We came excited to try some Swedish food after you visit to the museum. However, we arrived at 3:10 and learned that the kitchen actually closes at 3pm (despite the restaurant being open until 5pm). After their kitchen closes, they still sell beverages, pastries, and pre-prepared foods (e.g., quiches). We got the cardamom roll, which was fine, but we were disappointed that we weren't able to try their other food offerings. The roll was flavored well and we liked the sugar crystals on top, but the bread itself was a bit thick and hard to cut into. read more

FIKA - Cardamom roll - Modern European Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

This is a place my boyfriend has been wanting to try so this past weekend we finally decided to stop in for lunch. Upon entering the ASI, we were greeted warmly by the host and were seated quickly. The service from there, unfortunately, was all downhill form there. So to take you through our experience after being seated, we probably sat there for a good 10 minutes before having any contact with our server. She stopped by, said hello and asked us if we want anything besides water and left. We didn't see her for another 15 minutes so we just sat there waiting for our order to be taken. She finally came to take our order and then I have no idea how long it took for our food to come out. The table next to us had arrived after us and had finished their dessert by the time we received our small plates. What. the. heck. I'm guessing that took almost 30 minutes for our food to come out, no joke. Our server was smart enough to at least ask us how everything was but proceeded to be impossible to get a hold of once we finished dessert. What should have been a 45 minute lunch turned into an hour and a half of just sitting. It was awful! I was really disappointed because the food itself was so yummy. I would go back and cross my fingers that I didn't get Jenny as our server again. If you're curious, I honestly wouldn't let my bad service experience deter you from going since everyone else's service seemed just fine. The food is def worth trying! Especially the cardamom bread pudding. read more

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Stopped in Fika today to kill some time and for the most part really enjoyed it. The atmosphere is very minimalistic and tidy, which is what I would expect from a Swedish café. The menu is small but everything looked fresh and nutrient dense. Sadly, there are not many gluten free vegan options so I ordered a house salad (without rye berries) and an orange cinnamon soy latté. The house salad was very tasty and satisfying although small. The presentation was chic and eye catching. I love the bowls! My latté was well made but I could not taste the orange over the cloying sweetness. That is likely more an issue of the syrup than the barista though. The staff seemed very busy and unfortunately a bit frazzled. We were taken care of by 3 separate servers and they did not seem to communicate very well. I'm sure this has to do with it being the end of their lunch rush. Overall, this is a very cute little café with a small selection of healthy and tasteful items to offer. Certainly worth a visit if you are already in the area! read more

Truly stunning small plates, every item on their menu was outstanding. Like going to a 5 star restaurant. A very pleasant surprise! read more

FIKA - Gravlax - Modern European Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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Great cafe restaurant. We started with the soup of the day which was delicious. Then we ordered the meatballs. And ended with the Cardamom bun. They ran out of the dessert but it was not made known or posted anywhere. The waitress was very nice but a little spread thin with how many tables she was covering. Could have used one more waiter/waitress. read more

FIKA - Modern European Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

We went there on a beautiful September day for lunch and picked a table outside in the garden. Perfect choice, since it was so peaceful and the servers absolutely great. Especially Lidia. The cabbage cream soup with salmon was a killer, you gotta have it. Had to try the Swedish meatballs, and they were ok. My friends' dishes looked and tasted very good also, especially the mushroom sauté. The cava we were recommended was a good choice. We also liked the crowd: all ages and sophisticated European-looking. Will go back for sure to this restaurant gem on Park Ave. Am telling you, here in the Cities we are very fortunate to have several great New American restaurants. This can very well be one of them, although they're calling themselves Modern European. read more

FIKA - Modern European Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Always super fire. Good service. Good pastries. I've never had something here I didn't like. Cocktails are good too.

