Most people don't take much notice of the IKEA bistro at IKEA because there's a full cafe there…read more But the bistro is actually slightly cheaper, and sells some snacks that you can't get at the cafe like popcorn, ice cream cones and hotdogs.
IKEA is a maze, but the bistro is actually not hard to get to. Simply take the lift from the ground floor of Homesquare at the side of Franc Franc - the lift only goes up to the sixth floor. Get out there and you'll be at the exit of IKEA, right where the bistro is. You'll recognize it by the line of people queuing up!
The bistro is, well, just kind of a food stand, so the variety of food is definitely less than at the cafe. IKEA favorites like the smoked salmon and the potato vegetable cake aren't available here, but there are a range of snacks instead. You can get cinnamon buns, cream puffs and others that you can't get at the cafe. No worries - the signature meatballs are here too, at five meatballs for $9! That's cheaper than at the cafe, where five costs $10 and ten costs $19. Coffee and soft drinks are cheaper here and also come with free refills too!
My mother and I were leaving IKEA today and were attracted by one of their monthly specials - shrimp toasts. At 3 for $10, they were pretty cheap so we joined the line and got them. Unfortunately, they were disappointing - barely warm, and the shrimp wasn't even fully cooked. We didn't finish it and just tossed it because we didn't want to risk eating uncooked shrimp.
Overall, some snacks at the bistro and a couple rounds of refillable drinks is a great treat after some hardcore IKEA shopping. Just don't get the shrimp toasts and all will be well!