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    Kvarnen

    3.5 (62 reviews)
    Closed • 11:00 am - 3:00 AM (Next day)

    Kvarnen Photos

    KVARNEN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Loud
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

    Recommended Reviews - Kvarnen

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    Reviews With Photos

    David K.

    Kvarnen has an old-world Swedish beer hall atmosphere but made for a surprisingly calm setting for a traditional Swedish meal. We started with a basket of complimentary flatbread with butter, as well as SOS, a platter of four different kinds of pickled herring (paired with pickled onions, sour cream, and two different mustards), Västerbotten cheese, spiced cheese, and boiled potatoes. But my favorite dish (and one of the most unique on the menu) was the Reindeer Stew, made of shaved reindeer meat and mushrooms in a hearty, sweet, savory cream sauce, topped with lingonberries and chunky mashed potatoes. The reindeer meat had a somewhat dry, jerky-like flavor that went nicely with the decadent cream sauce, while the lingonberries added a contrasting brightness. Overall, the food here was decent for what it was, though on the heavy side like many traditional Swedish dishes.

    Meatballs
    Veronica O.

    This was our first time trying official Swedish meatballs and they were delish. We arrived around 1pm and the restaurant wasn't very busy at all. We thought they were closed, but it could have been an off time. Regardless, if you happen to go here and its not busy don't let that deter you. The service was fantastic. Our waitress was very helpful, attentive and kind. The food itself was very good. The flavor on the meatball sauce was very flavorful and everything tasted wonderful together. I would highly recommend if you are wanting Swedish meatballs.

    Beef Rydberg | Beef, fried potatoes, onion, raw egg yolk, Dijon cream
    Woolie T.

    Kvarnen's been around since the early 1900's (more on their history can be found here: http://www.kvarnen.com/index.php/en/about-kvarnen) and was a former beer hall--and as most of the guys on our trip are huge beer drinkers, we thought we'd kill two birds with one stone: traditional Swedish bites and local beer. We originally had a reservation for 5 people, at 7p on a Thursday, but two other friends joined us at the last minute and Kvarnen was more than accommodating, happily updating our reservation to a party of 7. Most of us were visiting Sweden for the first time, and we wanted to try a bit of everything traditional Kvarnen had to offer, so almost everyone ordered a different dish: Fried Herring, Swedish Smoked Sausage from Vaggeryd, Pytt i Panna, Kvarnens Meatballs, Reindeer Stew, and Beef Rydberg. Of all the dishes we had ordered and tried, the Reindeer Stew was my least favorite--I didn't enjoy the gamey taste, especially not in combination with the lingonberries. The Fried Herring was a bit too oily, otherwise crunchy and flavorful. The Swedish Smoked Sausage from Vaggeryd was okay; it tasted like any other sausage, and I actually preferred the ones we bought from the vendors on the streets. The Kvarnens Meatballs were mouthwatering and 100x better than the ones at IKEA in the states. I would definitely order the Pytt i Panna and Beef Rydberg again (these two dishes have yet to disappoint or fail us at any of the restaurants we've visited on this trip). I didn't enjoy most of the food, and especially not the Reindeer Stew, but with that being said, I'm still very glad we made a stop at Kvarnen because we got a taste of authentic Swedish foods.

    Seto E.

    A classic Swedish delicacies If you wanna taste the real Swedish restaurant experience, this place is one of the best. I ordered Isterband, but I think you should get another one, haha. It's okay, but it's just sausage with potatoes. The staffs were friendly and helpful. Don't hesitate to ask them for recommendation

    Meatballs with lingon berries and mashed potatoes
    Ana C.

    This is an old beer hall that was featured in the book "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo." The food is decent but overpriced and service is quite terrible. They do have a a very good beer selection though! And there is a club in the back in case you want to extend the dinner into a party. Food: 3/5 This is a good place for traditional Swedish food such as reindeer, meatballs, etc. I found the food to be too salty but overall decent (though overall, Swedish food tends to be too salty to me). Service: 2/5 We waited almost an hour for our food and when we asked one of the waitresses about it, she said "it will get here when it gets here". Seriously?!?! Talk about having a bad attitude. However, when we asked another waitress, she kindly checked on it for us and turns out there was a mistake in the kitchen. She gave us free desserts as compensation. Lesson learned: avoid old lady waitresses, they are mean! Also there is a mandatory coat check in the front where they force you to pay them to store your coats. If you refuse, you cannot enter (very strange...) Atmosphere: 5/5 It is a really cool looking beer hall. The interiors is all wood and very rustic. Plus it has a club in the back - food and clubbing without having to go out in the Swedish cold, what is there not to love? Value: 3/5 Food was normally priced, around 200kr/person.