Cardamom buns. What happened to your cardamom buns? I hear Fika has a new chef, that's cool, I imagine they want to make their mark. Also cool. But everyone has cinnamon buns, Fika had cardamom buns. A little different but a lot good. Now when I come in there are usually only cinnamon buns available. That tells me you need to make more of what made you special and less of what we can get everywhere else. Also, did you know all your fans are not retirees?! i.e. getting here by 12:30 on a weekday is pretty early for us working gen x (y? Millennial?) And still in told to come earlier for precious cardamom. read more

Annie D told me we would be eating lunch, and probably dinner at Fika the day of Yelp du Nord. Of course, I immediately looked it up on Yelp. Then I thought to myself, "Nordic food? What does this mean?" And my brain came up empty (which is a sad thing to have happen to you.) A not-sad thing to have happen to you is to have someone take you to Fika. It's a bright, airy space in the American Swedish Institute. They have both a cafe with ordering to-go service and full table service during their meal times. I had both versions and everyone I interacted with was so lovely. Plus the coffee was grand and the food was delicious. For my lunch I ordered a side of Brussels sprouts and a something called a smorgas which is basically an open-faced sandwich on Rye. Mine was made with Esrom Cheese and pickled pear, and yes it did taste as good as you are imagining right now. The menu is compact, but with plenty of options and everything I sampled, both on my own and from my dining companions plates, was great. You can also get assorted baked goods (including quiche) for there or to go if you aren't up for a whole meal. And now that I know what Nordic food entails I'll be searching it out on my own. read more

According to Wikipedia (the authority on all things) "Fika is both a Swedish verb and noun (pronounced "fee-ka") that roughly means "to drink coffee/tea," usually accompanied by something sweet." I love everything about the name of this place, and it's the perfect name for such a treat of a restaurant. I have been here three times, and it has become my go-to for lunch. Lunch is not an easy meal- usually you're confined to the bullshit wasteland of chain store sandwich factories, and I can report happily that Fika blows that kind of "lunch" out of the stratosphere. A list of amazing: 1. The patrons and staff look transported directly out of Scandinavia. I don't know if it's the lighting that makes everyone look great or it's that good people flock to good food, but the staff is quirky chic and the patrons are all wearing Norwegian sweaters and everyone looks huggable. 2. Their open-faced "Smorgasbord" sandwiches are DA BOMB. I've had several, but the one I had today was a punch in the face of awesome. It had a round of lightly-fried cod, topped with a root vegetable slaw and herring roe, on a perfectly delicious slice of rye bread. Made me wanna lie down. On the floor. And eat that. 3. The presentation for their dishes is OUTSTANDING, and outclasses the prices which are 100% accessible at around $8 a pop for a sandwich. You will be presented with the prettiest sandwich of all time and THEN YOU WILL GET TO EAT IT. And it will TASTE as good as it LOOKS. 4. The space is gorgeous- tons of sun, brightly lit, high ceiling, and has enough of a din to be charming without being overwhelming. Plus, they do table service now which is pretty awesome. 5. The biggest surprise of all: this place has the best effing scones in the Cities. I bought one for the hell of it on my way out the first time, and almost drove off the road when I put it in my mouth on the way home. I was frantically shoving as much of it in my mouth as possible while simultaneously calling my baking friend shouting (around a mouth-full of scone) "OMFG DO NOT LEAVE WITHOUT A SCONE. DO NOT LEAVE WITHOUT A SCONE." Which obviously came out, "SDGJSEHTHGHSGHHH!!! GHSDGHHH!!!!" Fika. I love you. read more

Myself, to myself: What in the sam hill constitutes "Nordic food?" I guess I wasn't sure. Perhaps preserved everything? Lots of fish? Root vegetables? I'll tell you what I wasn't expecting. I wasn't expecting a beet + goat cheese salad with some form of blood orange reduction that blew my damn tastebuds straight up into my mind grapes. Nope. Wasn't expecting that. While the cabbage soup wasn't so much to my liking - bland, with the consistency of gravy and not nearly as brothy as I believed it was going to be - I still award Fika the whole shebang for attentive service, pleasant atmosphere, and kick-arse food complete with gorgeous presentation. (Annie ordered meatballs and I ate one it was the cash money, you guys.) (I only wish I would've gotten the chance to try that salmon.) read more

