Meatballs at Restaurant Prinsen

Best Stockholm restaurants for traditional Swedish food

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When visiting Stockholm, be sure to sample some traditional Swedish food. The city offers a variety of restaurants to suit every budget. Here’s a list of our favorite spots to enjoy classic Swedish dishes. Whether you’re in the mood for hearty meatballs or fresh seafood, these restaurants showcase the best of Sweden’s culinary heritage.

Tradition

The restaurant Tradition specializes in classic Swedish cuisine, offering traditional recipes. It’s a great place to sample Swedish meatballs, “rimmad lax” (cured salmon with creamy dill potatoes), or kroppkakor (potato dumplings filled with pork, served with browned butter and lingonberries). We especially enjoy their butter mixed with Swedish caviar, which enhances the flavor of the bread while you wait for the main dish.

Prinsen

The restaurant Prinsen specializes in traditional Swedish dishes, often with a modern twist. It’s an excellent place to sample classics like Wallenbergare or Swedish homemade meatballs. Established in 1897, Prinsen has a rich history and is one of Stockholm’s oldest and most iconic restaurants. The charming, old-world atmosphere adds to the dining experience.

Tennstopet (Vasastan, mid-range)

Restaurant Tennstopet  has a classic, old-world charm with traditional Swedish decor, giving it a cozy and nostalgic ambiance. This is a great choice for trying some classical Swedish dishes such as  “raggmunk”, potato pancakes with fried pork and lingonberries, or Swedish meatballs served with lingonberries, mashed potatoes, and gravy.

Pelikan (Södermalm, mid-range)

The restaurant Pelikan is located in an old Art Nouveau building in the Södermalm district. The restaurant’s interior is characterized by high ceilings, large windows, and classic wooden furniture, creating a spacious and nostalgic atmosphere reminiscent of early 20th-century dining halls. Their menu features classical Swedish dishes and we recommend trying their creamy hash called “Doppsko” (a traditional Swedish dish with diced potatoes, meat, and onions, cooked with cream), served with an egg yolk on top and beets, or their vegetarian “kroppkakor” (Swedish potato dumplings filled with porcini mushrooms).

Konstnärsbaren (Östermalm, expensive)

Konstnärsbaren, or KB as the locals often call it, has long been a favorite gathering for artists, intellectuals, and creatives. It is located in Konstnärshuset (translates to The Artists’ House), which is an art gallery and a place for artists to meet. Hence the name Konstnärsbaren, which translates to “The Artists’ Bar.”  Konstnärsbaren is a great place to try classical Swedish dishes such as Wallenbergare (which is also available in a vegetarian version), Swedish cured salmon, or Swedish herring.

Mom’s Kitchen

Mom’s Kitchen offers affordable traditional Swedish home-style cooking (“husmanskost”, in Swedish). The meals are pre-cooked, stored in plastic takeaway containers, and microwaved when ordered. This approach probably mainly caters to locals looking for a quick lunch to bring with them to the office, but many guests also eat at the restaurant. While the presentation could be better, note that this is after all a budget-friendly option. We tried their Swedish meatballs, which, after heating, was of course served on a normal plate – and we were not disappointed.

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