Visiting Stockholm and wondering how to make the most of the city? I always say that the best way to see a city is through it’s cuisine! Key staples of Swedish food include: potatoes, meatballs, lingonberries, fish, sweet treats- you’ve been to IKEA, you know the drill.
I had the pleasure of visiting several excellent restaurants during my visit. (Seriously, how was every restaurant a hit?) In addition to the consistently delicious food, every restaurant I visited had a genuinely charming waitstaff. It felt like I was eating with friends everywhere I went!
Some of My Favorite Restaurants
Tradition
Located just steps away from the Swedish Royal Palace in Gamla Stan, Tradition serves- you guessed it- traditional Swedish food. We had to make a reservation here, and it seemed pretty busy when we arrived. I got Kroppkakor (Swedish potato dumplings with pork, browned butter, and lingonberries) and it was incredible! I highly recommend the food here and the service was so friendly! It made for a really great welcome for our first night in the city.
This was my favorite dinner of the trip!
Akkurat
This lively tavern was one of my favorite stops in Stockholm. Located on Södermalm, it was right by a metro station so it was super easy to commute to.
This location serves its classic Swedish options, of course, but you’ll also find more European and American style options as well, all of which is very tasty.
Make sure to take advantage of their extensive beer menu while you’re here! Akkurat seems to have live music regularly, so it’s a great place to grab a drink even if you’re not feeling hungry!
Kryp In
There are a few different locations for this restaurant, but we made our way to the location in Gamla Stan. This restaurant was super cozy, and felt almost underground, despite being sat next to a large window to enjoy the fresh night air. This restaurant also specializes in traditional Swedish food, but with more of a European touch.
Omnipollis hatt
To be honest, I stopped at this brewery specifically for its beer slushy so I was pleasantly surprised to see a fairly robust pizza menu. Whats better than a pizza and a beer? Longtime readers may know that the answer to that question is “pizza, a beer, and a lactaid pill”, but I can wholeheartedly tell you that the risk was worth the reward.
We ordered a pie with chanterelle mushrooms and lingonberries. This combo could not get more Swedish if it tried and it was absolutely delicious!
There is both indoor and outdoor seating, and it’s in a great location just off the main shopping street of Södermalm, so it’s a nice place to sit and enjoy some sunshine! We stopped here to refuel after long morning of vintage shopping.
Blå Dörren
This cozy beer hall just over the bridge onto Södermalm is another example of Stockholm’s homey classic restaurants. Blå Dörren offers six different dishes daily, and has its own selection of beers on tap.
Max Burgers
Swedens beloved fast food restaurant! I’m not gonna lie- I did not notice a significant difference between this and, say, McDonalds, but it’s sweet that everyone is so proud of their local fast food joint.
Be On The Lookout For
Meatballs– Swedish Meatballs! You know them, you love them, IKEA wont stop pushing them at you. They’re a classic for a reason.
Kroppkaka– I don’t usually eat meatballs so this was my go-to in Sweden; boiled potato dumplings usually filled with pork and onions.
Knäckebröd– This is Sweden’s word for crisp bread! I became very fond of this snack during my trip to Norway, and it’s basically the same thing in Sweden.
Toast Skagen- This popular toast is topped with shrimp, dill, chives, mayo and lemon juice! It’s refreshing and summery, but enjoyed all year round.
Lingonberry– Swedens favorite berry! They put this sweet red berry on absolutely anything! You don’t even have to seek it out; you probably wont even have a choice but to give this a try.
Fika
Perhaps the most enduring habit from my trip to Stockholm is the concept of Fika- an break in the day dedicated to a sweet treat and conversation with friends. It’s meant to be enjoyed with intention and without hurry.
This concept pretty neatly sums up my preferred way to explore a city, so it was a great overlap for me.
Fika is more of a state of mind than a location, but I really enjoyed Vete-Katten.
Founded in 1928, this patisserie quickly became a local favorite and for good reason! I stopped by here just to get a piece of that famous Swedish Princess Cake, and it was even more delicious than I expected. Savory items here are also a must- basically just order as much as you think you can eat!
It does tend to be pretty crowded here, but there are a ton of seating options so it’s easy to find a table if you’re quick and have a sharp eye.
I also enjoyed my treats at Fabrique– and luckily they have a storefront or two here in NYC. Swedish buns are a must in any bakery, but I particularly enjoyed my cardamom bun from here!
Classic fika treats include:
Kanelbulle– A Swedish Cinanamon Bun! Unlike the American Cinnamon bun, this sweet bun isn’t slathered with icing, but has a more subtle flavor of cardamom and cinnamon, and is typically shaped into a twist rather than rolled.
Kardemummabulle – Similar to the Cinnamon bun, this similarly shaped bun skips the cinnamon flavoring to focus on the Kardamom flavor. This is pretty much as classic a treat as you can get in Sweden!
Prinsesstårta– Despite the popularity of Swedens buns, the first treat I think of when I think of Sweden is their Princess Cake! I feel like it’s a popular challenge on cooking shows over here.
This colorful cake consists of sponge cake and cream, covered with a pastel green marzipan, with a pink marzipan rose on top (important). I’m not a huge fan of marzipan so I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this cake!
With such tasty treats on offer, it’s easy to see how fika could become such an enduring tradition- and one of my favorite souvenirs from my visit.
Leave a Reply