The guide to the best cafés in Stockholm

This organic artisan bakery and popular café is housed in a former customshouse on Skeppsbrokajen. Have a coffee and cinnamon bun or sourdough sandwich and enjoy the view over the water, either indoors or outside when weather allows.

Judging by the classic interiors, this is a very traditional Swedish café. The atmosphere is laid-back and homely, perfect for anyone wanting to stay a while and work, eat lunch with friends or have a coffee in peace and quiet. Yet the menu is modern and on-trend, with Insta-friendly avocado on toast, smoothie bowls, omelettes and Asian salads. An excellent combination of two worlds.

Alfred Hellström first opened a bakery at his parents' farm in Svedjan in Västerbotten. He used fresh milk from the farm and baked bread and pastries with truly locally sourced ingredients. In 2020, he opened Svedjan in Zinkensdamm, a cosy café in a corner location where delicious coffee, baked goods, and sandwiches are sold – all still made with Svedjan's milk. You'll also find a branch of the bakery on Katarina Bangata. 

Stora Bageriet is run by veterans in the café industry, the same team who run Gast. The menu includes specialty coffee, sourdough bread and other photogenic dishes.

The gang behind KJ's Cookies call Hagastan “Little New York”, which of course suits them perfectly – here it's all about American cookies. The whole process from flour to the finished cookie is carefully designed to create the very best cookies, from ingredients to methods.

Exposed brick walls, bistro chairs and top-notch ingredients. Pascal has quickly become a favourite café of in-the-know Stockholmers and both branches are stylish and ambitious - whether you're after breakfast, lunch or just a fantastic fika.

Ritorno is one Stockholm's few remaining classic konditoris where it feels as though time has stood still since the 1930s. Take a seat for lunch or breakfast, or coffee and dinner. During the summer months you can eat al fresco, with views over Vasa Park.

Friends Frida Bäcke and Bedros Kabranian run Socker Sucker on Drottninggatan, where they bake pastries that are as beautiful as they are delicious. The venue is minimalist, with simple wooden furniture and minimal distractions, allowing the pastries to truly speak for themselves.

If you're craving a great espresso and a fun, lively atmosphere, drop by this popular coffee bar in the middle of town. Sosta started out as a small hole-in-the-wall, but today the space has grown and the menu has expanded to include pizza and wine. At the counter, you'll also find sandwiches, pastries, and gelato.

A real Stockholm classic in the heart of town with a charming atmosphere and updated café and konditori selection. Sit and enjoy a long fika break in one of their many rooms, or take a seat in the inner courtyard in good weather. Vete-Katten has been on Kungsgatan since 1928 and their large range includes homemade chocolates.

Gilda’s Rum is a popular and cosy café with a distinct boho-chic vibe à la your kitschy grandmother. Settle into an armchair with a cuppa and pastry in hand. The candlelit interior offers a cheerful respite; during the summer the sun-drenched terrace facilitates prolonged coffee-sessions.

With their decadent French pastries, freshly-baked bread, excellent breakfast deals and homemade lunches, Fosch Artisan Pâtisserie draws in the crowds from morning until dinner time. In 2018 they won a prestigious award for Stockholm's best café.

Sweets by Camilla is baking influencer Camilla Hamid's café. They serve baked goods with a twist, all made from Camilla's own recipes. As the name suggests, sweet treats such as cookies, brownies, and soft cakes take centre stage here, while savoury items take a back seat.

If you like to enjoy breakfast all day, you should visit LA-inspired Banacado in Vasastan. Plant-based superfood is served here in charming pastel-coloured surroundings. Choose from colourful and nutritious smoothies, bowls, sourdough toasts and salads, or grab a coffee, a matcha latte or juice. Everything is gluten-free and free from refined sugar, and most of it is organic.

Stora Henriksvik is situated on the water's edge on the city-centre island of Långholmen, surrounded by a leafy garden. This historic café serves delicious cakes and pastries, as well as lunch dishes such as salad and soup. Much of their selection is organic and extremely locally produced - they use fruit and berries grown in their own kitchen garden.

A truly classic café is Gunnarsons in Skanstull, where time has practically stood still since its opening in 1946. Buy pastries and bread from the in-house bakery on the ground floor, or head upstairs and enjoy food and coffee on the upper floor.

At Snö, it's all about gelato, made with really good ingredients by a trained ice cream master. The flavours vary from day to day, and on sunny days, the queue often stretches far along Odengatan. They also serve lunch in the form of fresh pasta.

