In Sweden’s capital, coffee breaks, or fika, are an essential part of life. Here are the best venues to enjoy this Swedish ritual
1. Il Caffe
This cafe in the hip SoFo district gets its pastries from the renowned Fabrique Stenugnsbageri bakery. The cardamom swirls (below) are amazing, and the walnut bread, delicious.
A post shared by Visit Stockholm (@visitstockholm) on Jan 22, 2017 at 1:25am PST
2. Kaffe
Located in St Paulsgatan, this cafe serves excellent artisanal coffee. It was also featured in the movie version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Try the toast with Vasterbottensost cheese.
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3. Alskade Traditioner
Soak in the ’50s-style interior at this cafe in Sodermannagatan, where you can have your pick of pastries, and savoury or sweet waffles. All are delicious.
4. Saturnus
This French-style cafe in Eriksbergsgatan offers huge cinnamon buns (below) that are famous among Stockholmers. Located on top of a hill, it is a great spot for brunch, with excellent coffee and friendly staff.
5. Mellqvist Kaffebar
A hole-in-the-wall espresso bar in Rorstrandsgatan, this venue is great for breakfast or to grab a quick coffee. It was the original cafe mentioned in the cult novel, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
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6. Drop Coffee Shop
Besides offering its own speciality coffee, breakfast and lunch, this hip minimalist cafe in Wollmar Yxkullsgatan also has freshly roasted coffee beans and home-brew equipment for sale.
7. Vasatorget
This is the best place to eat semla (cardamom-flavoured buns filled with almonds and whipped cream; below). This treat, traditionally eaten on Shrove Tuesday, is so beloved by Swedes that it’s now devoured from New Year to Easter.
8. Sturekatten
This is one of Stockholm’s oldest bakeries, with plenty of Old World charm. Choose between pistachio cake and prinsesstarta (Swedish cake with layers of cream, sponge and jam, covered with marzipan).
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9. Cafe Schweizer
Established in 1920 by Swiss immigrants, this cafe is still family-run. Try its excellent lunch dishes, especially the minestrone. The venue features a wall (below) you can write on, if you dare.
10. Johan & Nystrom
This store has a vision of creating a better coffee world, with its fair-trade and organic products. It embodies the essence of fika with its hand-roasted coffee beans.
– TEXT BY NOELLE HARRISON
PHOTOS: SUPPLIED, INSTAGRAM, CAFE SCHWEIZER FACEBOOK, JOHAN & NYSTROM FACEBOOK
This article was originally published by Singapore Press Holdings.
