I don't know what we did before Simon's opened a little over a year ago--it has fast become a staple in our small town's fika scene. With outstanding espresso and regular coffees as well as high-quality baked goods, Simon's is usually my top choice for a stolen hour of reading, latte in hand, for fika with a friend I haven't seen in a while, or simply just for people watching on Storgatan. Their candle-lit tables and animal-skin-clad benches make it a cozy spot even when it is packed with people. And Simon's makes the best coffee in town.
Simon's roasts their own coffees (weekly, I think!) in their roaster that's in the back of the cafe--and the freshness and knowledge of coffee shows. Both the regular "bryggkaffe" (filtered coffee) and the espresso are excellent, and there is usually a choice of blends for the bryggkaffe. Simon's also sells bags of their beans--the "Nordic Morning" blend is my favorite for everyday morning coffee, while some of the special edition beans (like the Ethiopian or Kenyan varietals he has had in the past) have been amazing. This year's Julkaffe (a Colombian bean) was perhaps my favorite coffee *ever.*
The bullar (sweet buns), breads, and pastries are all excellent. Some of my favorites include the kardemummabulle, the mazarin, the apple cake, and the lemon meringue tartlet. The caprese (tomato-mozzarella) macka (sandwich) is crazy good--I have barely tried any other lunch items because I am addicted to that one! But my husband has had several of the salads and larger sandwiches on their menu and has loved them all. Additionally, Simon's serves kombucha, smoothies and freshly pressed juices, and healthier breakfasts like chia pudding.
If you can be there early for lunch (say, ca 11.30) on a Wednesday, don't miss the special sourdough, thin-crust pizzas! Pizzaonsdagar are a special treat at Simon's and only last till all the dough has run out--so going early is a must.
Simon's is tied with Babette's for my favorite cafe in Linköping, even though they are quite different in terms of emphasis and atmosphere. Babette's is much larger and has a more shabby chic feeling; Simon's is more Scandi-industrial-modern. Both are cozy and both make outstanding bullar (sweet buns), breads, and pastries. You can't go wrong with either, so have two fikas in Linköping and try them both! read more