    Brunch buffe
    Joana G.

    Kvarnen is a name you hear during the day but also at night. It is known by its center-european food and decor which then turns into a bar/pub and a small sized club, open until 3am on fridays/saturdays. The best I have to recommend is the brunch buffe during weekends, for 250kr. Fine variety of food (continental breakfast, main courses and desserts) of decent quality which is very well attended by the staff who keeps it constantly clean and restocked. There are two sittings, one at 12:00 and other at 14:30. Can also recommend the lunch on weekdays if you crave a good sized meal!

    Strangest meat platter ever...
    Joe B.

    Entering "Hospodské Dvere" is through the 'Kvarnen' restaurant and you're forced to pay a wardrobe fee of 20 SEK, immediately imposing on you the sensation of being at a cheap disco or nightclub. The starter, meat platter, is a jungle mix of mushrooms, pickles, dry ham (like in really dry!) and goat cheese. It says "pate" but that's not on there. Main course is a ham and cheese schnitzel which resembles something from the frozen food section of a supermarket. Beer is good though...

    Veal with lemon.
    Aaa B.

    I liked the food quite a bit. I got the breaded veal with a slice of lemon and some anchovies, husband got the meatballs (köttbullar). Tasty. Decent wine. Nice atmosphere. Also has the interesting feature that it was a location in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. Times visited: 1

    Swedish Meatballs
    Katti W.

    We went to Kvarnen for lunch while visiting Stockholm and we are glad we did! This was our only time spent in Sodermalm and we wish we could've had more time in this area. It seems very hip and has a local feel. Kvarnen had lunch outside and the weather was perfect. Food was pricey but I think it was "normal" for Stockholm. We ordered (American interpretation of the dishes, sorry if incorrect) the Swedish meatballs, Caesar salad, fish stew type dish, and the special of the day- shrimp sandwich. Everything was very tasty and service was good as well. The waiter was patient enough to explain each item on the menu in English for us.

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    11 years ago

    Great hipster Swedish buffet breakfast. Not cheap, but a great variety. Fun place - been there a while.

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    Kvarnen Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - Kvarnen

    “The pickled herring was great, and great with the vodka shots; as was the reindeer stew.”

    Mentioned in 4 reviews

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    Älskade Traditioner - Hallon waffle

    Älskade Traditioner

    4.6(78 reviews)
    0.6 km•Söder
    •$

    Alskade Traditioner is a 1950s diner that serves savory waffles, sweet waffles, and milkshakes…read more My husband and I were tourists in Stockholm, and he found this highly rated restaurant online. The employees spoke at least some English and also had English menus. I heard American oldies music playing. Savory waffles included vegetarian, chicken, pork, and seafood. Dessert waffles had ingredients such as cloudberry, lingonberry, blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, apple, banana, Nutella, Biscoff, cinnamon bun, chocolate-cherry, and ice cream. Other menu items included salads, meatballs, freakshakes, and affogatos. We placed our order at the counter and paid. We took a number to a table of our choosing. Indoor seating and outdoor seating with blankets was available. Minutes later, an employee brought an incorrect food to us, so I pointed it out, and he later brought the correct foods. Here are my ratings for what we ordered: Nikas Honungskaka - 4.5 stars - soft, moist honey cake Eggs Royale - 4.5 stars - thick, fluffy cheddar-potato waffle with very smoked salmon, poached eggs, lemon hollandaise, dill, and horseradish Vuxen Kottbullar - 4.5 stars - traditional beef meatballs with mashed potatoes, cream sauce, lingonberries, and pickled cucumber Maja Graddnos Frasvaffla Hjortronsylt - 4.5 stars - thin, crispy waffle topped with my choice of cloudberry jam and whipped cream The total price for these four foods plus a soda and a juice was 743 Swedish Krona or about $75 USD.

    This is such a cute homey place. Yes it is touristy, but hey that's what I am and it does have a…read morelot of local Swedes as well. As I am a tourist, I got that crazy milkshake with a cinnamon bun on top of it just for good measure of course. The cinnamon buns in Sweden are obviously exceptional as they originated from there- crunchy on the outside and warm, melted, soft cinnamon goodness on the inside. The waffles are delicious as well, regardless of which waffle you get. All in all, this is a great place to go to if you're visiting Stockholm!

    Photos
    Älskade Traditioner
    Älskade Traditioner - Blueberry dream milkshake (129 SEK)

    Blueberry dream milkshake (129 SEK)

    Älskade Traditioner - Flat white! The Marianne chocolate filled mint was great

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    Flat white! The Marianne chocolate filled mint was great

    Kvarnen - breakfast_brunch - Updated October 2026

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