This place is walking distance from work and I had no idea it was there. I learned about it this morning and walked in for lunch today. What a nice surprise! It's not super cheap, but that's OK because it feels fairly upscale so you shouldn't expect that. The food was great! I ate outside in the courtyard and it was perfect even on a cloudy day. Will I go again? Yes. Lunch date next time, not just regular lunch. read more

Do you have a hipster foodie friend? Does he/she hate everything unless "presentation" is a "component" of the meal? If so, go here. They'll love the look, you'll love the taste-the best part, obviously. I wanted to take 10 hipster pictures upon just seeing my food. Remembering I gave that up for lent, I dove in like like the muppet chef cooked it himself. I had the braised beef. It was Incredibly tender and atop pieces of bread with escarole, saffron aioli and picked onions. The portions are smaller, but surprisingly filling. For nine American dollars, it's cuisine for cheap. If you want crazy cheap, get a McDouble. My colleague had a fresh cod special. He attacked it so fast, I could barely recall what it was. He said it was rather tasty. We also had the meatballs. They are juniper spiced with a potato purée, lingonberries and a mustard sauce. There was so much going on around the meatballs that I wish there were 8 meatballs. They make Ikea meatballs look like Walmart compared to Fika's Target. Was absurd. Coffee was an actual large that was refilled often. The cream was on a serving platter and the sugar was large chunks of cubes that instantly dissolved. It was like being in an Ikea commercial. I loved the natural light with lunch and true to Swedish design, everything I sat on or looked at just felt right. It was a great experience. I would skip a "creative" lunch on eat street to go here, absolutely. It has its own parking lot, which is not to be underestimated for good cuisine with an out-of-towner or to impress a client. The only real knock is that it's busy and you never hear about it. You need to fight elderly Swedes to get a table and they will only seat you when your entire party is there. The wait was around 10 minutes. This is a museum cafe done right. If I were the Walker, MIA or Science Museum, I'd take notes...preferably in Helvetica. It's not 112, but nothing else is. I'll go back and bring others. read more

I didn't realize I could find a little piece of Europe just a few blocks away from work. Take some time out for a little cultural experience and dine at Fika (located inside the American Swedish Institute). It's only been open for a few weeks but based on the crowd the day Sara W. and I went I think the word is getting out. I was expecting more of a sit down restaurant but I like the casual atmosphere this place offers. If you're visiting the Institute you can place your order at the counter, catch a quick bite and be on you way. The menu is somewhat limited but still plenty of options to choose from. Several different selections for salads (butter lettuce, beet and spelt), sides (meatballs, smoked pork belly, graval) and sandwiches (skirt steak, salmon, watermelon radish) plus MORE! The presentation with the meatballs was impressive. I glanced at a few other plates as I walked by customers and felt the same about their entrees. The food was fresh and had a great blend of flavors. Save some room for a thumbprint or almond cookie. Better yet bring some home along with their homemade scones. There is ample seating available both inside and out. The outside seating is where you can catch a taste of Europe right in the heart of Minneapolis. read more

I was fairly disappointed the previous couple times I been here and came just short of the 3pm cut-off for their restaurant. Today I woke up just in time to make it here for brunch. At 1pm, there were no lines and I got seated immediately. Food: + The soup of the day, corn puree, was delicious! It was a bit sweet with mild resemblance of cream of corn but also sweet. The kernels they had in there were somewhat pickled so each bite was like a flavor bomb. They topped it off with popcorn. I would recommend this if they serve it again. ($6) + Meatballs: This dish put me to shame that I window-shopped at Ikea for pastime (yes that is a real thing), and had their meatball version.... Fika's meatballs were perfectly dense without a lot of fat on top of a bed of what seemed to be mash potatoes, mustard sauce, and a green liquid sauce that tasted like horseradish. It was plated beautifully. On top of the meatballs, they added garnish of some pickled vegetables (I think cucumbers). DEFINITELY RECOMMEND. ($10) + Gravlax: This small plate was also delicious but fish was little too bland for me. I would say that this dish was mildly above average but I wasn't entirely blown away by it. It also came with homemade chips which were pretty light and perfectly salted. ($10) +/- Panna Cotta: Given I have the biggest sweet-tooth, I was pretty excited for this. However, I felt the fruit sauce they had on top of the actual panna cotta was a bit tart and strong for the custard. When I ate them together, it reminded me of a fruit parfait....But that being said, once i ate the layers separately (i.e., fruit by itself, and panna cotta by itself) it actually tasted much better given the latter had more subtle flavor. ($6) Service: Generally, service was pretty good, food came out decently fast and we were done in an hour. You get seated next to the middle courtyard, giving a nice view of outside. There are also outdoor seating but that is more limited. Overall, I loved the food here and definitely will try to come back again! It seems like their menu often changes so I am excited to see what's new to come. P.S. I had their coffee and pastries before -- I loved their coffee but the pastries I find to be average. read more

