Stockholm

Holidays by Destination Europe Sweden Stockholm Eating 

Nowhere we went felt that we were unsuitable customers, despite a six-year-old and a four-month-old and our only surprise was the absence of high chairs in some establishments.
A number of restaurants offer children's menus (Barnmtsedel) which provide all the usual suspects plus extra large portion of chips. Meatballs, which also feature on adult menus, are a local speciality which seem to go down well. Pizzas and pasta are offered in the numerous Italian restaurants but you may get better value, as well as more interesting food, in Swedish places. Here meat and potatoes are common but there is also a heavy emphasis on fish, particularly herring and salmon, and seafood is particularly well priced. Pancakes with jam and whipped cream is a traditional Swedish children's treat.

Breakfast is generally included in the cost at hotels and the best value meal of the day as generally eat as much as you like buffet style.

In restaurants lunches are cheaper than evening meals and best value is the Dagens Ratt - dish of the day (often those meatballs). Traditional is a smorgasbord which should include everything from various salmon options through other seafood options like shrimps, eel, eggs, sausages, reindeer, pate, beef, potatoes, fried and boiled, salad, vegetables, desserts, fruit, cheese and more. The idea is to take a little at a time and go back as often as you feel like. In central Stockholm this is offered both at lunch and in the evening at the Grand Hotel (see Where to Stay) or sometimes at Skansen (see What to See). (Also Ultiksdale palace north of the centre.)

Note that evening meals start being served around 5.30pm so eating early before the crowds is not an option, and if you want to try the most popular places you will need to book (easy even by phone given that everyone speaks decent English).

Street snacks are sausages, burgers and chips, or there are the standard McDonalds and Burger King or native Clockburger. Konditori offer coffee and cake plus the option of open sandwiches.

Where to Eat

Almost all museums offer good quality and well priced restaurants/cafes, generally themed to match the subjects they exhibit - the Mediterranean Museum for example offers North African food. These are good for lunchtimes and child-friendly, but in addition you could consider the following:

Ostermalmshallen
A deli style food hall in a spacious layout with Swedish and Continental drink, plus gourmet takeaway foods including the likes of reindeer. Something of Harrods food hall about it.

Hotorgetshallen
An indoor market good for snacks with international options like kebabs and Turkish meze. Less swanky but nicely done.

Lasse i parken
H?galidsgatan 56
08-658 33 95
April to Sept daily, otherwise Sat and Sun 11am to 5pm
A traditional wooden 18th century house in a little garden, with a traditional stove in winter. Tables in the garden in summer.

Bl? Porten
Djurg?rdsv?gen 64
08-662 71 62
Mon, Wed and Fri to Sun 11am-7pm; Tues and Thurs 11am to 9pm.
A relaxed atmosphere and in summer children enjoy the enclosed outdoor area where there are tables.

Rosendals Tr?dg?rd
Rosendalsterassen 12
08-662 28 14
Caf? in the park at Djurg?rden in the garden and green house. Only open in the summer.

Sturekatten
Riddargatan 4
08-611 16 12
Mon-Fri 8-20 Sat 9-18 Sun 11-18
An old fashioned caf? popular with Stockholmers.

Sture Hof
Stureplan 2
08 440 57 30
A specialist fish restaurant with bar; smart but buzzy.

Frippe
Nybrogatan 6, Stockholm
08 665 61 42
http://www.viljagruppen.se
A Swedish/international restaurant, popular both in the evenings and at lunchtime, just behind one of the main theatres.
A sister restaurant is Pauli, Nybroplan, Box 5037, 102 41 Stockholm, 08 665 61 43.

De Gyldene Freden
Osterlanggatan 51
08 24 97 60
One of the city's oldest eating places, offering a kind of Mozartian ambiance plus cellars in Gamla Stan. Unusually for such places, offers much better than average food - at a price. Happy to do children's options like meatballs and the Saturday evening we visited there were four other parties with children.