The guide to the best places in Stockholm to eat Christmas julbord

At Stortorgskällaren in the Old Town, musician and celebrity foodie Plura Jonsson will be leading the Christmas festivities, laying out a Christmas table filled with traditional delicacies and personal favourite, along with festive sweets and drinks. There are also vegan and vegetarian options.

Beautifully located on Edsviken bay, surrounded by forest and water, Ulriksdals Värdshus serves a traditional Christmas table in seven courses. Just 15 minutes from Stockholm city, you can choose from pickled herring and other cold and smoked fish, vegetable dishes, cold cuts, hot dishes and finally a dessert table with both sweet treats and Swedish cheeses. Much of what they serve comes from their own kitchen gardens and only Swedish meat is used.

Celebrate Christmas with French cuisine and perhaps a fun boules tournament with a guide. Boulebar has raked the gravel on their boules lanes and offers 'Christmas boules' with French flavours served at the table. Choose from four different menu packages, one of which consists of a seafood platter. You can also start the dinner with oysters and champagne.

A short boat trip from Nybrokajen, Restaurang J serves up a traditional Christmas buffet with homemade pickled herring, sausages, and everything else that comes with it. Gather friends, family, and colleagues and soak up the atmosphere by the open fire right by the water at Nacka Strand. You can also reach Restaurant J by car or bus.

Enchanting Tornvillan, part of the  Hotel J Nacka Strand, offers an exclusive Christmas experience created by star chef Mathias Dahlgren. Set against a winter landscape overlooking the fjord, a classic Christmas buffet is served, starting with mulled wine. The buffet is based on old family recipes combined with Mathias Dahlgren's personal favourites.

Ocra invites you to a festive julbord in the heart of Norra Djurgårdsstaden, featuring a buffet filled with classic Christmas flavours. Tradition meets new elements here – from pickled herring, meatballs, egg halves and Christmas ham to chargrilled sirloin, brisket, pork loin and baby back ribs. Everything is prepared with carefully selected ingredients and served in a warm and elegant setting. Once the plates are cleared, a generous dessert table awaits with Christmas sweets and treats.

On Skeppsbron, Hôtel Reisen lays out its classic seafood Christmas buffet filled with fish and shellfish delicacies, such as oysters, lobster, salmon, and homemade herring. Enjoy a slightly more luxurious Christmas buffet served in historical surroundings. Don't miss the chance to have a signature cocktail in the hotel bar before or after the buffet.

Fågelbro Säteri invites guests to a country-style Christmas with traditional decorations. The evening starts with a glass of their homemade glögg, before tucking into a classic julbord using local ingredients and a dessert buffet filled with sweet treats and cheeses. If you really want to treat yourself, you can also book a whole Christmas package with overnight accommodation.

At Krusenberg Manor, located just outside Uppsala, a classic Christmas buffet is laid out in the historic, Christmas-decorated dining halls. Start with homemade mulled wine followed by all of Christmas's favourites and a generous sweet table.

Thoresta Herrgård serves a manor-house Christmas buffet filled with traditional and modern dishes, from creamy pickled herring to festive ham. The kitchen works with hand-selected ingredients from small-scale producers. Start your evening with a glass of warm mulled wine and pepparkakor and combine your julbord with an overnight stay if you fancy.

It doesn't get much cosier or atmospheric than eating a festive buffet in Djurgården surrounded by the wintry park. Villa Källhagen serves a traditional Swedish julbord with beautiful views over the water. Tuck into everything from pickled herring and meatballs to desserts created by Villa Källhagen's pastry chefs. If you really want to treat yourself, book a room and wake up to a hotel breakfast.

Celebrate Christmas with a julbord aboard the steamship S/S Blidösund! A classic Christmas buffet is served as the ship sails through the Stockholm archipelago. Expect favourites such as blackcurrant pickled herring, cured venison, honey-glazed ribs, and delicious sweets.

On the little island of Bockholmen in the inner archipelago of Stockholm, you're met by glowing lanterns along the gravel path. The restaurant welcomes you in for homemade mulled wine and gingerbread on the veranda before it's time for a traditional Christmas julbord in nine servings in the cosy wooden villa.

Villa Godthem's charming wooden villa out on Djurgården oozes Christmas spirit, with an open fire and the scent of spiced mulled wine. They serve a classic Swedish julbord carefully prepared using traditional ingredients. 