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Visiting from california. This is a must. Seems weird at first like it's not a restaurant but my goodness. The food is incredible. Staff was super friendly. Highly recommend. read more

Super cool modern scandinavian cuisine in the swedish institute. had a cauliflower soup that was to die for. the small plates were all super tasty also. after lunch, there's a museum to enjoy on the premises. also tried the pear cake and cardamom bread pudding for dessert, both were fantastic. minneapolis dining has come a long way since I moved away in 2012. read more

ASI is one of my happy spots but I don't frequent Fika...because their menu is fairly small and not particularly my kid friendly. It seems that a lot of the people enjoying the main menu are a few generations older than my kids. Their menu is online, so check it out ahead of time. If it is your style of food, you will have a most delightful meal in the most loveliest space. I might be there enjoying a scone, and the atmosphere. read more

Yum. It's basically Bachelor Farmer Lite. In a good way. The food is clean, light and as beautifully simple as the plates they are served on. I had the open face salmon sandwich, presumably the most popular menu item, and for good reason. The Brussels sprouts. Wow. I almost always order Brussels sprouts when it is on the menu, which is a lot because it seems every restaurant in Minneapolis features them these days. These have to be the best ones I've had. It's bright, airy, open and oh so Swedish in its simplistic design. Make sure to check out the gift shop for cute gifts. read more

This restaurant is a diamond in the rough... The little museum cafe actually serves up fine dining quality food @ extremely affordable prices. Excellent food, tastes, presentation, and service. This is a small museum cafe that is part of the the ASI (American Swedish Institute). We have dined at various venues of this type (art institutes/museums) through out the county, this cafe is by far the best. The cod fish and beet soup are our favorites here. The deserts are also excellent, like those you would find at fine French restaurants. I seldom hands out 5 stars, this venue well deserves a 5 stars. read more

Wow. This place was great for lunch. I tried the Cod - slightly breaded and deep fried on rye(?) bread with an amazing slaw on the side. Also had a bowl of their Mushroom soup broth (soup of the day), was more brothy than soup... but still delicious. I came here after getting a taste of some of their food at a late night event at the ASI the previous night. There was a short wait (10 min) for a lunch table, which always signifies good. The general customer base seemed to be older / retired people, but the vibe, food, and beers for lunch feel, gives it a very young and hip atmosphere. Oh, there is also a huge parking lot, which is a big plus in this crowded place of town. Can't wait to go back. read more

Love the food. Dislike the service. No one ever came by to even greet or ask us what we would like to eat. Lady just took dishes away without even asking if we were done. Don't even know who our server was. Apparently, cashier gives us wrong change. We leave tip and just about to take off and lady follows us to ask us for $5 because she made a mistake. Seriously? I don't even know if it's correct or not, but we just give her extra $5... Just leaves a bitter taste in your mouth after an awesome experience with the food. read more

