I’ve written before about my favourite restaurants in Stockholm, collated over several visits. But during all of those stays, I wasn’t actually based on one of the central islands – I was staying with friends on Lidingö, east of the city in the suburbs. It’s an affluent island with a large nature reserve in the centre, replete with plenty of forest for wooded walks and a lake for swimming. It’s well connected to central Stockholm by public transport, and is a good jumping off point for the islands of the archipelago from Gåshaga Brygga at the eastern tip. We were also fortunate to eat some fantastic food there.
Five of the Best Restaurants on Lidingö and Nacka Strand
Smoked brisket and pulled pork at Långängens Gård, Lidingö
Deep in the nature reserve I mentioned above, you’ll stumble across Långängens Gård – a farmhouse serving arguably some of the best BBQ I’ve ever eaten. Having tried everything from Texan brisket to Tennessee ribs, no one was more surprised than I was. The place itself is full of cosy character, with low-slung wooden ceilings and a stunningly ornate fireplace. But it’s the smoked brisket and pulled pork that are the real stars of the show. Meltingly tender with an enviable smoke ring, they come with all kinds of fantastically crafted sides as well: coleslaw, roasted onions, beans, cornbread… the list goes on. Långängens Gård is only open at lunchtimes Wednesday through Sunday, so treat it as a pitstop during a walk rather than a dinner destination.
Out-of-this-world BBQ at Långängens Gård in Lidingö
Lunch and pastries at Vattenverket, Lidingö
On the other side of the same lake, you’ll find a similarly atmospheric café in the woods with picnic tables and umbrellas down by the water. Vattenverket bakes their own pastries (try the cardamom bun!) and serves an excellent line in salads, sandwiches, pastries and coffees. It gets busy on weekends, but the venue is large (inside as well as out) so you should have no problem finding a table. Again, Vattenverket is an ideal spot to refuel before or after a walk or an invigorating swim.
Coffee and buns at Vattenverket
Pizza at 450 Gradi, Lidingö
Strolling along the waterfront of Delanum, you get the impression that this is where all the rich Swedes and expats must be living… Luckily for us, we could pretend to be just such rich Swedes for a couple of hours at waterfront pizza restaurant 450 Gradi. My top tip here is to order the rosé prosecco: despite being one of the cheapest wines on the menu, the quality is amazingly high. From there, peruse the list of pizzas and try not to be too purist about it. I’ve no doubt the average Italian would have a heart attack if you put prawns, lemon, garlic and parsley on their pizza. But I say: don’t knock it till you’ve tried it. We also ordered the spicy Höst pizza, because we’re addicted to all things chilli, and it was equally good. My only criticism is that perhaps 450 degrees is not quite hot enough – the dough was a little flabby underneath. But I can forgive that for the fabulous flavours, pretty-in-pink prosecco and slick service.
Prawn pizza at 450 Gradi – not for the purists!
Iberico pork at Quarti, Lidingö
In the centre of Brevik is family-friendly restaurant Quarti. Each day, they have a different special (I’ve heard good things about Schnitzel Sunday!) but there are some delicious dishes on the a la carte menu too. The starters we tried – cheesy garlic bread with romesco sauce (great for kids), fish eggs and cream cheese on toast, and a charcuterie board – were all excellent. But the best dish for me was the Iberico pork main: smoky and perfectly cooked from the grill, served with jalapeno cream, grilled lettuce and pickled cabbage. A triumph of flavours. The interior of Quarti is a little dated, but the friendly atmosphere more than makes up for it.
Seafood at Restaurant J, Nacka Strand
On one of our ferry trips from Lidingö, en route to the islands of the archipelago (more on that below) we stopped at the ferry terminal on Nacka Strand. With an hour and a half to kill before our connecting ferry (we screwed up the planning slightly), we spontaneously decided to eat lunch at Restaurant J. It turned out to be a happy accident. The day was warm, so a pitcher of sangria seemed like a good way to take the edge off our scheduling problems. And my salmon bowl involving edamame beans, pickled cabbage, steamed barley and mango dressing – not to mention the ultra-fresh marinated fish itself – was exactly the light lunch I needed. All tables have views over the water, and both kids and pets are well looked after, making it a good option for a family day out.
Asian salmon bowl at Restaurant J
Where to Eat in Stockholm’s Archipelago: Vaxholm and Fjäderholmarna Islands
From Stockholm, there’s a whole archipelago to discover – and your best bet is just to hop on one of the hundreds of commuter ferries leaving from central Stockholm or (in our case) Lidingö. We never quite could get the hang of the timetables and ferry numbers (google didn’t seem to agree with the timetable, which didn’t seem to agree with the number of the ferry that actually turned up). But so long as you’re not on a tight schedule, I’d suggest just showing up at the ferry terminal and making sure to check your destination as you get on board. During our stay, we made it to Vaxholm and Fjäderholmarna, which are arguably the most accessible islands, but there are dozens more to explore.
Local Swedish specialities at Vaxholms Hembygdsgårds Café, Vaxholm
If you’re on an island as picturesque as Vaxholm, you’re going to want to be sitting outside overlooking the water. Vaxholms Hembygdsgårds Café is the epitome of relaxed waterside dining, and those with a sweet tooth will be particularly impressed by the mountain of desserts arranged on a huge buffet table inside. Even if you prefer your lunch to be savoury, you won’t be disappointed: the smoked shrimp are ultra fresh and come with spiky aioli and chewy sourdough toast (in a good way). One of the specials the day we visited was a Swedish sausage – which tasted a bit like haggis but with dill – served with new potatoes, beetroot and capers in a creamy dill sauce. You can’t get more local than that.
The unbelievable dessert buffet at Vaxholms Hembygdsgårds Café
Ice cream at Glass på Hörnet, Vaxholm
If you’ve not already filled up on desserts at Vaxholms Hembygdsgårds Café, it’s also worth stopping for ice cream at Glass på Hörnet, right by the ferry terminal. The queues out the door speak to the quality of the gelato: my hazelnut and blueberry varieties were exquisite. If you can’t get a table outside, take a stroll along the dock and watch the boats coming and going.
Ice cream from Glass på Hörnet, overlooking Vaxholm harbour
Hugos and shrimp at Röda Villan, Fjäderholmarna
Tiny but very close to central Stockholm (a 30-minute ferry ride) is the island of Fjäderholmarna. I’m not going to pretend that it’s undiscovered by tourists, but don’t let that detract from the stunning views, rocky beaches and quaint little shops and cafés. I’ll be honest and say that I only had a drink at Röda Villan – literally translating as the red villa – with its relaxed seating area sprawling over the rocky cliffs leading down to the sea. But I have it on good authority from a few different locals that the Hugo cocktails and shrimp salad are the best on the island.
Travel to, from and around Stockholm
Before you can explore Stockholm’s restaurants, you’re going to need to get there! At the time of writing, KLM, Scandinavian Airlines, British Airways and Ryanair fly direct to Stockholm, but you can compare times and prices on sites like Skyscanner, Expedia and GoEuro. Stockholm is quite spread out as a city but the excellent public transport system – including a network of ferries that hop across the archipelago – makes it easy to navigate. That said, we often took Bolt taxis or scooters to get around more conveniently.
