The guide to cosy restaurants in Vasastan

If you're pining for the mountains, Knut is the place to go. This Norrlandic restaurant on Upplandsgatan is furnished with mismatched chairs, rustic wooden tables, rag rugs and antlers and serves Suovas (smoked reindeer meat) and other flavours from the beautiful wide open spaces of northern Sweden.

Spanish influences meet Swedish ingredients at this popular bar and restaurant on Odengatan. Thirsty post-work drinkers and hungry dinner guests alike come to hang out in relaxed surroundings. Take a pew in the modern but welcoming environment and feel at home.

Capitol is not just an elegant cinema; it also houses an equally charming bistro of the same name. They believe that dining is about socialising, so the dishes are smaller and designed to be shared with companions for a social experience around the table. Echoes of the past are evident, and the restaurant has been renovated carefully to retain its original 1920s charm.

Do you have a soft spot for authentic Italian cuisine? This Italian restaurant on Tulegatan has all the elements you need for a really special evening with your family, friends or a date - a passion for food and a warm, intimate atmosphere.

This modern gastropub on Luntmakargatan brings a taste of London to Stockholm and has high ambitions both food and drinks-wise. They serve up a stylish experience complete with candlelight and cloth napkins in the dining room. Come for dinner or round off the week with a large weekend family lunch.

The Sthlm Tapas team have travelled far and wide to gather inspiration for the exciting small dishes on the menu. Fresh, healthy ingredients take centre stage here, transformed into dishes with international influences and served as soon as they're ready from the open kitchen. Enjoy your meal in the southern European-style restaurant, with exposed brick walls and patterned floor tiles. 

You'll find Villa Romana in a multi-storey building on Odenplan. On the street level, with large, arched windows, is the main dining room; upstairs, there's a balcony with space for a smaller group; and downstairs is the 'bakficka'. Enjoy lunch and dinner here with Italian flavours.

Noorm offers an authentic neighbourhood bistro feel, with a homely atmosphere and a personally decorated venue. Enjoy a sharing dinner with influences from around the world, tuck into a hearty plate of home-cooked food, or simply have a drink at the bar. If you're lucky, you might even be invited to the slightly secretive BakomBaren, which is rumoured to be a cosy hideaway with lush ivy, dark wooden furniture, and an extensive cocktail menu. 

If you're in the mood for cosy vibes and Italian classics, head down to Capri Due in Birkastan. In addition to the restaurant itself, the sister restaurant next door is a traditional pizzeria with authentic flavours and checked tablecloths. Come by with a date, or with family and friends.

This intimate bistro and wine bar on Sankt Eriksplan aims to provide a warm, welcoming eating and dining experience. They serve the wines the owners themselves like, along with small and slightly larger dishes with southern European flavours. You can also drop by for a cup of coffee and a digestif.

At this charming neighbourhood restaurant, they've created a warm, cosy feeling with exposed brick walls and tones in rust red, mustard yellow, and green. Acazia takes their guests on a culinary journey to sunny Portugal, with authentic dishes and plenty of grilled food. The restaurant is run by a passionate team who aim to create the same welcoming atmosphere you'll find in the small food spots of Lisbon.

A few steps down from Roslagsgatan 4, enter a world of muted lighting, red velvet furniture and classic white tablecloths. Capannone is Vasastan's answer to New York's Little Italy, with authentic Italian dishes such as fresh pasta on the menu. Come by for a negroni in the bar or a full Italian evening with both food and drinks. 

Las Brasas is inspired by the cuisine and culture of South America and Spain. The emphasis is on grilled dishes and tapas served among green tiled walls and contemporary yet cosy decor. Ideal for a relaxed, sociable dinner.

Mondo has created a cosy Spanish hangout with patterned carpets, fringed lamps and sofas in the windows. Once you've got a cerveza safely in your hand, the challenge is choosing from the thirty or so tapas dishes on the menu, with flavours from Spain and the Mediterranean, as well as Mexico and Latin America. After that, just sit back and let the kitchen take care of you.

Panza's decor is a colourful combination of playful details and Italian postmodernism, creating sunny surroundings reminiscent of Italian trattorias. And since when does anyone say no to Italian vibes? Come here for lunch with colleagues, a post-work drink with a friend, or dinner with family.

Authentic Persian food is not the only draw at Tehran Grill. The atmospheric setting is also an important part of the experience - diners eat among candelight and romantic interiors.

At Holy Cow there's plenty to choose from – curries, sizlars, soft naan bread and refreshing desserts. There are also lots of options for both meat-eaters and vegetarians and vegans. Their Vasastan restaurant is a cosy hole-in-the-wall with exposed brick walls and a spot to sit by the window upstairs if you're lucky.

This charming little cellar restaurant on Frejgatan oozes authentic Italian romance. Sit among the stone vaults and enjoy classic Italian dishes such as rustic pasta dishes and antipasti by candlelight.

Gather your friends and family around steaming fondue pots and cook your own food at the table. Fondueboden serves the Swiss national dish, fondue, in cosy, Alpine-inspired surroundings. An easy place to spend the whole evening eating and hanging out.

Forget stark and sterile interiors - this award-winning restaurant is decorated like an exotic Indian bazaar. Shanti Touch of Bengal was the first restaurant in Stockholm to focus on Bengali homecooking, and you're guaranteed an atmospheric experience.