Fika (meaning coffee break or snack in Swedish) is a small café attached to the American Swedish institute in Minneapolis, Minnesota. My wife and I split the soup of the day, a pureed carrot with cream fresh. Good. For her entrée, my wife had the Gravlax, a house-cured salmon dish. Very good. But the crown of the meal was what I ordered: The classic Swedish dish meatballs. Here's how the menu describes it: Juniper-spiced meatballs with potato purée, cucumber, lingonberry & mustard sauce. This was one of the best meals I have ever eaten out. I highly recommend Fika. I don't there is a single thing on their menu that wouldn't satisfy. read more

I cannot believe that we want to a snack shop in a museum and had one of the better meals I have ever eaten in my life. The place is absolutely beautiful. Clean, modern and cozy- you feel like you are some place special but you are OK wearing jeans and a t-shirt. It's a nice touch that they have free ice water out with glasses. The food is delicious. The swedish meatball dish is stellar- the meatballs are small, perfectly cooked with a delicious seasoning; served over rich mashed potato that is flavored with mustard, ligonberry and truffle oil. It was so good we ordered another one, and another one (I swear). The open salmon sandwich caused a stir at our table; an every man for them self free for all as people fought for bites and moaned in delight as they swallowed. We had 3 kinds if tarts (read: quiches) and one was better than the other. The steak sandwich as another crowd pleaser. All of the dishes came with a salad that was fresh and tasty, and were on homemade bread that was a treat on it's own. Every plate left out table clean like it had just come out of the dishwasher. Dessert was another delight. The thumb pressed cookies are to die for. The chocolate cake was awesome and the scones were phenomenal. Again, we reordered after discovering how delicious everything was. For a place that is basically self serve, the service was exceptional. The staff was friendly and helpful in taking our order- they provide you with a number and bring your order to you when it's ready. They checked in on us regularly to offer drinks and take care of our other needs, clear plates and simply to be accomodating. It created a nice experience. The chef walked the floor a few times to see how people were enjoying the food, and noticed that my young son had not ordered anything. He made a special plate off of the menu for my boy at no charge, served it himself and told him that there was more where that came from if he liked it. He loved it. We insisted on paying for my son's food and the chef refused, he said that he didn't want anyone to leave Fika unsatisfied. I can't imagine any one ever has. read more

Up until this weekend I had not heard of Fika (2600 Park Ave S, Powderhorn, Minneapolis) but after chatting with a co-worker about good places in the Twin Cities to sample Scandinavian cuisine they recommended Fika. My wife and I had the day off on Friday and decided to spend the morning at IKEA and follow that up with a lunch at Fika. I have spent some time in Sweden and know good Swedish food when I see it. I wasn't expecting much out of this place but I figured since there are plenty of Swedes in the Twin Cities and all of them seem to give this place high marks that we'd have to give it a shot. On a side note, Fika means "snack" in Swedish and it is typically a coffee break taken during the mid-morning. In Stockholm, the good people up there tend to eat tons of coffee and tons of cakes and those are very typical of what you might find at a "fika" during the day. Okay, enough about that... The décor at Fika is a Scandinavian as it gets. From the ceiling to the floors, from the tables and chairs to the menu itself, this place reminds me of being on the Gamla Stan in Stockholm. It should be a good representation of Sweden as it is attached to the American Swedish Institute. There are TWO key elements that are a must-sample at any restaurant that claims to be Swedish. You have to have Gravlax (a cured, smoked salmon which is typically sliced razor thin and served with a cream and onion sauce on a thin slice of rye bread or crisp or "smorabrod") and of course, Swedish meatballs accompanied with mashed potatoes, gravy and lingonberry jam. These are the standards on which to compare restaurants that claim to serve Swedish cuisine because this is what they eat in Sweden pretty much on a daily basis. We sampled both and both were very good representations of what you'd find in Stockholm. The gravlax and meatballs were superb! Nice menu that features plenty of authentic Swedish cuisine and at a price that isn't too over-the-top. We got out of there for less than $30. Fika is THE place in Minneapolis to get Swedish food. Highest recommendations! read more

