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Stockholm Food Tour: Culinary Södermalm

From sampling Swedish blood pudding, sipping Greek retsina to craving more smoked shrimp, this Stockholm food tour introduced me to a district that easily proved the Swedish capital is a modern culinary mecca of cultures and cuisines.

A Stockholm Food Tour in Södermalm

One thing I adore about Europe is the amazing diversity in such a tightly packed continent and local gastronomy fits right into that evolving story. These days, the gates are open for once homogeneous city cultures to embrace foreign cuisines.  Food Tours Stockholm proved that Stockholmers love trying new flavors yet embrace what is traditional and familiar. That’s why our tour began in Södermalm.

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Discover Sodermalm: SoFo

I took the metro down to the Södermalm district to meet the tour group. Once a working class neighborhood, gentrification has swept it into a bohemian chic kind of place, packed with hipster singles and young families who pack vibrant restaurants and eateries.

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I was a bit late so I missed the first stop which was a Chinese restaurant simply named China. So I joined in at the second stop which happened to be, yes people — Greek food.

I sat down with a group of folks, including our tour guide Erik (a Stockholmer) and my travel companion, Elena of Passion for Hospitality. There were even some locals on the tour who wanted to learn more about the booming ethnic gastronomy scene in their city.

Ethnic Restaurants of Stockholm

Kamarina, Spiros and Yvone Matsaidoni’s Greek restaurant, is one of the oldest Greek restaurants in the city.

We were each served a plate of Greek tastes including savory dips like taramosalata (fish roe dip), melitzanosalata (eggplant dip), a bit of the cool yoghurt cucumber dip called tatziki and a sampling of moussaka which is sometimes referred to as the Greek lasagna. We toasted with retsina, the traditional resin white wine.

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Can’t get away from Greek food! Yum

 

Shanti, another family owned establishment, was the next stop on the Stockholm food tour. The restaurant is run by two Indian brothers. Like at Kamarina, we were presented with a selection traditional Indian dishes.

Swedish Food

The Stockholm food tour then moved to a place that doesn’t sound Swedish but it was where I had an introduction to some amazing Swedish tastes.  The place was called Urban Deli and it reminded me of Dean and Deluca in New York.  It’s the same concept, a hip synergy of a restaurant, deli, bakery and organic grocery store under one roof.

We gathered at the deli counter where we were handed over a selection of different tastes forked onto forks or smothered picturesquely on spoons – delightful combinations of local cheese, Swedish cured meats and fruit.

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Spoons of local cheese with strawberry

 

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Forkfuls of Swedish cured meats

 

The most unforgettable sample was the smoked shrimp with its distinct smoky taste. I vowed I would come back for more…

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Smoked shrimp at Urban Deli equals deliciousness

 

Erik also pointed out the deli picks that Swedes love!

When we walked into Nyorget 6, I immediately got the feeling of cozy neighborhood “go-to” restaurant. The sampler plate of traditional Swedish dishes we each tried included Swedish blood pudding, made with pig’s blood.

Nyorget 6 is also known for its rotisserie and serves slow roasted duck, suckling pig and chicken.

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Swedish bites at Nyorget 6 restaurant in the Sodermalm district

 

Swedish Chocolate Stop

The next stop — I loved — being the chocolate fool that I am.

Erik then took us to Chokladfabriken (chocolate factory in Swedish). We gathered where they actually make the chocolate where the thick smells of chocolate bitterness and sweetness hung in the air. We sampled a few truffles, and we each downed a refreshing little glass of chocolate milk.

By the way, I made sure to leave with two boxes of Chokladfabriken chocolates.

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Inside Stockholm’s best gourmet chocolate factory

 

Fika: Swedish Coffee Time

A visit to Fotografiska, the famous photography museum of Stockholm, was already on my must-do list. On the Stockholm food tour, I learned it also happens to be one of the city’s ultra-ambient café-restaurants.

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Window with a view

 

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The dining interior of Fotografiska’s restaurant and cafe

 

Here, we sat down to our final food sampling of the day. It was time for fika, the Swedish coffee break.  The signature coffee blend was excellent and who could say no to these fine looking little pastries!

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The final stop is all about fika on the Sodermalm Culinary Tour

 

Besides excellent sweets and coffee, the restaurant is famous for its menu created by Swedish star chef Paul Svensson.

Conclusion: Culinary Södermalm Food Tour

Just walk the streets of the Swedish capital and its clear. From Michelin-starred restaurants, Asian cuisine, Swedish fusion, concept delicatessens to all types of street food options including pizza and kebab — Stockholm is a place of culinary diversity.

The Culinary Södermalm Food Tour with Food Tours Stockholm revealed just how diverse the capital’s gastronomic offerings have become. I enjoyed dining at all of the places and was happily “stuffed” afterwards.

Erik, our Stockholm food tour guide, shared his own foodie stories as a local – how the foodie scene has evolved and what he thinks about it all. We received a warm welcome from each venue, and Erik always gave us more insight into why we were at that particular venue for the tour.

I particularly liked how the tour exposed me to Swedish food culture norms and the multicultural food influences that have been successful. I liked that I had my share of trying out some traditional Swedish foods, but I also gained a deeper understanding (as much as I could under four hours) about Stockholm’s evolving food scene which steps outside of Sweden’s traditional boundaries.

If you are a food culture lover like me, this tour is highly recommended.

Culinary Sodermalm Tour
4 hours with several stops.
Walking distance is about 3 km (2 miles) at a casual pace.
Price: 795 SEK (€85) includes all food tastings.
For more information about this tour check out the website: www.foodtoursstockholm.se

How to Get to Stockholm

There are direct flights from Athens on Aegean Air and SAS.

Stockholm Arlanda Airport
Stockholm Arlanda Airport is 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of Stockholm.

The Arlanda express train is an eco-friendly option that speeds its way to/from the city center every 15 minutes (for most of the day). Travel time: 20 minutes.  One way from 150 SEK per person/15 Euro

I had the experience of taking one of the Flygbussarna Airport Coaches. They depart 10-15 minutes between Arlanda Airport and the City Terminal (located next to the Central Station). Travel time: 35-45 minutes.  One way from 120 SEK per person/12 Euro

What to Do in Stockholm

For more about Stockholm, visit my earlier post: 10 Things I Learned in Stockholm in 7 Days.

A great travel site to check is Visit Stockholm.

Also, I really found the Stockholm Pass to be a great travel resource. You gain entrance to the major sites for a discount rate. Find out more at: www.stockholmpass.com

Stockholm is a wonderful city to explore. Sign up for the My Greece, My Travels newsletter here for future articles. Don’t miss a post!

*My Greece, My Travels was a guest of Food Tours Stockholm, as always all opinions are my own.

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Have you ever been on a Stockholm food tour before or tried Swedish food?

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