Laid-back luxe foodie experiences

Good value bistro section at lauded fine dining restaurant

If you're after a buzzy bistro feel and a faultless sense of style, get yourself over to Djurgården and Oaxen Krog's bistro section, Slipen. Innovative interpretations of Swedish classics are served for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch, with views over the water. The good-looking and good value little sister restaurant to the adjacent Oaxen fine dining restaurant. 

By Mathias Dahlgren

Matbaren within the Grand Hôtel is one of Swedish super chef Mathias Dahlgren's restaurants. Seasonal medium-sized dishes are served at lunch and dinner, at the bar and smaller tables. A slightly more luxurious, but still laid-back, experience.

Sustainable experience in the Old Town

Djuret in the Old Town used to be very much a restaurant for meat lovers, but these days it's an equally good choice for vegetarians. They serve up a sustainable dining experience using the very best produce in season. Tuck into a whole tasting menu or take a seat at the bar and order a few dishes to share.

Imaginative fine dining

With an experienced trio of chefs behind the reins this ambitious neighbourhood restaurant serves imaginative, slightly luxurious small dishes with mainly Nordic and continental flavours. But Sensum is no stiff and starched fine dining restaurant - relaxed spontaneity with half the seats reserved for drop-in diners is the name of the game here.

Wine bar, soup kitchen and café

This celebrated spot in the Old Town is a real mecca for oenophiles and foodies alike. These days the restaurant consists of a wine bar, soup kitchen and café, which means that fantastic wines are served alongside small dishes, soups and quality coffee most of the day.

Relaxed and ambitious

In the former Old Town premises of world-famous fine-dining restaurant Frantzén, you'll now find this laid-back yet ambitious restaurant run by two friends with plenty of experience in the restaurant world. Choose from regularly updated Nordic small and medium-sized dishes served with carefully selected drinks.

Spanish flavours

This stylish restaurant on Roslagsgatan oozes Spanish and South American influences. Tuck into tapas and grilled meat and fish dishes surrounded by dark green tiled walls, quirky paintings and muted tones. They've set the standards high but the atmosphere is still delightfully laid back.

Worth a detour

Get yourself along to Gamla Enskede if you want to experience a much-lauded gustatory experience that won't break the bank. People come from all over town to enjoy both the food and the atmosphere. The team behind it are from the celebrated archipelago restaurant Svartsö Krog.

Captivating craftsmanship

Whether you're interested in design or not, let yourself be entranced by both the interiors and the food at this Östermalm restaurant. As the name suggests, craftsmanship is at the heart of the entire concept. Cocktails are also blended artisanally and perfectly complement the flavours of the food.

One for discerning sushi fans

In the mood for some primo sushi? Book a highly desirable spot at this celebrated sushi bar in Vasastan run by the former head chef of Råkultur and Imouto. There's only space for twelve diners and guests are served whatever the chef feels like cooking. The emphasis is on top-quality ingredients and the dining experience.

Spontaneous and unique

The uber-popular Lilla Ego is all about fleamarket finds, homemade tables and an open kitchen, and spontaneity is more important here than reservations. The menu includes original and innovative variations on Swedish flavours, like a Matjes herring sandwich and seaweed-cured cod. Tom Sjöstedt and Daniel Räms (Swedish Chef of the Year 2013) are the award-winning chefs behind the concept.

Coffee to small dishes

Lykke Kaffegårdar is about much more than just coffee. Their corner café on Nytorget serves excellent small dishes, cocktails, craft beers and natural wines. The atmosphere is relaxed and DJs spin vinyl here every week.

Always hot

Since day one, this popular fusion restaurant in Hornstull has been one of Stockholm's most beloved haunts. Their flavour-packed Japanese/Scandinavian medium-sized dishes are high on Stockholmers' lists of favourite restaurant dishes and the atmosphere is always fun and lively - not surprisingly when the place is packed with satisfied dinner guests.

Hyped cevicheria

Award-winning Aji y Ajo, which used to be in Hökarängen, may just be Scandinavia's first true cevicheria. As you would expect the Peruvian national dish, ceviche, citrus-cured raw fish, takes centre stage. And despite the hype, the restaurant's unpretentious and low-key, with very reasonable prices.

Fest for foodies

Fine dining meets street food at the much-hyped foodie haunt Nook on Södermalm. Ambitious and wallet-friendly three course menus in different price brackets are served here; one slightly simpler and a rather more luxurious one. Innovative flavours with Swedish, Korean and French influences for adventurous food-lovers. 

