9 Best Restaurants in Stockholm, Sweden

A haven for vegetarians, Hermans serves tasty, well-prepared plant-based food with influences from around the world. The glassed-in back deck and open garden both provide breathtaking vistas across the water of Stockholm Harbor, Gamla Stan, and the island of Djurgården. The food, served buffet style, includes various vegetable and pasta salads, roasted vegetables, vegetarian lasagna, casseroles, curries, hummus, and fresh-baked bread. On summer weekends there are also grilled items.

Vegetarians beware: at "The Animal," a cozy bistro on one of Gamla Stan's cobblestoned streets, you can dine on innovative two-week rotating meat-centric menus, although a three-course vegetarian menu can also be selected. One type of organic meat is chosen every two weeks, and a brand-new sustainable menu is designed around every edible part of the animal. For example, if fallow deer is on the menu, dishes might include venison fillet served with braised root vegetables, sautéed spinach, and crispy bacon, or deer shanks and sausages flavored with foie gras and Port wine and served with shallots, pickled celery, and potatoes. Also on offer is the "Walking Dinner"---a chance to walk the block, visiting Djuret and sister venues Tweed, La Ragazza, and the Burgundy, eating a signature dish at each (SKr 3,500 with beverages, available Thursday--Saturday). The main restaurant has only a prix-fixe menu (three or six courses), and prices vary by the meat served; courses can be purchased à la carte only at the bar.

Chef Björn Frantzén creates exquisite dishes using imagination, passion, and a little science—a combination that has earned his restaurant Sweden’s first (and so far only) Michelin three-star rating. The extensive tasting menu, which changes daily, is the only option, so eating here is extremely expensive but also unforgettable. Every meal begins in the lounge bar with appetizers, then moves to the downstairs dining room, where chefs present every dish personally. The experience concludes with dessert back in the lounge bar. Wine and non-alcoholic pairing menus are available, though you can also order separately off the huge wine list. Note that reservations for the following month are released at 10 am local time on the first day of each month, and you need to be quick to snatch one up.

Grill specializes in high-quality meat cuts grilled according to your taste. Create a family-style dinner, including five appetizers and a choice of various steak cuts, or select from the à la carte grilled steaks, Wagyu beef, lamb asado, tuna teppanyaki, or grilled vegetarian meal. The restaurant is divided into several dining rooms, each decorated according to a specific theme such as carnival, hunting cabin, library, tropical beach, Moulin Rouge, and Orient Express.

On the island of Lilla Essingen, just off the western end of Kungsholmen, this former Electrolux household appliance factory (hence the name) is now a farm-to-table bistro serving delicious Swedish cuisine. Chef-owner Henrik Norström and his team use seasonal Swedish produce (listing its source wherever possible), which they then prepare with creative, modern twists to produce outstanding dishes. The decor is simple yet elegant, with light flooding the restaurant through enormous windows during the day. In fine weather, meals are also served on the outdoor terrace overlooking the water.

Located inside the Grand Hôtel, this informal bistro has large windows, colorful floor tiles, and a horseshoe-shaped bar that together create an atmosphere of casual elegance. The menu changes frequently and focuses on Swedish and international dishes such as salted cod, lamb, seared beef, and arctic char, beautifully prepared using fresh Scandinavian ingredients. Portion sizes are moderate, so guests typically order more than one dish.

Still in the same location as when it opened in 1897, "The Prince" serves both traditional and modern Swedish cuisine, but it's the traditional that brings most people here. The restaurant is rightly known for its shrimp salad, hand-rolled meatballs, and Wallenbergare, a classic dish of veal, cream, and peas. The interior is rich with mellow, warm lighting, dark-wood paneling, and leather chairs and booths. Downstairs, you'll find a bar and a space for larger parties.

This massive restaurant with two huge bars is a complete social, architectural, and dining experience that surrounds you with wood paneling, leather chairs and sofas, and distinctive lighting fixtures. In the elegant dining room, fine Swedish cuisine is served, but the scene is as much social as culinary. There's a bar directly facing Stureplan, where you can sit on a summer night and watch Stockholmers gather at the nearby Svampen (the mushroom-like concrete structure that has been the city's meeting point for years). Upstairs are two bars that fill well into the night with young people and loud music.

Located along the Nybroviken waterfront in central Stockholm, Wedholms Fisk serves almost exclusively seafood, simply but beautifully prepared. The menu is divided by fish type, with a number of dish options for each type of fish. Shellfish dishes are also available but require at least two days’ advance notice. High ceilings, large windows, and tasteful modern paintings by featured artists create an airy, sophisticated space to match the elegance of the cuisine.