La Botanica calls itself Sweden's biggest julbord, and they set up a huge Christmas buffet in the Westfield Mall of Scandinavia in Solna. Familiar Swedish festive dishes combine with American and Italian flavours. Just make sure to save some room for dessert, because there's plenty of that too. If you want, you can combine the buffet with Joe Labero's magic show Magic World, or fun activities like bowling or minigolf in their game zone.

In Medborgarhuset in the middle of Medborgarplatsen, Biblioteket Live serves a classic Swedish Christmas buffet in a unique cultural environment. Enjoy the atmosphere and festive spirit in the restaurant with family, friends, and colleagues. Larger groups can also book the courtyard with its own bar and stage, or the Arkivet venue on the third floor.

Storholmen Sjökrog, just outside Lidingö, maximises the festive feeling both indoors and outdoors with Christmas trees, decorations, and open fires. Choose between two options: you can either pick your favourites from pickled herring, salmon, ham, and meatballs, or you can select the Christmas package and get everything. The ferry operates all day.

If you go to O'Learys in Tolv Stockholm to eat julbord you can choose from a wide range of fun and bonding activities such as bowling, adventure golf, shuffleboard and karaoke. The buffet is classically Swedish and includes a vegan section and a generous dessert table. Perfect for large or small groups.

Wärdshuset Ulla Winbladh is a destination for both locals and tourists, who head there to enjoy a Christmas smörgåsbord. Nothing is left to chance here, and the details have been fine-tuned over many years. The tone is set with fir trees, Christmas lights, and starched linen napkins.

Under the charming cellar vault of the Old Town, the restaurant aptly named Tre Valv ("Three Arches") serves a classic Swedish Christmas feast with fish and seafood, meat, salads, cold cuts, and desserts. There's also the option to add various drink packages. Enjoy your Christmas buffet in an atmospheric, historical setting.

Head to Artipelag for a classic julbord in beautiful archipelago surroundings with views over the inner archipelago. At the end of November they light the open fire and lay out a rustic julbord with festive food made from scratch on site or made by local producers. Sweet treats come from Artipelag's own pastry chefs and bakers.

Storkholm's former National Archives offers a fairytale setting with beautiful halls from the 19th century. The Christmas buffet is, as usual, created by celebrity chef Niklas Ekstedt and consists of various types of bread, a whole fish table, hot and cold cuts, as well as many vegetarian dishes and a generous selection of classic desserts.

Out on Ekerö, Brasserie Season serves a julbord as a seated Christmas dinner in three courses. The experience begins with warming mulled wine and continues with food, drinking songs, laughter, and a lovely festive atmosphere. Just gather your family, friends, or colleagues and enjoy food and drink with Lake Mälaren as a backdrop.

If you're tired of pickled herring and Jansson's Temptation, then Brisket & Friends provides a meatier alternative. This Texas-influenced smokehouse restaurant serves BBQ platters at the table, perfect for groups craving everything from brisket, Christmas-inspired burnt ends and pork belly with ginger to cornbread and pecan pie, and much more.

Basta, at the top of the Åhléns City department store, offers a culinary Christmas journey to Italy with an Italian Christmas menu and handcrafted cocktails. Expect vibrant starters, fantastic main courses, and a refreshing selection of desserts. The whole party can choose a three or four-course menu, known as Piccolo or Grande. A vegan menu is also available.

Djurgården restaurant Josefina is perhaps most associated with sunny summer days and refreshing drinks, but every December they lay out a bountiful Christmas buffet with both classic and modern flavours. Both small and really large groups can enjoy the stunning views over Skeppsholmen.

At the Nordic Light Hotel, their Scandinavian hotel restaurant LYKKE invites you to a classic julbord with homemade delicacies and Swedish Christmas favourites. A festive atmosphere in the heart of the city.

Restaurant Avi, in the Postal Museum in the Old Town, invites you to a festive celebration where details and delicious flavours take centre stage. Among other things, they offer a festive three-course menu featuring pickled herring salad, spiced pork belly, and sponge cake, as well as a Christmas drinks party with mulled wine and canapés.

Seventies-inspired Florentine transforms into a magical Christmas destination as they invite you to a glamorous Christmas experience, filled with Italian flavours and selected ingredients in the heart of Södermalm. Bring your loved ones, friends and colleagues and combine artisanal cocktails with a three or four-course menu. A vegan menu is also offered.