Oh my gosh...I don't even know where to begin with this review. The food they served was not only delicious but was a piece of art on a plate. You can really tell the chef takes pride in all the food he serves out. Presentation was spot on. We tried all the sandwiches. I would recommend the sausage sandwich and the lamb shoulder sandwich. As for small plates to share, it would have to be the Gravlax. The decro looked like they got a few people from Ikea to furnish the place. It was modern and looked very spacious even though there was avvery little space for everything. The only thing that was not really up to par was the panna cotta. Tasted very much like a strawberry cheesecake. Food Verdict: Have to come as least once in your life, and please enjoy the museum while you're at it. I heard they have a quilt exhibit right now ;) read more

We stopped at the Swedish Institute specifically to eat here. We ordered the Swedish meatballs, the Brussels sprouts, and the rock shrimp sandwich. I thought the rock shrimp was okay, but the Swedish meatballs and Brussels sprouts were amazing! I couldn't stop commenting how delicious they were between every bite. The soup of the day was delicious too. It was potato soup with chives and bacon. We didn't have room to try any dessert, but from the looks of them, I am sure they were amazing too. Fika is a definite must every time I visit Minneapolis now! I'm looking forward to taking a tour of the museum next time as well. read more

Very nice! I've been hankering to go here the last few times I've visited home and I finally was able to this time around. There is a lot of thought that is put into the food -- both in its presentation, and its taste. A lot of flavor is packed into a bite. I had the gravlax and my SO had the meatballs. Definitely recommend these two. We also had a buttermilk panna cotta which was extremely good -- rich and and vibrant and also a bit funky as buttermilk is. One thing to note -- the portion sizes are on the smaller side (by American standards! ha!) but it was just right for me. You may want to order an extra dish if you're hungry. Also, Fika is situated in the Swedish museum, which is I also recommend checking out if you're here. read more

FIKA - Gravlax - Modern European Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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The Swedish Institute was the biggest and best surprise of our trip to Minneapolis. Such a lovely mansion with incredible objects throughout. But the BEST part of the afternoon was dinner at Fika. Yum all over the place. Great salmon, fresh creamy potato soup, crispy flavorful Brussels Sprouts, and dessert... wow. The bread pudding was quite possibly the best I've ever tasted. I wouldn't skip this place for nothing!! Thanks for the warm and friendly service and the hot tea too. Loved it all. read more

Fika is a fantastic addition to the Minneapolis dining scene. The restaurant is housed in the new wing of the Swedish American Institute. It is a casual spot serving up contemporary Swedish dishes. On my recent visit, I ordered an amazing soup and open faced sandwich with salmon. My wife and I also split a side of white asparagus with gravlax. All dishes were definitely worth getting again on a future visit. Before eating at the actual restaurant, we had pea soup and open corned beef sandwiches during the Christmas Market event. These dishes were definitely reflective of the quality of the food found in the restaurant. Fika is definitely doing something different out here in Minneapolis. The best part however, is that they don't let being different be enough. Their execution matches the boldness of their concept. read more

Service was slow and confused, even though it was not busy and plenty of workers. They need a better system here. What is the name of this desert?!? read more

A highlight of our visit to the American Swedish Institute! The food here made me forget the the distractions: a bit noisy because people walk right by the restaurant after buying tickets to enter the ASI. There is no wall or any other sort of divider such as flowers in pots. My wife and I shared the following: Root soup with sausage ($3.50/cup); white asparagus ($9.); beet salad ($8.); open faced salmon sandwich($8.); rice pudding; and cheesecake. Every one of these I would give 5 stars except the rice pudding: it seemed a bit pedestrian. My favorite was the salmon with watercress and a dollop of beet compote (I am not sure if this is the correct term). Overall bill, including drinks: $58.50. Looks like they are only open one evening: Wednesdays. read more

