Nov-2013
Cheap ways to eat in Stockholm
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Baked potatoes in Art Café
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Hot-dogs
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Cinnamon pastries
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Hot dog stand
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Chutney Restaurant
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Chutney Restaurant
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Max Burger
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Viking Bar
Stockholm has this bad reputation of being very expensive, and this is especially true when it comes to finding something to eat ! You will generally pay at least 25 € for a dish in a restaurant. Thanks to a friend living there and some researches on the net, we found some tips for you not to fill your budget when it is time to eat 
Good to know in restaurants in Stockholm
You will find free water carafes in most cafes and restaurants. Note that the kitchen closes early, around 10pm, even on weekends. You will not need to leave a tip, it is generally included in the bill.
Swedish typical dishes
You will notice the many pastries with cinnamon, stuffed baked potatoes and meatballs (the famous IKEA meatballs). We expected to find a lot of salmon, but we didn’t. Swedish also love muesli in the morning.
Where to eat in Stockholm on a budget?
Prefer snacks, coffees and hot dogs stands. Throughout the city you will find hot dog stands, you usually eat hot dogs with mashed potatoes. Roughly 60-70 sek for a menu with a drink. In most cafes, you can find quiches, sandwiches, wraps, stuffed baked potatoes and lots of cakes.
Most restaurants offer a special Lunch at a reasonable price for around 12 €, it’s called in Swedish “dagens rätt“. But usually during the week and not the weekend.
There are lots of Mexican, Indian and Asian buffets that offer “All you can eat” until 1pm. We saw some in Södermalm.
Finally, there are grocery stores/bookstores called Pressbyran and 7 Eleven across the city, selling a bit of everything . For cheap shopping, you will find several Lidl in the city (2 Södermalm in particular) !
Here are some cheap places we recommend:
In Gamla Stan, the Art Café (60 Vasterlanggatan). This cafe is in the basement in a large cellar. It offers a whole assortment of food for maximum Sek 90 at noon. The backed patatoes stuffed with shrimp or chicken are 87 Sek, for example. Water, coffee and tea are free at your disposal.
In Östermalm , you can find typical food quality in the many stalls of Saluhall (Östermalmstorg), a covered market of the 19th century. You will also find restaurants and cafes. Beware though, the market closes at 4pm on Saturdays and is closed on Sundays!
Hötorgshallen is another smaller market, cheaper and less touristy near the metro stop Hötorget.
On Friday evening, we recommend a buffet of nachos “all you can eat” for 20 Sek (less than 3€) in the restaurant/bar Hellströms (Fatbursgatan 1). The beer is only 108 Sek per liter and a half, you will not find cheaper ! You would fill your stomach with an assortment of meats, salads, vegetables and sauces. Do not forget your ID card to enter the bar (as in any café in Stockholm).
We tested the Swedish fast food chain “Max”, do not expect to find Swedish specialties but good burgers. The original menu costs 69 Sek .
Chutney is a bohemian vegetarian restaurant which looks like a canteen, it is located in a lively street filled with restaurants and cafes that have a certain cachet (Katarina Bangata 19). In trendy Sofo (Södermalm).
The atmosphere is subdued and colorful and dishes cost 95 sek. This multicultural restaurant offers Arab, Mexican or even Indian dishes as well as appetizing cakes.
Some unusual restaurants in Stockholm
- Aifur is in the main street of Gamla Stan, Vasterlanggatan and is a lively Viking-themed but very expensive restaurant and bar. We do not recommend to eat there because the food is expensive and not plentiful. We preferred to have a beer, the cheapest is 58 sek but the atmosphere is worth it. Each new group entering the restaurant is announced by a crier and musicians play music.
- A Thai restaurant called Koh Phanagan in Södermalm ( Skånegatan 57), which reproduces the Thai decor with sand, tuks tuks, palm trees, tropical heat and kitsch lights of all colors. The dishes are a bit expensive (minimum 100 Sek).
Many people on the net recommend Café String (Nytorgsgatan 38) , in the heart of SOFO, Södermalm, in the Bohemian district. The originality of this cafe is that you can buy everything you can find, even furniture.
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