Hi--We'll be in Stockholm in early October, and we're looking for restaurant recommends. Any favorites? Price range is open, other than a big splurge (say, $120-150 US per person). And are there any Swedish dishes that are must-haves? Thanks!
(I have searched the forum, but many of the recommendations are quite a bit older.)
In Stockholm we found all breads very delicious - dinner rolls, cardamom buns, table bread. Swedish meatballs are tender and flavorful, especially at Restaurant Kvarnen. Also at Kvarnen we were served 5 or 6 different preparations of herring - all delicious. The shrimp in Stockholm was so sweet and delicious. We had a great meal at Prinsen too. A hot dog down by the waterfront was also tasty! Enjoy!
Our #1 recommendation is Aifur in Gamla Stan. It is a Viking themed restaurant, where all dishes are modern takes using only ingredients that would have been available to the Vikings. The food was great -- I had smoked fish; my wife had reindeer. The decor and ambience were fantastic -- all the waiters are dressed in realistic Viking garb (not a horned helmet in sight); and the fork had only two tines! As it is themed, it leans a bit on the tourist side, but they announce every guest as they arrive, with their hometown, and I would say half were from Sweden, half tourists.
We went to Kvarnen also - my wife liked it more than I did. I thought the food was pretty flavourless, but perhaps that is just what traditional Swedish food tastes like. We both had the meatballs. I think Kvarnen is one of those places that gets by more on the fact that it is famous and was mentioned in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, than it does on actual good food.
I wasn’t a fan of Aifur when I visited (it is a theme restaurant with communal tables which really isn’t my thing) but I can see why others would enjoy it.
I would suggest going somewhere for a fika. Princess cake (princesstårta) is one of the famous Swedish desserts so that might be something you would like to try. Cardamom rolls (kardemummabullar) are my favorite with a coffee.
When I had guests who wanted meatballs, I would generally take them to Prinsen. It is a historic restaurant and focuses on traditional Swedish dishes. It is a place where you can try dishes like toast skagen or meatballs or salmon and potatoes or beef Rydberg. Bakfickan at the Opera House is another place that serves classic dishes. However, it is small, most of the seating is around a counter, and they don’t take reservations. I used to prefer the food at Bakfickan to Prinsen; however, I haven’t been to either of these restaurants post-covid so check recent reviews to see if they appeal to you.
https://www.restaurangprinsen.se/en
https://operabaren.se/en/bakfickan/
I’d also suggest visiting the food halls. Östermalms Saluhallen is more traditional. Hötorgshallen has more international food.
https://ostermalmshallen.se/
https://hotorgshallen.se/
