Home away from home

BEIRUT CAFÉ
Engelbrektsgatan 37
+46 8 21 20 25
At the moment, nothing is quite as popular in Stockholm as Lebanese cuisine - and rightly so. The combination of high taste and low calories is unique, and Beirut Café was among the first to introduce mezes, small dishes, consisting of heavenly dips and sauces, mini casseroles and grilled goodies. Part of the deal is the Middle East aesthetic - with its lavish decorations - and so is the glamour. For example Shakira had dinner here during her visit to Sweden. 

DIVINO
Karlavägen 28
+46 8 611 02 69
A few samples from the menu - truffle risotto and ravioli with duck’s liver - give away that the prized Divino belongs among the more luxurious Italian restaurants. The maitre d’ is Nicola Ingrosso, known in the celebrity mags as pop singer Charlotte Nilsson’s partner. The interior is off-white with chandeliers, and the establishment boasts a highly potent wine list and a newly opened deli. The sample menus are especially good value.

DÖDEN I GRYTAN
Norrtullsgatan 61
tel: +46 8 32 50 95
A rustic little Italian that manages to stand out in an area filled with restaurants. The portions are as big as Sardinia, the romance quotient as high as a Friulian mountaintop and the service as warm as a day on the Italian Riviera. What more can you ask of a trattoria this far north of the Mediterranean?

EAST
Stureplan 13
tel: +46 8 611 49 59
www.east.se
A Stockholm culinary pioneer. East has been serving first-class Asian cuisine since 1989, and they are still going strong, with a scientifically drilled staff, a heated outdoor café and a bar full of well known names and faces in the Stureplan entertainment
district. For private dinners, there is a pleasant VIP room.

EYUBI
Döbelnsgatan 45
tel: +46 8 673 52 36
A Kurdish-Persian success story in a former garage, stylishly draped in floor-to-ceiling fabric, with an airy ceiling and artistic exhibitions by the city’s leading young photographers. Eyubi serves up tasty meze (little Middle Eastern dishes) and grand lamb and chicken meals.

INDIA CURRY HOUSE
Scheelegatan 6
tel: +46 8 650 20 24
The chief characteristic of Stockholm’s Indian restaurants – besides the fact that they are usually run by Pakistanis – is their shabbiness. The food doesn’t suffer, though. India Curry House on Scheelegatan’s restaurant row is as popular as it is inexpensive. The ultraspartan décor and often plain unfriendly staff are mostly a gimmick.

KI-MAMA
Observatoriegatan 13
+46 8 33 34 82
The logo looks like it was drawn by a colorblind child. The address is anonymous. The premises are too bright, and space is at a premium. Never mind. Because Ki-Mama has the best sushi in the city. If you’d rather fumble with your chopsticks somewhere more stylish, try Roppongi, Tegelbacken 2.

SAHARA
Olofsgatan 7
tel: +46 8 20 85 65
www.sahara.se
Ever since the Middle Eastern restaurant
boom, it has been easier to find couscous than mashed potatoes in Stockholm. Sahara’s first location was on Södermalm. Now there are several – Sahara’s serving up meze all over town. Scruffy spaces, spicy food, hookahs and filled seats.

PER LEI
Artillerigatan 56
tel: +46 8 411 38 11
The name is Italian and means something like to/for/toward you. And what they bring out to/for/toward you is topnotch modern Italian cooking. The chef de cuisine is Jodi Cohen, who has been a name to watch on the Italian scene since her days at Divino. The 20 guests the space can accommodate enjoy three to five course menus that change every six weeks.

ROPPONGI
Hantverkargatan 76 C
+46 8 650 17 72
Don’t be scared by the rough, unglamorous surface - this is where the best sushi in town is served. Which is a poorly kept secret, so booking in advance is recommended. 
 
TARANTINO
Roslagsgatan 43
+46 8 15 00 30
Traditional, prized and priceworthy Italian. And when owner Emilio is present, the service gets really personal. The homemade bread, one made with tomatoes, another with olives, is so tasty you may well skip the antipasti.