Sick of köttbullar? You’re not the only one. Sure, Sweden’s infamous meatballs are popular as ever, but plant-based foods are on the rise and nowhere in the country does vegetarian cuisine better than Stockholm. While everyone and their dog has tried faux meatballs in their local IKEA store, Sweden’s capital serves a colourful and innovative array of vegan meals that will have anyone drool – even meat lovers.
To many, Stockholm’s newfound focus on animal-free cuisine is no surprise: the city is perhaps Scandinavia’s most sustainable and was the first to be named the ‘European Green Capital’ in 2010 by the European Commission. It’s fair to say that the locals have developed quite the appetite for tofu, tempeh and the like – and a growing number of restaurants are taking notes. Getting hungry? Read up on our favourite places to veg out in town below!
The Green Queen
Living up to its name, this LA-inspired restaurant serves anything from power shots and smoothies to filling quesadillas and hearty burgers – so long as it’s plant-based. Thanks to its stylish interior (think Scandinavian minimalism with a romantic twist) and prime location by the water, the Green Queen has become a bit of a Stockholm hotspot that attracts health-conscious city dwellers and hipsters alike. But great food remains the main attraction here: whether you grab a veggie kebab with a spicy marinade and homemade tomato salsa, or a vegan Sloppy Joe with pickled jalapeno, roasted onion and tortilla chips, you’re in for a culinary surprise. The Green Queen is open from April till September so head there soon for Stockholm’s best guilt-free comfort food! Want to try the Queen’s sustainable treats but you’re pressed for time? Grab a cold-pressed juice in the morning or a gluten-free beer on a mild summer evening. The choice is yours!
Restaurang Mosebacke at Södra Teatern
Established in 1859, Södra Teatern is a tried and tested gem on the Swedish capital’s entertainment scene, offering everything from plays and concerts to club nights and relaxed evenings on its outdoor terraces. Meanwhile, the venue’s very own Restaurang Mosebacke is an attraction in its own right and flexitarians come here for the eatery’s fabulous veggie options! Since meat takes the rear seat at Mosebacke, it’s up to the legumes to convince – and they sure deliver: try our favourite starter here, a soup from Jerusalem artichokes with pickled onions and truffle vinaigrette. And why not follow this up with some white asparagus, pickled glass rhubarb, wild garlic dressing and buckwheat? Head chef Mikael Bergsten has said he wants guests to feel like staff are ‘having fun in the kitchen’ and quite frankly, there’s an air of amusement all over Södra Teatern! We’d eat just about anything dished up here.
The Restaurant at Fotografiska
Housed inside a gorgeous Art Nouveau building, home of Sweden’s first and only museum dedicated to photography, the Restaurant at Fotografiska is all about ‘conscious cuisine’. Not only does this mean that produce is organic and local where possible, it also encompasses an approach to cooking that maximises the unique aroma of each ingredient: head chef Paul Svensson treats the simplest of foods like delicacies (who knew there was this much flavour in celeriac?), stating that ‘vegetarian and vegan dishes are of course the highlight of the restaurant’. Though animal-based foods can be ordered as supplements, you won’t find them on the menu – in fact, we’d argue most of the artsy crowd here are meat eaters open to experience the unique tastes and textures of the plant kingdom. Veggie or not, Fotografiska also quenches your hunger for culture as restaurant guests enjoy discounted admission to the gallery’s exhibitions – now that’s what we call sustainable!