The first thing that comes to mind when thinking about Swedish food is probably IKEA. And meatballs are definitely a thing you have to try with this list but the country is also known for some other delicious seafood and dishes that you can’t get outside of the region. Don’t miss out by making sure you try all of the local Nordic cuisine in Stockholm!
Fika
To begin with, we would like to introduce the culture of having Fika in Sweden. It basically translates to having a coffee break but holds far more importance and significance to the Swedish. It is also a social gathering that many will make time for so be sure to have some company or make some to enjoy this.
Toast Skagen
With prawns being hand-shelled to preserve its freshness and nutrients, this dish is light and addictive. It is often served as an entree or as the main dish for a very light lunch. Invented by Tore Wretman after WWII, it is a staple you can’t go wrong with.
Swedish meatballs/ Köttbullar
You may be shocked to learn that Swedish meatballs didn’t originate in Sweden! King Charles XII fell in love with the dish while touring the Ottoman Empire and bought it home with him. Soon, everyone else in the country became accustomed to having the dish.
Meatballs for the People
Address: Nytorgsgatan 30, 116 40 Stockholm, Sweden
Phone: +46 8 466 60 99
Restaurant Pelikan
Address: Blekingegatan 40, 116 62 Stockholm, Sweden
Phone: +46 8 556 090 90
Fem små hus
Address: Nygränd 10, 111 30 Stockholm, Sweden
Phone: +46 8 10 87 75
Herring/ Surströmming
This next dish is an acquired taste as it has quite a stench when in the fermented can version. But, not all is lost. Visit the restaurants recommended below as they cook this dish with the freshest catch of the day topped with fresh dill and mustard.
The Herring Wagon/ Nystekt Strömming
Address: Kornhamnstorg, 111 27 Stockholm, Sweden
Phone: +46 73 971 92 47
Tennstopet
Address: Dalagatan 50, 113 24 Stockholm, Sweden
Phone: +46 8 32 25 18
Reindeer Paté
Reindeer meat is lean, tender, and favorite local food of the Swedes. Reindeer meat is mostly consumed only locally too, so you don’t have to worry about the animal going extinct — leaving Santa without help.
Restaurang Kryp In Gamla stan
Address: Prästgatan 17, 111 29 Stockholm, Sweden
Phone: +46 8 20 88 41
Restaurant Pelikan
Address: Blekingegatan 40, 116 62 Stockholm, Sweden
Phone: +46 8 556 090 90
Raggmunk
If you are a strong believer in how potatoes just taste good with everything, you will love Raggmunk. Thin crisp pancakes are made out of potatoes, garlic and onion with bacon and lingonberries thrown into the mix.
Grodan
Address: Grev Turegatan 16, 114 46 Stockholm, Sweden
Phone: +46 8 679 61 00
Tennstopet
Address: Dalagatan 50, 113 24 Stockholm, Sweden
Västerbottensost
This fantastic cheese served at the Nobel Prize Banquet annually is so hard to create that it can only be made in Brustrask, a little town in the North of Sweden. Legend has it that a meteorite hit the area making the land ridiculously rich in nutrients and hence, producing this cheese. Magical or impractical? We leave that to you to decide after a bite of this cheese.
Princess cake
A sponge cake made covered in green marzipan, this local dish will be the dessert you can indulge in without feeling overwhelmed by its richness. Well-loved by princesses in the 1900’s, you will certainly feel like royalty.
Vete-Katten
Address: Kungsgatan 55, 111 22 Stockholm, Sweden
Phone: +46 8 20 84 05
Thelins Konditori
Address: Sjukhusbacken 26, 118 61 Stockholm, Sweden
Phone: +46 8 720 33 11