I need to go here again. I love everything Scandinavian, but prefer my meatballs Norwegian if you want the real truth. This place is bright with modern sleek Scandinavian decor. I think this place would be an excellent place to come for coffee or a drink or something small, but not for a real meal. Small plates while fancy and gourmet, are a little too highbrow for me. I feel kind of ashamed to say that, but it's the truth. The food is DELICIOUS, and I would love to sample some other things on the small but wonderful menu, but I shall not dine here if I am actually looking for a real meal. I got the meatballs which were practically perfect, with a cup of soup with a beautiful espresso crema which is why I say this place is perfect for coffee. However, the low brow lady sees a better bargain at the IKEA cafeteria. I wanted to LOVE this place like everyone else seems to, but it may take some getting used to. I will say this: it is the best museum food you will ever, ever find. read more

Listen, I've lived in a few major cities in the US and abroad. While I really enjoy Italian and Irish food, I'm not usually very crazy about Scandinavian food. It usually smacks of cold, cured fish and bland veggies. Not so with Fika. Do yourself a big favor and try dinner there on a Wed night... Wed is the only night they are open for dinner and they close at 8. We loved the rock shrimp sandwich and liked the meatballs and brussel sprouts. Gravlax was just ok, you need to love mushrooms to enjoy this dish. A creamy celery soup of the day was awesome too. A must try but you must go Wed if you want to go for dinner read more

!!!!!!!!! Why did no one tell me about this? Why did the INTERNET have to be the one to inform me that we have one of the best New Nordic restaurants in the world in Minneapolis? Oh, good LORD this was delicious. But, wait, why is it just lunch and not dinner except on Wednesday? It's new, right? Please add dinner. I might just move home if you add dinner. Ok, here's the thing: I live in Denmark right now and I can safely say that Fika has my -favorite- smørrebrød, um, you know... Kinda anywhere? ...I really hope the Danish authorities don't read Yelp as I might get in trouble because smørrebrød is the national dish of DK and it's probably total and utter sacrilege to say that some Swedish institute in the States has the best smørrebrød but I felt compelled to speak my truth so there it is. However, Fika isn't trying to be "authentic" it's New Nordic. And it's divine. I had the shrimp and tasted the beef. I also had the pork belly and it was shiveringly good. My dining companion put it well when he said "they're like tiny clouds from heaven" The beer selection was good. The cardamon bread pudding was to die for. However, although the service was super friendly and nice and helpful when they were around, twice my water glass went dry (which REALLY sucks for me as I have aphasia [trouble swallowing]) and there was a point wherein I had to resort to the "laser eyes into the back of your head as you obliviously ignore me" thing for a while before I could get the attention of my server. I think hiring more staff would solve this problem. I do think she was oblivious and not being rude, though, so that sorta took the edge off of the annoyance. That said, I liked the food so much I'm actually not docking a star for that, which in other restaurants might have tanked the whole experience for me. Minneapolis just keeps getting better and better each time I go home. read more

Was a little disappointed with this restaurant. The ratings on YELP were so high that I was expecting more. The salmon sandwich was skimpy, not filling, and tasty but nothing to rave about. The salad was, likewise, small and tasty but nothing special. The best thing I ate was the ginger cookie I had for dessert. I have heard that Swedes are healthier than Americans; could it partially be because their portion sizes are much smaller? read more

Fika is modern European and boy do they do that well. It is like stepping off into a European bistro with their desire of quality, expertise, and authenticity. This isn't a place to go if you want something cheap and quick. Hipsters abound and so do the prices, but the food is very good albeit kinda small portions. Be prepared to to be surprised by how they serve items. They might be deconstructed or presented in unique ways. Something different and I love that it is Swedish! Yeah! read more

I don't know who I was before I had the cardamom bread pudding. Please never stop making it, and if you do, please publish the recipe.

It says it's open til 5 but they don't serve food after 3pm and I came all the way here for the restaurant. Boo.

There are many fine eateries in the TC that we will never try, because they're quite costly. On our limited budget, $100+ meals are a once a year affair; and they're almost always not worth the outlay (I'm lookin' at you Grand Cafe & Town Talk). But Fika, at the Swedish Institute, serves modest but creative dishes at very reasonable prices that have wowed our taste buds EVERY TIME we've gone there. And we're talking between 15 and 20 times. If you haven't been. GO NOW. It's that good! read more