Dining in Stockholm: My Personal Tips for Restaurants, Cafés, and Market Halls Travel Blog VIEL UNTERWEGS

When you think of food in Stockholm, you certainly think of the classics of Swedish cuisine: Meatballs and Cinnamon Buns. These small meatballs and the irresistible cinnamon rolls are a must-try for anyone looking to explore the culinary side of Sweden.

Having visited Stockholm six times, I finally noted down my personal tips for dining in Stockholm and embarked on another culinary adventure through the market halls, bakeries, cafés, and restaurants of the city. Here are my tips on what delicious treats you absolutely must try in the Swedish capital.

Feel inspired and let your taste buds experience the diversity of Stockholm! Go for it.

General Tips for Dining in Stockholm

Before we dive into our tips, let's give you some general advice for dining in Stockholm. Stockholm is expensive and often exceeds budgets.

How to Eat Affordably in Stockholm

Eating affordably in Stockholm is unfortunately a bit of a contradiction. Eating and drinking are simply expensive in Sweden.

At some point, we just stopped converting everything into Euros. Alcohol, in particular, can quickly cost double or even triple the price it would at home. Still, there are some money-saving tips if you're planning your city trip to Stockholm on a tight budget.

Lunch instead of Dinner: Many of the expensive restaurants also offer a cheaper lunch alternative. The menu may be a bit smaller but definitely not less delicious. Additionally, many popular restaurants are fully booked well in advance. You can often get a table much faster at lunchtime.
The daily special is cheaper. The lunch menu, known as "Dagensrätt" (Daily Special) or "Dagensmeny" (Daily Menu), is your second money-saving tip. These offers usually include a main dish, a free salad buffet, bread, butter, and water. In Stockholm, prices for this range between 125 and 165 SEK, while in other parts of Sweden you can find offers starting from 90-100 SEK. However, these offers are not available in the evening and à la carte service is provided.
For coffee and tea, it is advisable to seek out smaller cafés, as prices there are often lower.
Visit market halls. In market halls or food courts, you can eat more affordably than in restaurants. Especially in the city center around the Old Town, you often have to dig deep into your pockets. Here, you'll face tourist prices and often not the best food in the city.

Reviews and How We Find Good Restaurants

We are often asked how we find the best restaurants in Stockholm and other cities. Unfortunately, I can't answer this question generally. Every city is different. Often, we use Google, Yelp, or Tripadvisor.

For Stockholm, we ask friends who live here and read blogs that focus on food. Not necessarily in German, but rather in English or Swedish (which can also be translated). We also ask friends and acquaintances who have been to Stockholm for their highlights and recommendations regarding good food in the city. If we see great restaurants in magazines and books, we write them down in a list.

This takes a lot of time, but we love good food, and nothing can ruin a vacation like a bad meal.

Note: The ratings on search engines are often just a directional guide and should not be solely relied upon. More than once, I couldn't confirm the majority of comments, and tastes differ.

Payment and Tipping in Sweden

In Stockholm, credit cards are widely accepted and can be used in almost all restaurants, shops, and public transport. Apps like Swish are very popular in Sweden, but they are usually only available to locals. You won't need cash; even the smallest amounts can be paid by card (Read my tips here for the best travel credit card).

Tipping is not mandatory in Sweden, but appreciated for good service. If you do wish to leave a tip, 10% of the bill is common practice. It is customary in Sweden for each guest to receive their own bill, even in restaurants. You can ask the waiter for a "delad nota" (split bill).

Value-added tax and service charges are often included in the price on your bill. However, it is worth checking this again.

My Google Maps Guide for Stockholm

My tips come from several trips to Stockholm (I've been there more than 10 times) - not a generic travel guide, but real on-site knowledge, without artificial intelligence, and self-tested.

Here's what you can expect:

Favorite spots that I haven't posted about in my articles for Stockholm
All the subway art tour spots
The most beautiful sights in Stockholm - as visited by me, including tips
My favorite places and viewpoints, including insider tips
Restaurants, cafés, markets, bars & hidden food spots
Save yourself hours of research: with one click, you have all the locations on Google Maps

Typical Swedish Food in Stockholm

If you're in Stockholm, there are three things you absolutely must try:

Köttbullar: The famous Swedish meatballs, often served with mashed potatoes, lingonberry jam, and a cream sauce.
Kanelbullar: Swedish cinnamon rolls that you can find in almost every café and bakery. Simply delicious.
Prinsesstårta: A layered cake made of sponge cake, vanilla cream, and raspberry jam, covered with a layer of green marzipan. My Swedish friends love this cake.
Smörgåsbord: A buffet of cold dishes such as various kinds of fish, meat, and cheese.
Gravad Lax: Cured salmon, usually served with mustard sauce and crispbread.
Ärtsoppa: A traditional pea soup, often served with pancakes.
Surströmming: A very special fermented herring. Not for everyone, but a real Swedish experience. I have never tried it myself.

By the way: The Swedes love Fika! It's not a dish, but a Swedish tradition where coffee and pastries are enjoyed. A must for every visitor to Stockholm!

Teatern (Södermalm)

A trip to Stockholm would be incomplete without a visit to Södermalm. This island is a true paradise for shopping and foodies.

Teatern is located in the Ringen shopping center in Skanstull (Södermalm) and combines fine dining with the concept of a food court. Some of Sweden's most famous chefs share the 250 seats in the dining area, including Adam Dahlberg & Albin Wessman, Sayan Isaksson, and pastry chef Daniel Roos.

