The best restaurants in Södermalm

Contemporary art and fine dining

The old customs building on Stadsgårdskajen has become a melting pot for creatives and tourists alike. Fotografiska is not only famous for its photo-art exhibitions but also its restaurant. With emphasis on seasonal and organic produce as well as stunning waterfront views to boot - what could be better?

Playful luxury

After a controversial guest appearance at Kåken chef duo Jocke Almqvist and Kalle Nilsson opened this much loved and talked-about luxury restaurant in Södermalm. Decadent tasting menus are all part of the unique experience, and if you prefer something simpler their little sister restaurant Punk Royale Café has drop-in spaces.

Popular foodie-mecca

With its ambitious and reasonably priced Korean menu, Nook is well worth its much-hyped reputation. Street food meets fine dining with innovative dishes and exciting combinations. The bar is also a popular watering hole.

Small and close to nature

Food critics and ordinary restaurant goers alike have heaped praise on this tiny restaurant ever since it opened its doors on Mosebacke torg. The menu is small but perfectly formed, with unexpected elements such as horse and pike, and drinks are selected with as much passion and care as the raw ingredients. Combine your meal with excellent natural wines or micro-brewed beer.

Asian-fusion and boutique-cinema

Barbro, under Liljeholmen's Bridge, is a small Tokyo-style restaurant serving modern and beautifully prepared food. Made for sharing, guests are invited to try multiple dishes. The restaurant also houses a boutique-style cinema and bar.

Mexican and organic on Södermalm

Calexico's serves up a delightful bar and restaurant experience in the heart of Hornstull, with food that oozes Mexican vibes and a beautiful view over the water. The restaurant is environmentally aware and most of their ingredients, including the house wines and coffee, are organic.

Classic restaurant destination

This modern restaurant serves dishes with culinary influences from Scandinavia and France. The kitchen uses carefully selected ingredients in season. Both large and small groups can come and enjoy lunch or dinner at Symbios, which is run by the team behind Barobao and Ichi.

Prison turned restaurant

Häktet, which was once an 18th century prison, now houses a restaurant and three different bars, one with a distinct speakeasy feel. Although the rustic menu is rather selective, the food is well prepared with both French and local influences.

Fine dining and panoramic views

One-step closer to heaven. This gastronomic restaurant on Skrapan's 25th floor offers breath-taking views over the city and gourmet-style food. The sky bar is a popular haven for its extensive cocktail menu.

Japan meets Brazil

Imagine raw elements from Japan combined with flavours from Brazil - and there you have Liberdade's culinary concept. The best of each country's cuisine is combined to create exciting dishes made from high quality ingedients. The full menu is served in the elegant yet cosy dining room, while the cocktail bar serves a smaller selection of dishes along with a creative cocktail list.

Genuine home-made Italian food

La Vecchia Signora, which translates to the old lady, is considered to be one of the best Italian restaurants in the city. Authentic Italian fare from the Piedmont region is served. The atmosphere is intimate and relaxed, the food exquisite.

Arabian pizzas

If you find yourself in Hornstull craving pizzas, we recommend a visit to Bitza. They serve Arabian pizzas, light beer and coffee. The pizzas are made from Neapolitan-style dough but the flavours are from Palestine and Lebanon. Aadel Kersh is the man behind Bitza as well as an eponymous coffee roastery on Värmdö.

Pared-back surroundings and a passion for good food

This little neighbourhood restaurant on Timmermansgatan by Mariatorget, which used to be called Timber, serves a Swedish menu which changes regularly. There are several firm favourites which make a regular appearance and the chefs cook and serve the kind of food they would want to order themselves.

Cool lifestyle-concept

This hip all-in-one concept hosts a Mediterranean restaurant (Linje Tio), an award-winning cocktail bar, wine bar and barber à la NYC speakeasy. This popular hangout is open all week and packed with regulars.

Distinctive style

NOFO boutique hotel is a city oasis that draws in locals and global travellers alike. The restaurant on the ground floor serves seasonal sharing dishes with international influences, along with selected wines, cocktails and beers from local breweries. Don't miss the hidden inner courtyard which is open during the summer months.

Naples in Södermalm

Giretto invites you to visit Italy in Södermalm. The menu consists mainly of Neapolitan pizzas in both traditional and more modern variations, with toppings from parma ham and rocket to roast beef and bearnaise sauce. The warm, friendly setting is perfect for dinner à deux in the small banquettes or big sociable meals with a group of friends around one of the larger tables.

Popular neighbourhood restaurant

Nytorget 6, and its older sibling Nybrogatan 38 on the other side of town, appeals to a wide audience from early morning to late evening. This charming neighbourhood restaurant, complete with an open kitchen, rotisserie and artisanal bar, serves moderately priced French and Swedish food - most dishes are under 200 SEK.

Italian flavours and plenty of wine

O'Pizzicato serves Italian food and a wide range of wines in stylish surroundings right next door to Södra station. Friends and families can meet up over an authentically Italian dinner. The menu includes fresh pasta, meat dishes and plates of thinly-sliced charcuterie and you can round off your meal in true Italian style with a glass of grappa.

Japanese set menu

Chef Saori Ichihara is at the helm, running this celebrated neighbourhood restaurant on Mariatorget. A seasonal tasting menu with Japanese flavours is the order of the day and if you've left it too late to book one of the highly sought-after spaces you can always take a chance on a drop-in spot by the bar.

Mini restaurant

This popular restaurant right on Nytorget has just 24 highly-coveted covers, which you need to be prepared to queue for. You can only pre-book 14 of the seats, the others are reserved for drop-ins. But all good things come to those who wait and patient diners will be rewarded with a top-notch dining experience, with dishes made from seasonal Swedish ingredients.

Comfort food and cocktails

Bird serves up proper comfort food with Asian and American influences just a stone's throw from Nytorget. As the name suggests, chicken and other fowl are the main event, particularly fried chicken. Enjoy Szechuan wings and buttermilk-fried chicken and try Bird's own beer or one of their signature cocktails.

Bengali street food, Brick Lane style

Gossip, just off Nytorget, is inspired by Brick Lane and the walls are decorated in true Bollywood style. The popular restaurant serves reasonably priced Bengali street food and is a modern alternative to Shanti - its older sibling a few blocks away.

Trendy Thai

Pat's Place on Folkungagatan serves a rather cooler version of Thai cuisine. Humorously named Thai "tapas" are the order of the day and you won't find any waving cats in the window or over-full plates of Pad Thai at this restaurant.

Fine fastfood

Söderhallarna's indoor food court houses this "fast casual" hamburger concept, which means high quality made speedy and simple. They're best known for their "smash technique", a way of achieving an especially crispy burger surface that brings burger fans flocking from all over town. The menu is short and sweet, with a choice of burgers including one vegetarian and the rest variations on a basic burger with cheese, fried onions, pickles and bbq sauce added.

Tradition meets innovation

Izakaya fuses traditional Japanese cuisine with modern fast food culture - contemporary and healthy tapas-style food. Blue Light Yokohama's extensive menu also offers sushi and other dishes as well as sake.

Best curry in Europe

Award-winning Indian Garden has several locations in Stockholm and is considered to serve the 'best curry in Europe' as well as classics such as biryani and tandoori. Tradition meets modernity – which translates seamlessly from the menu to the décor.