Restaurants in Stockholm
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Abyssinia
Forget what your mother said and eat with your hands at this down-to-earth gem, which serves up authentic, award-winning Ethiopian grub in Technicolor mesobs (traditional woven baskets). The multi-flavoured Abyssinia Special is unmissable (carnivorous, vegetarian or vegan option), as is the heavenly Ethiopian coffee – made to a secret recipe you’ll never know, no matter how sweetly you ask.
reviewed
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Café Saturnus
Everyone from yummy mummies to peckish princesses flock here for Gallic-inspired baguettes, pastries and creamy café au lait. While Saturnus’ claim that it was the first to introduce Stockholm to ‘proper’ coffee is hotly contested, there’s little doubt that its kanelbullar (cinnamon bun) is the city’s biggest…and dare we say its best.
reviewed
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Pelikan
High ceilings, wood-panelling and no-nonsense waiters in waistcoats set the scene for classic husmanskost (traditional Swedish fare) at this century-old beer hall. The superb menu includes an assortment of herring and cheeses and expertly roasted spare-ribs served with red cabbage and apple purée. Add huge beer glasses and you’re set for an epic toast to Sverige.
reviewed
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Hermitage
All hail herbivorous Hermitage, famed for its cosy laid-back vibe and soulful veggie fare. Everyone from Stockholm students to frazzled tourists comes here for global flavours like spicy Moroccan stews and creamy cottage cheese pancakes. Indecisive types can opt for a bit of everything, served high and mighty on a gut-filling plate.
reviewed
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Elverket
Best for a lazy weekend brunch, slick and cosy Elverket sits in an old electricity plant, alongside Kungliga Dramatiska Teatern’s more experimental stage. Here, a mix of Capote-styled intellectuals, gossipy girlfriends and designer dads nurse hangovers over Scandi staples, Asian extras and sinfully good chocolate brownies.
reviewed
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Hermans Trädgårdscafé
The cakes aren’t always brilliant, but the vegetarian buffets here are unvaryingly fab. Get your aura glowing with soul-satisfying lasagne, stuffed vine leaves, crunchy potato wedges and Moroccan-inspired salads served in the barrel-vaulted basement or on the swoon-worthy summer terrace, complete with sea and city views.
reviewed
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Roxy
Laid-back but never short on chic, Roxy draws an erudite mix of lipstick lesbians, publishing types and Söder-style socialites, all smitten with modern-Med mains and tapas treats (think soy-marinated tuna with mango). Roll in some tango tunes, the odd brusque Spanish waitress, and all that’s missing is Frida Kahlo at the bar.
reviewed
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Mooncake
Stick a Hong Kong chef behind a wok and watch the crowds roll in. The inventive menu at this elegant Eastern hotspot includes crispy rösti crab and prawn cakes (Skr95) and the delicate drunken Szechuan duck with tamarind-chilli glaze (Skr237). It’s all sublime and complemented by discreet, near-perfect service.
reviewed
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Chutney
Left-leaning, boho-inclined Chutney feeds the arty masses on inspired vegetarian and vegan creations like potato pancakes, coconut stews and rich mushroom ravioli. The Skr75 lunch menu (11am to 5pm daily), with its generous helpings and divine homemade breads, is good value. Wash it all down with a glass of organic red.
reviewed
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Hattori Sushi Devil
Busier than a Shinjuku subway stop, this slick little sushi bar rolls out sushi so good it could make a sumo wrestler weep. The complimentary miso soup is top-notch, the fish is filthy-fresh and the artful nigiri (sushi rice with fish on top) is well worth the lunchtime queues.
reviewed
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Lux Dessert Och Choklad
Little brother to Lux Stockholm, this is the haute patisserie of celebrated confectioner Ted Johansson, who devised the dessert menu for the 2005 Nobel Banquet. Throw your scales to the wind.
reviewed
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Landet
Designed by Konstfack Academy graduates and set in a converted suburban post office 100m north of the Telefonplan metro station, restaurant-bar Landet is a hit with Stockholm’s design crowd. In the oh-so-now dining room, they nosh on award-winning Swedish-French grub before heading up to the burlesque-fabulous bar. Here, red velvet drapes, strung coloured lights and gold graphic wall art set the scene for anything from DJ-spun electronica and jazz to live indie acts and the odd performance-art piece. And if that wasn’t enough, the cinnamon-laced orange tequila is simply divine.
reviewed
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Wärdshuset Ulla Winbladh
Named after one of Carl Michael Bellman’s lovers, this villa was built as a steam bakery for the Stockholm World’s Fair (1897) and now serves fine food in intimate rooms and a blissful garden setting. Sup on skilful dishes like lake Hjälmaren pikeperch fried with mustard, creamy barley and crayfish, or opt for simple Scandi favourites (Skr110 to Skr145), including herring with Kvibille cheese and homemade crispbread. Roxette fans – ask the staff to point out singer Marie Fredriksson’s artwork. Book a week ahead in summer.
