Split-pea soup, sausages, and boiled potatoes are still around, but in the past decade Stockholm has emerged as a citadel of fine dining. Its improved reputation is due partly to the legendary freshness of Swedish game and produce and partly to the success of Sweden’s culinary teams at cooking contests throughout the world. Some social pundits claim that Sweden’s chefs are now practically as famous as its national hockey-team players.
Food is expensive in Stockholm, but those on a budget can stick to self-service cafeterias. There are an estimated 1,500 restaurants and bars in Stockholm alone, so you’ll have plenty of choices. At all restaurants other than cafeterias, a 12% to 15% service charge is added to the bill to cover tipping, and the 21% value-added tax also is included in the bill. Wine and beer can be lethal to your final check, so proceed carefully. For good value, try ordering the dagens ratt (daily special), also referred to as dagens lunch or dagens menu, if available.
The Best Panorama in Old Stockholm — If you don’t mind going farther afield, into the industrial landscapes of Södermalm, the mostly residential once-working-class island directly to the south of Gamla Stan, the finest panorama in Stockholm is visible from the Fåfångan Café. Perched high on a cliff top, directly above the channel from which the warship Vasa was excavated, and with a view that sweeps out over the Old Town, this is a simple, modern, and unpretentious self-service cafe with a sprawling outdoor terrace and an interior that might remind you of a school cafeteria. Thanks to its view, you’ll get a sense of the ironies and growing pains that Stockholm experienced through the centuries. In the foreground, you’ll see flotillas of some of the biggest cruise ships in the world, smaller ships heading out for tours of the archipelago, the copper-sheathed rooftops of Skansen, and the vestiges of imperial Sweden as represented by Gamla Stan’s compound of royal buildings.
Main courses cost from 70SEK to 180SEK ($14-$36/£7-£18), and might include Caesar and Greek salads; nacho platters; various pastas; fish soup with fresh salmon, shrimp, and aioli sauce; and open-faced sandwiches. From May to October, it’s open daily from 11am to 10pm, and from November to April, it’s open only on Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 8pm. To reach it, take bus no. 53.
For the most elegant fare of all, however, go to Östermalms Hallen, at the corner of Humlegårdsgatan and Nybrogatan, east of the city center. Stall after stall sells picnic fare, including fresh shrimp and precooked items that will be wrapped carefully for you.
While touring Djurgårdsvägen, you can enjoy lunch at Café Blå Porten, a cafe/cafeteria that often draws patrons of the Lilijevalch art gallery next door. Soups, salads, sandwiches, and hot meals are served.
Also at Östermalmstorg is the well-known Örtagården, on the second floor of the Östermalms food hall. It allows you to help yourself to a small smorgasbord of both hot and cold Swedish fare costing 85SEK to 125SEK ($17-$25/£8.50-£13). It is increasingly rare to find the typical Swedish smorgasbord in Stockholm these days, and Örtagården is a holdout of the old culinary tradition.
