The best lunch restaurants in the Old Town

Tradition serves Swedish homecooking just the way it's supposed to be - simple, made from top quality ingredients and with flavours that are both familiar and innovative. The restaurant serves lunch every day of the week in its light, airy premises on Österlånggatan, next to the royal palace. Choose from weekly and daily lunch specials with fish, meat and vegetarian options, or classics such as meatballs with traditional accompaniments. Or treat yourself to a three-course lunch.

Matrosen Smørrebrød serves Danish smørrebrød open sandwiches with a Swedish twist from a 17th century building on Skeppsbron. The menu changes with the seasons but you'll often find classics such as curried chicken, roast beef and Skagen prawn mayo on the menu. Naturally, they also serve Danish beer and snaps.

At the Old Town sister restaurant to dependable neighbourhood bistros Nytorget 6 and Nybrogatan 38 they serve a dish of the day as well as à la carte in the kind of environment that makes you want to stay all day. Influences come mainly from French and Swedish cuisine, but you'll also find some more exotic elements on the menu.

Regardless of whether lunch or dinner is on the agenda, the crew at Skeppsbron 10 transforms seasonal ingredients into playful and innovative menus. Big flavours and exciting cooking techniques are the watchwords, all you need to do is choose between the plat du jour and à la carte.

Agaton serves Swedish homecooking and southern European dishes at lunchtime. The restaurant oozes Italian vibes, with red and white checked tablecloths and a warm, inviting atmosphere. It's central location close to Kornhamnstorg makes it easy to find.

Mogges is a favourite sushi spot for many Stockholmers. They serve fresh, good-value sushi which you can take away or eat in on one of the few seats.  

This organic artisan bakery on Skeppsbrokajen serves their own sourdough sandwiches, as well as nutritious lunchboxes from Kalf & Hansen. There's plenty of space to sit both inside the café and outside on the waterfront, a popular spot during the summer months.

This classic restaurant has been around since 1772, ie. more than three hundred years. The menu is primarily Swedish, but with influences from other parts of the world, just as France. Lunch is on the swankier side, with main courses such as classic meatballs, and fish, meat, and vegetarian dishes, and they also offer a two or three-course business lunch. 

Next to the popular Pharmarium cocktail bar you'll find its sister restaurant, Stortorgskällaren, a warm, welcoming restaurant inspired by the furniture workshop that used to be housed in the building. Classic dishes with a modern twist are the order of the day here.

If you'd like to enjoy lunch while giving back to society at the same time; get yourself along to Stortorget and Grillska Huset, which is a part of the charity Stockholm Stadsmission. A popular food and coffee spot which serves a daily lunch special, quiches, soups, salads and substantial sandwiches. All made with care and good quality ingredients. Eat outside in one of the city's most popular courtyards during the summer months.

Under Kastanjen is tucked away under the large chestnut tree on Brända Tomten square. Choose between the daily lunch special or soup, or a classic café lunch such as a grilled sandwich and salad.

At Barrels, their aim is to serve the best burgers in town in the nicest burger joint in town. Both classic cheeseburgers and variants with flavours from around the world are served here, together with their popular dill fries. The meat, which is Swedish, is ground fresh every day in the restaurant for maximum flavour and juiciness.

On Stora Nygatan in the middle of the Old Town, Hermitage serves filling and spicy vegetable dishes inspired by the flavours of the world. The lunch menu is full of tasty stews and salads, as well as other vegetarian and vegan dishes. You're guaranteed to leave the restaurant happy and full.

Swedish home cooking is the order of the day for lunch and dinner at Slingerbulten. Tuck into classic dishes such as raggmunk potato pancake, salmon and poached fish with egg sauce in a beautiful setting with well preserved original details. Every weekday there's a new choice of meat or fish, along with a weekly special.

This local Italian restaurant serves ambitious lunchtime "dishes of the day". The menu changes daily and always includes a fish, meat and pasta dish. If you fancy something a bit lighter, there are also salads and a vegetarian dish which change weekly. Plenty of space for small and large groups.

The five-star hotel Reisen has its own restaurant, Restaurant Reiss, with a menu packed with Swedish dishes with a modern touch. The menu is updated weekly, but always includes fish, meat and vegetarian dishes, as well as the restaurant's classic Toast Skagen and meatballs.

What would the Old Town be without Strömmingsvagnen? You'll find the food truck on charming Kornhamnstorg, with a menu that consists of herring, or strömming, in different varieties; as a burger, in a roll, with mashed potatoes... The prices are extremely affordable, with options under the hundred kronor mark.

At Pastis, lunch is reserved for perhaps the best days of the week – Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The cosy restaurant lives and breathes France in terms of both menu and decor, with a menu that changes regularly.