Tobias and Sara who run Bergstrand's Bakery first opened a café on the island of Utö. It became so popular that they wanted to open a second in the city – and so they did, much to the delight of many. The popular buns and breads sometimes create queues, they're that popular, and the fact that Bergstrand's won first place in That's Up's Great Cinnamon Bun Test 2023 speaks volumes about the quality. 

Coffee from Johan & Nyström's roastery is served at various spots around Stockholm, but if you want to get the full experience you should visit their own coffee bar at Mariatorget. Sit down with an espresso and maybe a bun or sandwich in the middle of Södermalm. During the summer months, they open up their popular outdoor seating area on Swedenborgsgatan.

On bustling Västerlånggatan in the Old Town, it's all about ice cream in large quantities, at least at Kula Stockholm. This cosy and slightly nostalgic café sells ice cream, milkshakes, waffles, smoothies, and good coffee to enjoy on the spot or on the go. 

Annika and Lovisa, the mother and daughter team who run this popular café, have brought a small corner of France to Stockholm. The French are experts in exactly what this duo love: food, coffee, croissants, talking to people and hanging out in cafés.

Take a trip out to Herrängens Gård by Fruängen where you can go for a walk in leafy surroundings around Lake Långsjön before stopping for a cosy coffee or lunch at this historic house or in the outdoor dining area. They serve hearty lunch dishes and delicious cakes and pastries for the sweet-toothed.

In recent years, American-style cookies have become extremely popular in Sweden, and someone who knows how to make them really delicious is Kaja at Krümel. She transforms Swedish flour, butter, and eggs into crispy, luscious cookies that are best enjoyed at home, as there are only few seats available.

Mellqvist is an institution in the heart of Rörstrandsgatan, attracting both regulars and passers-by for a coffee or a bite to eat. The café originally started as a hole-in-the-wall, but nowadays there's plenty of space and they also have a window for those who want to grab their coffee and sandwich on the go. The generous opening hours are another bonus.

Buns and bread galore are served at this popular spot close to Östra Station. The two-storey industrial-style café serves both sweet and savoury treats and you can eat in or grab your goodies to go.

In what used to be the PUB department store building on Hötorget, you'll now find the Haymarket by Scandic hotel with its restaurant, bar and café, Gretas on the ground floor. Enjoy a healthy fika in updated 1920s surroundings inspired by the heyday of Greta Garbo. A light, airy meeting place that also has an outdoor dining area open in the summer months. 

Breakfast for lunch? Or perhaps even as an early dinner? That's the name of the game at Pom & Flora, which has been running on an all-day breakfast concept since it started many years ago. Bowls, porridge, sandwiches, juice, coffee; if that sounds like your kind of thing, then head to one of their three cafés.

Il Caffè is a favourite of freelancers, so it's often full of laptop-wielding hipsters working on their next pitch. If you want to get in with the in-crowd, head to one of the cafés which can be found in Kungsholmen and Södermalm - and in LA, but hey, it's Stockholm's best cafés we're talking about here.

You'll find Lykke Kaffegårder a stone's throw from Nytorget in Södermalm, serving everything from coffee to food and cocktails. They're open all day, so drop by for an espresso, something to eat, or post-work drink. They're passionate about coffee and the coffee they serve comes from farms in which they're part-owners.

In Årsta, in southern Stockholm, Josephine Baker is a cosy café run by two accomplished pastry chefs. The ovens are kept warm from morning until evening, so whether you're craving a breakfast sandwich or a freshly baked bun for your coffee break, you'll find what you fancy here. Among the offerings are also homemade soft serve ice cream, chocolate pralines, and French-inspired pastries.

Stadsmissionen's café Grillska Huset has gathered inspiration from around the world and created a menu based on quality ingredients and craftsmanship. If you'd rather indulge in cakes and pastries, you won't be disappointed in the slightest. There's an in-house bakery known to be one of the best in town. During the summer, the cosy outdoor seating in the courtyard opens up, a hidden gem among the winding cobblestone streets of the Old Town.

Take a walk out to Vinterviken and enjoy coffee and cake in the cosy old factory just a stone's throw from the water. At Winterviken, homemade pastries and homemade lunch are served in rustic surroundings. The outdoor seating area is also open year-round and is a popular oasis when the sun comes out.

