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As the most populous city in the Nordic region, and the capital of Sweden, Stockholm is a metropolis encapsulating different influences from all around the world. From traditional Swedish cuisine to new and exciting fusions, deciding what and where to have your dinner can be a difficult choice. Here is a round up of some of the best restaurants in the city’s most central Norrmalm district.

The Royal Opera

Farang

In the eastern part of the central Norrmalm district lies Farang, a pan-Asian experience brandishing food from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam in an extensive menu. In an informal yet refined environment, delicious food, classic cocktails and sharing platters packed with flavors are served. Gaining favorable and enthusiastic reviews across the board, Farang has secured its reputation as one of the best places for Asian cuisine in the entire city. Housed in an old industrial building, the rustic décor adds to a cool, urban dining experience.

Brasseriet Operan

Restaurant, French, European

Together with its sister establishments, Brasseriet Operan is one of the restaurants inside the Royal Swedish Opera. Rooms are richly decorated, newly restored and fantastically presented in the basement of the building, which is from the middle of the 18th century. In addition to this, the restaurant offers a refined and relaxed atmosphere in royal surroundings. Serving meals from a Swedish and French repertoire, Brasseriet aims to provide lighter meal options as well as an extensive drinks menu in one of Stockholm’s most attractive locations.

B.A.R. - Blasieholmens Akvarium o Restaurang

Bar, Restaurant, Seafood

Oysters
Courtesy of B.A.R.
Located on the Blasieholmen peninsula in the southern part of the Norrmalm district, an area experiencing a revival in recent years, B. A. R – Blasieholmen Aquarium and Bar, is a popular seafood grill, serving fresh seafood straight from their own aquariums. A family-run restaurant focused on the quality of their produce, B.A.R. is a place dedicated to serve only the very best fish and shellfish to its customers. With a seasonably adapted menu, a great selection of cocktails and a hip location, this restaurant allows for a wonderfully tasty experience along the seaside.

Smak

Restaurant, Swedish

Smak Table
Courtesy of Smak
In the very center of the Norrmalm district is Smak, an innovative concept restaurant aimed at enhancing, as its name dictates, flavor. Guests are given the choice of having three, five or seven different dishes, each named after their dominant flavor. The creative concept also encompasses drinks that are served in smaller glasses, allowing diners to taste as many as they want. Smak is an excellent choice for anyone looking for a refined and creative dinner in the central parts of Stockholm.

Seikoen

Restaurant, Japanese

Sailing Sushi
© Alan Bloom/Flickr
One of the first places to serve sushi in the Swedish capital, Seikoen offers a wide selection of traditional Japanese dishes, sushi, dumplings, and tempuras in a modern setting. With a choice of several kinds of sake and a wine menu adapted to the Japanese palate, Seikoen has been the recipient of the award for best restaurant in their price category by the daily newspaper, Dagens Nyheter. Authentic Japanese food made with the best quality ingredients, and a spectacular view of the Stockholm harbor, Seikoen should be your go-to place for great value delicacies.

Volt

Restaurant, Swedish, Contemporary

Awarded a coveted Michelin star, Volt can proudly flaunt a short, but extremely satisfying menu. The restaurant emphasises the seasonal adaptability of their ingredients, and on making sure that they are taken ‘straight from the woods, the sea and the fields.’ Moving away from the industrial and towards the natural, Volt serves bold, unusual dishes in a casual and unassuming setting in the outskirts of the Norrmalm district. Volt is one example proving once again that the Nordic cuisine is well established in the Swedish capital.

Döden i Grytan

Restaurant, Italian

Matbaren Interior
Courtesy of Matbaren
Located in the northern part of the Norrmalm borough is Döden i Grytan, a Stockholm classic with what has been deemed the best Italian food in town. Serving authentic, homemade Italian dishes with a wide selection of pasta, risottos, meats and fish, this restaurant is a sure satisfaction for any Italian craving. In warm and cozy interiors, with a hearty food and drinks selection, Döden i Grytan remains a Stockholm favorite for a reason.

Matbaren

Restaurant, Bar, Swedish, Vegetarian

Out on the trendy Blaiseholmen lies the Grand Hotel that houses several restaurants under the supervision of Mathias Dahlgren, Sweden’s only gold medallist in the prestigious Bocuse d’Or competition. Matbaren serves lighter and smaller dishes, as a simpler alternative to its two Michelin star awarded neighbor and sister restaurant Matsalen. Matbaren therefore becomes an upscale dining experience in a more casual setting, where guests are encouraged to eat as many of the smaller dishes as they want from the à la carte menu.

Kungshallen

Food Court, Restaurant, Swedish

Kungshallen
© Jo/Flickr
If you’re looking for a quick but tasty meal and find yourself in the middle of Stockholm, Kungshallen might just be the perfect destination for you. With a wide selection from several restaurants over two floors, Kungshallen serves as a giant food court with hundreds of different foods on display. With a number of different international cuisines represented, you are at liberty to pick whatever you want and enjoy a diverse, tasty and wholesome meal at a very fair price.

Smörgåstårteriet

Restaurant, Swedish

Norrmalm
© Solis Invicti/Flickr
Smörgåstårteriet has a solid reputation among visitors as well as locals. With a seven course tasting menu at a fair price, this restaurant presents the absolute best the Nordic and Scandinavian kitchen has to offer, with innovative and creative dishes focused on the Swedish cuisine. In aesthetically pleasing surroundings, the original interpretations of traditional Swedish ingredients gather raving customer reviews. Smörgårstårteriet creates a unique and truly special dining experience at one of Stockholm’s finest addresses.

About the author

A fourth year English Literature student at the University of Edinburgh, Linn is currently struggling through her dissertation, while figuring out what to do with the rest of her life. Originally from Norway, she is passionately interested in anything to do with travel, languages, literature, popular culture, and the arts, and the very best she can to incorporate as many of these elements into her everyday life. Linn has two cats, whom she misses dearly while away from home.

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