What to eat in Stockholm? (while being thrifty)
- Dhivenya Rajarathinam
- Mar 19, 2020
- 5 min read
The preconceived notion that most people have when they think of Scandinavian countries is that everything is super pricey, so I had to go there to see for myself! Moreover, I visited Stockholm in December when flight tickets to Nordic countries are insanely low compared to other destinations, probably because many fear that it would be too cold to visit.
Let me be the one to tell you this, winter is definitely bearable as long as you are well covered up. I even managed to go around in a skirt when it was -2°C, with just a few breezy scares! You would definitely be good to go with proper thermals, good sweaters, a pair of gloves (essential) and a winter jacket. In December, we got around 5 hours of sunlight so we planned our activities around that. Furthermore, my boyfriend being a huge foodie planned our itinerary around places to eat.
Here are my top 5 picks on where and what to eat in Stockholm, while sticking to a budget:
1. MEATBALLS FOR THE PEOPLE
You absolutely can't leave Sweden without trying their meatballs. No, not just the manufactured ones at IKEA but something more ecologic, of quality and would remind you of your grandma's cooking. Meatballs for the People may sound a little touristy but their meatballs definitely do the name justice. They claim to serve tasty meatballs and that is exactly what they do. Only organic ingredients are used and all meatballs are gluten free (except for beef). You even have a vast array of meat options to choose from ranging from chicken all the way to moose and bear.
This dish was made up of classic meatballs topped with a creamy gravy, served with lingonberries, potato purée and pickles cucumbers on the side. Everything about this dish was impeccable. The meatballs were soft, full of flavour and even the sides were spot on!
The Hipster comes originally with moose meatballs, served with mushroom risotto, pickled onions and herbs.
PRO TIP:
Save money by dining during lunch (grab a table between 11.00 and 11.30) All dishes costs 95SEK/8.48€ which is literally half the original price.
Book a table in advance! This restaurant is so popular that there is always a queue and people are willing to wait.
CONTACTS:
Website: http://meatball.se/en-se
Instagram: @meatballsforthepeople
2. HERMANS
One of the things about Sweden that amazes me is that 1 out of 10 Swedish identify as vegetarian or vegan. Hermans is a plant-based buffet restaurant that strives to be as eco-friendly as possible, making it Stockholm's greenest buffet. It brings together vegetarian food from all around the world and you get a dreamy view as you dine!
I was really excited to try out this plant- based buffet as I am pretty open to the idea of sustainable eating. Even my boyfriend who loves his meat was pleasantly surprised by how much flavour there was in the food. Here's what we managed to eat:
Despite being full after having 3 rounds each, we tried out their Apple and Walnut cake because there is always room for dessert. The two of us loved the experience at Hermans so much that we went back for seconds before leaving Stockholm. It was genuinely one of the best restaurants, with one of the best views.
PRO TIP:
Dine in during lunch as it costs 140SEK/12.80€ compared to the dinner price, 220SEK/20€. Students on the other hand pay 140SEK for both lunch and dinner upon the presentation of your student card.
Call or head over to their website to reserve their table as it is a popular buffet spot.
CONTACTS:
Website: https://hermans.se/en/
Instagram: @hermans_givepeasachance
3. KAJSAS FISK AT HÖTORGSHALLEN
Kajsas fisk was opened since 1984 in the Hötorgshallen food market. What better thing to have on a cold winter day than a big warm bowl of soup packed with prawns, clams and aioli? We got to enjoy a simple but rich bowl of soup, and they certainly do not skimp on the seafood portion! If you do not try this when in Stockholm, I can guarantee that you would be missing out. I'm not very much of a soup person but this soup was *chef's kiss*.
CONTACTS:
Website: https://kajsasfisk.com/
Instagram: @kajsasfisk
4. ESPRESSO HOUSE
This is for all you coffee- lovers out there! Espresso House is basically the Starbucks of Sweden, but better. It is THE coffee leader in the Nordic region inspired by Italian coffee culture. You can find Espresso House's everywhere, sometimes even 2 coffee shops on the same street.
I oddly went there not for the coffee but instead for the scones. (Don't ask me why I was craving scones in the middle of Stockholm) The smell of fresh pastries and coffee immediately greeted us when we walked through the door.
I got my scones and my boyfriend ordered a latte. We did not have any expectations but the latte struck a perfect balance between creamy and smooth. The scones were amazing as well! Besides the great coffee and pastries, the interior is a great testament to Scandi design.
CONTACTS:
Website: https://espressohouse.com/
Instagram: @espressohouse
5. MAX HAMBURGERS
Max Hamburgers is probably the best discovery we made in Stockholm. Not only is it one of the first hamburger chains in Sweden, Max is the world's first climate- positive burger chain offering a huge variety of plant- based burgers as well. They have a detailed explanation on how their burgers help our climate.
Eager to try what beef tastes like since I grew up not eating it, I ordered the Delifresh Plant Beef burger and my boyfriend had the Umami Halloumi and oh my lord, I never had a burger that tasted as good. The patty was so juicy which was surprising since it was plant- based. According to my boyfriend, he would have thought that it was pure beef if he had to do a blind taste test.
We went back for seconds of course and tried other options but the Delifresh Plant Beef burger remained the best. I loved the experience at Max as it strives to prove that you can enjoy a good burger while being sustainable. If Max were to expand outside of the Nordic region, McDonald's and Burger King would definitely be threatened and I absolutely can't wait for Max to come to France.
CONTACTS:
Website: https://www.maxburgers.com/
Instagram: @maxburgers
BONUS PRO TIP: TheFork
TheFork is a mobile application that allows you to book tables in restaurants and offers great discounts. We made a reservation at Tabberaset since we could get 50% off for dinner via the app. Tabberaset is a small cozy restaurant that mainly serves traditional Swedish cuisine. We tasted 5 unique plates, and the bill came up to 30€ for the two of us.
CONTACTS:
TheFork's Website: https://www.thefork.com/
Tabberaset's Website: https://tabberaset.com/
That concludes my foodie adventure in Stockholm! The capital of Scandinavia has a lot to offer and is probably one of my top 5 travel destinations. As a general rule, the living cost of Stockholm is very much like London or Paris when it comes to how much you would probably spend on food, and accommodation and transport is more reasonable in comparison. I hope that I have managed to ease your doubts about travelling to the Nordic region. Do not worry too much about the cold, and enjoy :)
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