Postcard from Stockholm: Fika and ‘all you can eat’ veggie buffets!

Gamla Stan (Old Town), Stockholm

I have been to Stockholm twice now. First in January 2017 – very much at the beginning of my veganism journey, and last time in December 2018. First time round I actually travelled with my own supplies – granola bars, nuts, dried fruits, even a pot of beans’ stew! I was so worried I’ll not be able to find anything beyond the traditional meatballs or fish! Second time round, I was much more relaxed about the whole experience. And even though I travelled again with my granola bars, nuts and dried fruits (It’s just my habit I guess!) I knew Sweden will offer me some delicious choices.

My sister and I stayed at the Crystal Plaza Hotel in the city centre (Booking.com dealJ). The complimentary buffet breakfast offered varied choices for a hungry (and pregnant) vegan. Each morning I had a wholesome porridge oats with dried fruits, nuts and seeds either with non-dairy milk or Oatly yoghurt (or Oatgurt as they call it in Sweden), followed by a juicy fresh fruit and if I was particularly peckish also a slice of typical dark rye bread with vegetables.

View of Stockholm from Sondermalm district

Having done my research ahead of this trip I had discovered that since my last visit to the Swedish capital, a number of veggie restaurants have opened up their doors. Despite the common knowledge that Scandinavia is a rather expensive travel destination, there are budget-friendlier options too. And what is better in the middle of the winter than an ‘all you can eat’ veggie buffet for lunch or dinner! And this is exactly what my sister and I enjoyed over the weekend in Stockholm.

On the first and third day (as we loved it so much!) we went to Hermitage, a 100% vegetarian restaurant in the historic Old Town – Gamla Stan. For 150SEK (Swedish Krona) at the time (12GBP/14EUR/16USD) we enjoyed a heart-warming pumpkin soup (I believe the choice of soup changes daily), and a plate of hummus, falafel, veggie burgers, mixed grains, vegetables and salads. Everything was very well seasoned and pleasantly filled our tummies on this cold and wintery day in December.

'Hermitage' veggie buffet

'Hermitage' veggie buffet

On the second day we got to try a similar-style of a dinner at another vegetarian restaurant called Legumes on Hornsgatan in the district of Sondarmalm. The offer was a buffet of warm and cold dishes. The concept is quite simple. You point out what you want and how much you want of each dish and the person behind the counter will put them all on a plate for you. We chose some spiced rice, falafel, curry, some cold salads and hummus. We paid 95SEK and each of us had two full plates of veggie goodness. We thought the quantity and variety was very generous and the atmosphere was cosy. We spotted few people that look like they were ‘regulars’.  

One of the most interesting things whilst travelling is an opportunity to learn about and experience culture of a country you are visiting. One of the very quintessential Swedish things is a tradition of a Fika, which is often translated as "a coffee and cake break". That is kind of correct, but really it is much more than that.

Fika is a concept, a state of mind, an attitude and an important part of Swedish culture. Many Swedes consider that it is almost essential to make time for fika every day. It means making time for friends and colleagues to share a cup of coffee (or tea) and a little something to eat.

My sister and I embraced this little tradition with pleasure. The capital of Sweden is home to many coffee shops, which attract customers with a smell of freshly roasted coffee beans and twinkling fairly lights or candles (especially in winter).

'Fika' time!

The two most popular chain coffee houses include Wayne’s Coffee (the first coffee shop in Sweden to serve caffe latte!) and Espresso House (the largest coffee house in the Nordics) but there is lots of quirky independent places that you can find out more about in the following article. The one we liked in particular is the Kaffebar in Sondermalm, where it is believed Stieg Larsson spent a lot of his time, potentially developing plots for his famous crime novels.

Whilst Stockholm is not perhaps as veggie-friendly as Copenhagen (at least in my own experience) it is a very beautiful city to visit and as a vegan you won’t be left hungry!