With nine constantly changing stalls, often run by Sweden's most renowned chefs, there's something for everyone. Whether pizza, ramen, seafood delicacies, kebab, or vegan treats - the selection is vast. Even the famous chef Magnus Fäviken had a stall here for a while, serving his exquisite sausages.

The concept of the food court is simple but effective: Everyone grabs their favorite meal and then enjoys it together in a stylish setting. Because besides delicious food, the Swedes also understand design and aesthetics. Thus, even a visit to a shopping mall food court becomes an unforgettable experience.

Food information: A selection from Swedish to international dishes such as ramen. We chose pizza.
The stalls in the food court change regularly, so you can always discover something new. Often, they are smaller offshoots of famous Swedish chefs offering their creations.

These Places in Södermalm You Should Visit:

In the west (Hornstull & Mariatorget):

Drop Coffee Roasters
Café Rival
Papercut (This store has magazines for all lovers of indie and lifestyle magazines as well as books)
Sandqvist (These cool backpacks)
Lakritsroten: Licorice in all variations

East of Södermalm, you will find Stockholm's trendiest district, SoFo (South of Folkungagatan). It not only shares a name with New York's Soho. In SoFo, you can find many small cafés, boutiques, and bars.

Den Gyldene Freden

Established in 1722, Den Gyldene Freden is one of the oldest continuously operating restaurants at the same location and the oldest preserved tavern in Stockholm. The restaurant has hosted many famous guests over its 300-year history and is now popular with both locals and tourists alike.

Thanks to its central location in Gamla Stan, everyone is sure to pass by at some point.

Östermal Saluhall for Swedish Delicacies

Years ago, the market hall in Östermalm was still a hidden gem, but now everyone knows about it. It's featured in every travel guide. Since the renovation in 2021, there are restaurants on the upper floor where you can dine excellently.

Here you will find all Swedish delicacies of the best quality. The aromas of the offered dishes and delicacies greet you as you enter the market hall. Did you know, for example, that there is bear sausage? Yes, in Sweden there are too many bears, so an annual quota is set for hunting starting in August. To my shame, I must say that the sausage was really delicious. I was able to try it during the food tour.

Additionally, there's reindeer and moose sausage, meat, fresh fish, and all the typical Swedish "Prinsesstårta"- truly everything a foodie desires. You can also take pre-packed meals to go or dine at one of the restaurants on site.

My friends who live in Stockholm regularly buy their fresh groceries and delicacies here.

Tips for Your Visit:

Princess cake in Stockholm during Food Tour — Princess cake in Stockholm photo by viel-unterwegs.de

Market hall in Östermalm, Stockholm photo by viel-unterwegs.de

Moose meat and bear sausage, Food Tour Stockholm photo by viel-unterwegs.de

Östermalms Saluhall, the oldest market hall in Stockholm photo by viel-unterwegs.de

Discover Nordic specialties on a food tour. I was surprised by what all is offered here. Did you know that there is bear sausage in Sweden?
Open hours: Monday to Friday: 9:30 AM - 7 PM; Saturday 9:30 AM - 5 PM. Restaurants are open longer.
Getting there: Östermalmstorg

Hötorgethallen Saluhall

Hötorgethallen Market Hall Stockholm photo by viel-unterwegs.de

The market hall in Södermalm is now known by everyone. How about the two-story market hall Hötorgetshallen at Hötorget? Unlike the Södermalm market hall, this market hall offers food and culinary delights from all over the world! The underground level is a true paradise of 40 stalls with delicacies and homestyle food from all around the world as well as Sweden. Here you can buy both your cooking ingredients and eat at the restaurants on site.

The quality of the food in Hötorgethallen is high, and there are many different dishes - from Asian to Mediterranean to Latin American. I love it here.

Open hours: Monday to Thursday: 10 AM - 6 PM, Friday 10 AM - 7 PM and Saturday 10 AM - 4 PM.
Getting there: Subway Hötorget, Address: Sergelgatan 29. The market is located underground.

Meatballs for the People

As the name suggests, classic Swedish meatballs are the centerpiece here. The place offers 14 different types of meatballs. Meatballs with spaghetti, tomato sauce, and parmesan or with risoni, asparagus, and spinach. In addition to the classic (beef/pork), you can also find different types of meat like chicken, wild boar, lamb, moose, reindeer, and bear as well as vegetarian options.

The ingredients mostly come from organic farms. In the lunchtime, cheaper prices are available.

Simply great! Only the service sometimes "slacks off" a bit, but it's worth it just for the delicious meatballs. Since the restaurant is quite popular, there may be waiting times. I recommend reserving a table or arriving very early.

Address: Nytorgsgatan 30, Södermalm Website: Meatball.se

SMÅK

When I visited a Swedish friend in Stockholm, he sent us to Småk (Taste). It's really expensive but offers an exceptional fine dining experience. You check which flavors you would like to choose for each course. You'll encounter some pretty crazy combinations that you would never put together yourself.

Unfortunately, I didn't take any photos of it. It was genius and worth every Swedish crown.

Do You Have Questions?

I hope you enjoyed this article and found it helpful in answering your questions. If you have any more ideas or questions, we look forward to your comment here on the travel blog.

If you don't have any questions: We still appreciate your feedback and if you share it with friends! Also, check out my other articles on Stockholm. This way, you'll be well-prepared for your trip:

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