wine list follows cocktail list that features inventive house-developed drinks and classics like an old fashioned, negroni or any number of spritzes.
If you like food and trying things that might test your palate without stretching your mind too far with local ingredients, Søvengård is just the place to try it out. While the food might look different than what some might be used to, it’s all ingredients we’ve grown up on and plated in a way that is often visually stunning and palate pleasing.
The Søvengård is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 to 10 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday; and 4 to 10 p.m. Wednesday through Friday. The restaurant is closed Monday and Tuesday. For a look at the menu or to book a table, visit The Søvengård online.
More about Restaurant of the Year
Sovengard joins Grove and MeXo as winners of the Magazine’s Restaurant of the Year since the program restarted in 2023.
Of note, the GR Mag does not consider steakhouses for the aware, but will be doing a special steakhouse round-up in 2026. There are many steakhouses in the area, and while they have long been the standard for fine dining, the offerings often don’t push the limits in terms of menus, and while big slabs of meats and heaping piles of potatoes are something everyone can get behind, they just don’t scream most unique or best dining experience in Grand Rapids.
The Sovengard decision was close, but it certainly ranks up there in terms of quality and inventiveness in its food and beverage menu and overall experience as the previous two winners. Winners are put on a two-year break after winning ROTY.
The decision was made by the Grand Rapids Magazine staff, and other restaurants included during the process were Rix, Little Bird, Linear, MDRD, and Gin-Gins.
As we head into 2026, the competition is ready to heat up. Grove, the 2022 ROTY winner, is back eligible and will hop to the front of the line as it hasn’t let up its consistent service, cuisine that pushes Grand Rapids forward and creative events that highlight kitchen talent and wine makers from across the globe.
Also among the restaurants to watch will be the runners up from this year that were in close competition, among the others considered this year were Mangiamo and Leo’s, both staples of the West Michigan dining scene.
Beyond that, Allora opened up and replaced Reserve, the long-time stalwart on Monroe Avenue. Its coastal Italian-inspired menu is a welcomed addition to the Grand Rapids market and has impressed in the first several visits from Grand Rapids Magazine diners.
