Top 10 Restaurants in Stockholm, Sweden
Myriads of Michelin stars illuminate Stockholm’s dining scene, making the Swedish capital a must-try foodie destination in Scandinavia. Combined with distinctive top class design, the city’s restaurant scene has all it takes to offer a unique dining experience for all tastes. With more superb destinations added, this update of our previous guide takes you through the ten best restaurants in Stockholm.
Mathias Dahlgren
Restaurant, Bar, Swedish, Vegetarian
Three different concepts come together and fuse at Mathias Dahlgren: Matsalen, Matbaren, and Matbordet, respectively ‘the dining room’, ‘the food bar’, and ‘the dining table’, all essentially Swedish both in their cuisine and in their exceptional design. One of the only two restaurants to have received such an accolade in Stockholm, Matsalen holds two Michelin stars, while Matbaren has also been awarded one. Launched in April 2014, Matbordet is Mathias Dahlgren’s new concept. Based on the idea of transforming cooking into an experience that both chef and guests share, Matbordet features a dense program of events with a limited number of guests per night and unique food creations.
Lux Dag för Dag
Brasserie, Restaurant, Swedish, European
Oaxen Krog & Slip
Bistro, Restaurant, Contemporary, Swedish, Northern European
While its name comes from its original location on the island of Oaxen, Oaxen Krog & Slip is now housed in new premises in the green spaces of Stockholm’s island of Djurgården. While the aim of Oaxen Slip is to propose mainly sharing platters in a Nordic bistro ambiance, Oaxen Krog is a Michelin-starred fine dining restaurant. A strong focus on locally sourced ingredients and sustainability marks Oaxen Krog’s cuisine, with most herbs picked from Scandinavia and vegetables grown on Djurgården. The six or ten-course menu offers specialties like reindeer and langoustine.
Gastrologik
Market, Restaurant, Swedish, European
The fruit of Jacob Holmström and Anton Bjuhr’s passion for excellent cuisine, Gastrologik opened its doors in the exclusive Ostermalm district of Stockholm in 2011. What drives the two young yet experienced chefs is the idea that the availability of seasonal produce should determine what goes on the menu and be the prime source for their cooking inspiration. The restaurant proposes innovative Scandinavian cuisine that evolves with the seasons and depends on how long each ingredient remains on the market. The menu can therefore change every week, by day, or even for every table. What doesn’t change, however, is the selection of fine wines to complement the dining experience.
Ekstedt
Running in the opposite direction to futuristic cuisine, Ekstedt brings Scandinavian cooking back to its most genuine roots. No electric cookers nor gas burners are to be found at this Michelin-starred restaurant run by chef Niklas Ekstedt, where food is prepared exclusively on fire pits, wood fired ovens, wood stoves, and burning coals. Driven by this concept, Ekstedt rediscovers tradition by being innovative, producing a ceaselessly evolving menu of seasonal vegetables, fish, meat, and game. As Nordic in its fare as it is in its design, the venue is decorated in light tones of timber and birch wood, combined with copper and leather.
Humlegårdsgatan 17, Stockholm, Sweden, +46 8 611 12 10
Operakällaren
Restaurant, European, Swedish
Nestled within the complex of the Royal Swedish Opera, Operakällaren has a history that dates back to 1787. The main dining hall is renowned for its sumptuous decor, its impressive chandeliers, the gilded panels and many mirrors reflecting the sparkly tones and lights. Chef des Cuisines Stefano Catenacci runs the kitchen and won the restaurant its first Michelin star in 2014. Accompanied by an extensive wine list, the chef’s seasonally developing haute cuisine includes options like hand-dived Fröya scallop with ravioli, dried tomato, and beurre blanc.
Djuret
Grill
Restaurant Frantzén
Restaurant, Swedish
Smak
Since its opening in 1999, Smak has revolved around an original and pioneering concept: instead of picking a dish, diners are invited to choose their food by flavor. A cuisine that hops across the five continents, proposing dishes inspired from the most diverse culinary traditions, Smak encompasses a range of tastes combined to produce tasting-size portions, each with a predominant flavor. If you decide to go for hazelnut for example, the dish will be a small portion of fritters duck, with foie gras and plum. The same applies to beverages, so guests can decide to taste a variety of wines and beers to go with however many tasting portions of flavors.
Oxtorgsgatan 14, Stockholm, Sweden, +46 8 22 09 52