When you're in the mood to try something a bit different, head to Dirty Coco, where they serve up decadent desserts such as pancakes, waffles, chocolate fondue and ice cream with toppings. Eat in unique, completely pink premises, covered with thousands of flowers.

Tösse gained notoriety for their semmel wrap, i.e. a semla Lenten bun in the form of a wrap, but they make equally delicious cakes and pastries during the other months of the year. Several of the staff have been part of the national chef team and the national pastry team, and even won pastry chef of the year - including Mattias Ljungberg, who runs the café and is one of Sweden's and the world's best-known pastry chefs.

Amidst Bergius Botanical Garden an old conservatory has been converted into lovely café and farmers market complete with an outdoor terrace for sunny afternoons. Gamla Orangeriet offers fresh pastries, food and coffee from a local coffee roaster. The café is a popular destination, be it summer or winter.

This concept at this Nytorget café fits right in in the hip surroundings of Södermalm. This means healthy, fresh and colourful dishes for breakfast, brunch, lunch and coffee, often vegan and gluten-free.

This quaint bakery has been located on Kungsholmen since the 1920s. The current owners have preserved the authentic vibe in combination with modern, organic and sustainable practices. Bulleboden is famous for its sourdough buns.

Enjoy homemade food and homebaked cakes and pastries in a charming former apothecarist's residence in Upplands Väsby. Step into the yellow wooden villa and take a seat, read a book or play a boardgame. During the summer months you can sit in the leafy garden, if the weather allows. They serve simple lunches every day such as soups and salads and you'll always find gluten and lactose-free, as well as vegan, options on the menu.

Decidedly Parisian Saturnus offers petite dejuner, lunch and baked goods throughout the day. Despite classic offerings such as croissant and pain au chocolat the Swedish influences are apparent, illustrated by the gigantic cinnamon and cardamom buns proudly displayed upon the counter.

What would a leafy Djurgården and a long walk be without a well-deserved coffee break? For anyone who loves flowers, Rosendals is an obvious choice. One of the greenhouses houses a cosy café offering a selection of organic pastries, sandwiches, coffee, and tea. When the sun's shining, you can take your tray and sit down at one of the tables in the green garden.

Colourful Vurma doesn't hold back - they make their food and coffee with an abundance of natural ingredients and love. During the summer months, the outdoor terrace with a view of the water draws in the crowds, while the cosy interior is the place to be during cool autumn and winter evenings.

Feast on fresh, colourful bowls, sandwiches and cakes and pastries in equally fresh surroundings. The leafy café with its fruity menu is reminiscent of healthfood joints in warmer parts of the world, such as Los Angeles and Bali.

Drink coffee like a true Italian at this classic espresso bar in Bibliotekstan. Sempre is something of a hidden gem, tucked away on a city-centre side street but once you find it, Italian coffee and pastries such as cantuccini and cornetto await.

Kringelgården's historic bakery in Saltsjöbaden also has a branch in Midsommarkransen. Buy their fresh bread and buns, or sit down and enjoy breakfast, lunch, or a coffee break on-site. The menu includes, among other things, grilled sandwiches on sourdough bread.

Café Fix is ​​said to be the city's oldest café, with a history that dates back to 1910. Their menu may have changed since then, but the rustic feel remains thanks to exposed brick walls and well-preserved interiors details. The menu includes hearty hot dishes, sandwiches and coffee, along with vegetarian and vegan options. They also have an alcohol licence.

You'll find this classic café in Waldemarsudde Park out on Djurgården. Round off a visit to the art museum or just stop by for lunch or a snack amidst the greenery. They're known for their waffles, which have been served here since 1949, but you'll also find simpler lunch dishes, sandwiches, and pastries.

Robin Delselius Bakery, in warm, welcoming premises on Renstiernas gata, bakes everything by hand using carefully selected ingredients. Choose between bread, pastries and hearty sandwiches, soups and salads at the café, which is run by Robin Delselius. Delselius' grandfather founded the family bakery on Värmdö back in 1986, so you can definitely say that baking is in the blood here.

At Karla Café you can enjoy breakfast, lunch, and dinner, have a snack or drink a glass of wine. The nostalgic atmosphere is popular and offers something for all tastes and times of the day.

Are you a proper Swedish fika lover? Then head out on a fika safari with YumWalk, where you get to stroll around and discover the city along the way. The walk starts from Kungarummet close to Stadion and then passes Cheesecake Industrin in Hötorgshallen indoor food market and Pralinhuset on Drottninggatan before finishing at Pilyo Café in Vasastan.