In the basement of NOFO, you're invited to an exclusive Christmas party for 5-12 people where traditional Christmas dishes are combined with seafood such as oysters and lobster. Naturally, you can also order a drinks package with wine, beer, and schnapps, or why not gain access to the entire wine cellar. The evening starts at 7pm with warm drinks in NOFO's cosy courtyard and concludes at midnight.

Fox in a Box escape room and Hop & Vine restaurant join forces to invite you to a slightly different Christmas experience. Choose whether to start with a meal or the escape room and indulge in mulled wine, pickled herring, salmon, and cocktail sausages along with intriguing challenges together. This Christmas buffet is suitable for groups of 2–60 people who want to combine a festive meal with a fun activity.

One of Sweden's largest Christmas buffets is served at the renowned Tyrol restaurant,, filled with flavours from the Norrland wilderness. You'll find game meat, classic favourites, innovative variations, and plenty of vegetarian options here. A lavish Christmas buffet with something for everyone.

Blå Porten invites guests to a generous julbord that begins with hot mulled wine out in the garden. The buffet includes all the Christmas classics, such as pickled herring, salmon, meatballs and ham as well as vegetarian alternatives and traditional desserts, all served in charming surroundings. 

If you're looking for a julbord full of all the delicious classic dishes but combined with a little action, BallBreaker on Kungsholmen is the place to go. Extend your evening with various activity options - for example bowling, billiards or shuffleboard - combined with dinner with your friends and family. A fun, sociable way to hang out that isn't all about the food - although you can also book just the julbord if you'd rather sit still.

At Golfbaren, you can enjoy a round of mini golf and enjoy Christmas dinner in authentic 1930s style with American flavours and Swedish Christmas classics. Food is served to the table sharing style and includes everything from charcuterie to decadent desserts. Both small and large groups are welcome.

At the Radisson Blu Waterfront Hotel in the heart of the city, they serve a classic julbord featuring festive delicacies such as smoked salmon, pickled herring, ham, turkey, and meatballs. The Christmas buffet is served in The Lounge and concludes with a dessert buffet that includes everything from rice pudding to traditional sweets.

Tennstopet allows Christmas to take over the whole house for the first time in 150 years. Their julbord is of the seated variety, and the Christmas menu is served at the table in three to four servings. Start with pickled herring, gravlax, and Tennstopet's Janssons, followed by toast with chicken and foie gras cream, as well as a tartlet. This is followed by a main course of mustard-glazed pork shoulder and classic accompaniments before the meal concludes with a dessert platter.

This fish and shellfish restaurant, which has been located right next to Cityterminalen for more than ten years, serves an seafood Christmas buffet filled with bleak roe, lobster, crayfish and prawns, as well as hot dishes such as Janssons Temptation. Round off your meal with cheeses and a generous dessert buffet. 

Sjätte Tunnan draws inspiration from medieval knights and serves the Christmas buffet as an old-fashioned feast in five courses. This includes hot dishes such as meatballs, game sausages and venison, alongside entertainment such as jesters and music.

At Welcome Hotel in Barkarby, a seafood Christmas buffet is served in the Bistro, featuring the finest marine delicacies. Enjoy lobster, oysters, prawns, and crayfish, along with classic accompaniments and sweet desserts infused with festive flavours. A vegetarian main course is available as an alternative. After the seafood Christmas buffet, you can play table tennis and shuffleboard if you like, and there's also the option to book karaoke rooms or the spa.

The theme for this year's julbord at Skansen is “Sweden in miniature" with ingredients and dishes carefully chosen for their environmental impact and to celebrate Swedish food culture. You are welcomed by fires, string music, and mulled wine upon arrival, before heading into an atmospheric Christmas buffet filled with the flavours of the season. The julbord consists of herring and pickled seafood delicacies, charcuterie and terrines, the farmer's harvest table (vegetarian), hot dishes, as well as cheeses, desserts, and a sweets table.

During the winter, Hallwylska covers their palatial inner courtyard with a heated glasshouse. They lay out a classic julbord groaning with hot dishes, Christmas ham and paté, pickled herring and smoked fish, cheese and much more. Just make sure you save room for the dessert table where you'll find yet more festive flavours.

At the boutique hotel Görvälns Slott on Lake Mälaren, the motto is "stylish, tasteful and tasty". Görväln's Christmas dinner consists of five courses, with an amuse bouche, cold buffet, spiced Swedish beef, cloudberry with punsch and sweets to go with coffee. Served both as a buffet and to the table.