Brewery and dining experience

Hedda Spendrup hasn't just opened a brewery at Omaka, she's created a meeting place for anyone who enjoys food, drinks and exciting flavours. Beer from their own brewery is served alongside snacks and medium-sized dishes, allowing you and your group to experience a number of unique and innovative flavour combinations. Regarded by many as an extraordinary experience.

Fusion from Asia

Tako focuses on tasty fusion dishes with culinary influences from Japan and Korea. The menu includes sushi and grilled dishes, alongside signature dishes such as prime cuts of meat like wagyu beef and "Korean Glazed Ribs", as well as steamed buns and vegan alternatives. During the day they serve luxurious lunches and late in the evening you can enjoy their "late dining" concept along with nice tunes.

Exciting hole in the wall

When well-respected chefs Jim Hammargren and Jacob Nermark Hjelm lost their food truck to a fire they decided to open this ambitious neighbourhood restaurant in Vasastan. Take a pew on one of the carver chairs and tuck into innovative and constantly changing small dishes from all over the world.

Popular for good reason

Stockholmers flock to Agrikultur, time and time again. It's hard to get the restaurant's fried cheese balls and Caesar dressing-soaked salad out of your mind. Bar Agrikultur next to Nytorget is the sister restaurant to Agrikultur in Vasastan and serves medium-sized dishes along with delicious wines and beers - ask the knowledgeable staff for pairing suggestions.

Modern and playful

If Garba has escaped your attention it could well be time for a visit. Chefs Marion Ringborg and Linn Söderström are behind the reins of this popular restaurant and they run it very much their own way. They've created a welcoming atmosphere in the fantastic premises right next door to L'Avventura and serve food from morning until evening. You'll find playful dishes and natural wines on the menu, served in colourful, elegant surroundings with a relaxed aesthetic.

Luxury each and every day

Since the former gourmet restaurant Lux changed direction and became Dag för Dag, luxury has definitely become more of an everyday thing on the island of Lilla Essingen. The seasonal menu changes every day according to what ingredients are available and the prices are reasonable, particularly if you choose the takeaway option through the hole through to the kitchen around the back of the restaurant.

Complete experience with exotic influences

Under the reins of restaurateur Christian Hellberg, La Boca Doce aims to provide a complete experience for all the senses. The combination of food, drink, music and a great atmosphere lay the foundation for an unforgettable evening with friends or family. The kitchen and bar create dishes and cocktails with inspiration from South America and the Mediterranean - delicious and unique.

Local and sustainable

This incredibly popular spot on Mosebacke torg is well known for their exciting flavours and buzzy atmosphere. Their tasting menus are composed around different themes each season, with locally-produced, sustainable produce always at the forefront. Quality wines from small producers are among the drinks served with food.

Thai tapas

This tucked-away hole-in-the-wall restaurant at the far end of Folkkungagatan serves flavours that'll get your tastebuds tingling. The menu is Asian, with medium-sized dishes ideal for sharing. The decor is simple with a welcoming atmosphere that welcomes small and large parties alike.

Chez the chef

This home-dining restaurant is run by Johan Lindqvist, who previously worked at Berns Asiatiska and Den Gyldene Freden. A few days a week he opens up his home in Farsta just outside Stockholm and transforms it into a restaurant serving an international tasting menu with dishes that change every week.

Seasonal menu with a modern feel

Symbios is run by the team behind Barobao and Ichi but, instead of Asian influences, modern flavours from Scandinavia and France are the order of the day here. Like its sister restaurants, Symbios is in Södermalm, but in Nofo, close to Nytorget. The kitchen is run by Henrik Wittgren and Simon Eriksson, who cook according to the seasons.

Feel at home

Chef duo Daniel Haynes and Anders Karlsson, of the Swedish National Culinary Team, are the masterminds behind Animo. Their aim is to blur the boundaries between kitchen, bar and dining room and create an atmosphere in which everyone feels right at home. There's a focus on innovative cocktails that are just as ambitious as the cooking.

Seasonal ingredients

Prospero in Vasastan serves a set dinner menu in elegant yet rustic small servings from Tuesday to Saturday. The concept is all about ingredients, hand-selected according to the season and paired with natural wines. The restaurant always offers vegetarian alternatives.

Adam and Albin sister restaurant

Chef duo Adam Dahlberg and Albin Wessman, the team behind Adam/Albin, have followed up their success with Misshusmasshu in Birger Jarlspassagen shopping arcade. The gastronomic concept includes influences from Asia, South America and Sweden. It's often packed at lunchtime and dinnertime, as well as after-work and late in the evening.