reviewed
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Zum Franziskaner
It’s only natural that a place founded by German monks in 1421 (it claims to be the oldest restaurant in town) should peddle bottled German and Austrian beers and hearty sausages. Local offerings include the delicious isterband (a savoury country sausage) and spruced-up Swedish husmanskost like roe deer with lingonberries, fennel, goat’s cheese and potato cake. The current building dates from 1906, its interior an atmospheric combo of wooden stalls, ornate cabinets and ceiling artwork.
reviewed
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Mathias Dahlgren
Chef Matthias Dahlgren is hot property and his namesake newcomer has foodies in a flutter. Set in the Grand Hôtel, it’s divided into three spaces: a luxe bar, Matbaren (Food Bar) for casual noshing, and the more formal Matsalen (Dining Room). The latter is where Dahlgren really delivers his tour de force: think organic foie gras terrine with mango, black sesame and black pepper, or fried apple with goat’s milk ice-cream, vanilla cream and rye bread, bowling over the critics. Book ahead.
reviewed
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Fredsgatan 12
Chef Melker Andersson’s award-winning baby, Fredsgatan 12 (F12) is a culinary adventure – think squid and sea buckthorn with oyster emulsion, shredded black bread and cucumber, veal tenderloin with lobster and tarragon, and pear fudge with ginger and cardamom. It’s all served in one of the city’s slinkiest dining spaces, so book ahead. Alternatively, settle for rare Danish beers at the bar or summertime mojitos on the hugely popular outdoor terrasen (terrace).
reviewed
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Operakällaren
If you plan on proposing, this is the place to do it. Inside Stockholm’s 19th-century opera house, decadent chandeliers, golden mirrors and exquisitely carved ceilings are elegantly paired with classic French fare fused with subtle contemporary twists – think chicken stuffed with truffle and served with liver sauce, venison drizzled in blackcurrant jus and Russian tea sorbet with a refreshing orange mousse. Gents, wear a suit and tie, and book a table at least two weeks ahead.
reviewed
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Lao Wai
You can forget about soggy chickpea mush at Lao Wai, arguably the best vegetarian joint in town. The slick Chinese repertoire includes a superb gluten-free and vegan Ma Po Dou Fu (spicy Sichuan vegetarian ‘meat’ dressed in chilli bean sauce, ginger, garlic and spring onion) and the equally irresistible Hong Shao Su Rou (soy ‘meat’, champignons, Chinese broccoli, cloud ears and sweet pepper braised in a five-spice soy sauce).
reviewed
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Grands Veranda
Located inside the venerable Grand Hôtel, the smörgåsbord here is Stockholm’s best. Get in early for a window seat and feast away on old-school favourites like gravadlax (cured salmon) with a moreish mustard sauce. The hotel’s newest dining spot, Restaurant Mathias Dahlgren, named after its Bocuse d’Or-winning chef, has garnered a second Michelin star as well as top marks for comfort and service.
reviewed
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Lisa Elmqvist
Seafood fans, look no further. This Stockholm legend, suitably snug inside historic Östermalms Saluhall, is never short of a satisfied lunchtime crowd. The menu changes daily, so let the waiters order for you; whether it’s lobster pancakes or seared Sichuan pepper char fillets, you won’t be disappointed. In the warmer months, sup in the sun at sister bistro Lisa paåTorget, slap bang on the square outside.
reviewed
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Den Gyldene Freden
Simmering and stirring since 1722, this venerable barrel-vaulted restaurant is run by the Swedish Academy, where (rumour has it) its members meet to decide who will win the Nobel prize. Personally, we think it should go to the chefs, whose sublime offerings include civilised husmanskost (traditional Swedish fare) such as smoked salmon with avocado crème, figs and raisin dressing. Book ahead and dress to impress.
reviewed
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Kungsholmen
Owned by celebrity chef Melker Andersson (F12, p76; Grill, p71), this sexed-up food court features six open kitchens cooking up six specialties – soup, sushi, grill, bistro, bread or ice cream. Add a sleek long bar offering a huge range of elaborate cocktails as well as simpler fare like pints of Brooklyn Lager, weekend DJs and a languid lakeside setting, and you’ll understand why it’s best to book.
reviewed
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Bakfickan
Set in the opera house and appropriately crammed with opera photographs and deco-style lampshades, this buzzing counter restaurant is famed for its savvy old-school waiters and top-notch husmanskost (traditional Swedish fare); Bakfickan shares a kitchen with Operakällaren. A great place for solo supping, it’s best late at night, when you’re bound to stumble across a bitching soprano.
reviewed
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Edsbacka Krog
For the ultimate dining indulgence, book a table at Michelin two-star restaurant in Sweden, Edsbacka Krog. Set snugly in an inn dating back to 1626 and headed by Christer Lingström (Sweden’s culinary ambassador), its seasonal Swedish-French menu will send shivers up your spine – the things Lingström does to salmon, scallops, lobster, lamb and rabbit are criminally good.
reviewed
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Leijontornet
Award-winning Leijontornet boasts the ruins of a 14th-century defence tower in its uberelegant dining room. But that’s where the history ends, with culinary creations like squid with burnt leek or fried Mutzu apple with spruce-tree jelly and tar ice cream pushing the culinary envelope. The trendy in-house bar serves up fab midpriced fare and smooth DJ-spun tunes on Friday and Saturday.
reviewed