
Restaurant Pelikan
A venerable Stockholm institution serving authentic Swedish comfort food in a grand, wood-paneled Art Nouveau setting.

Highlights
Must-see attractions
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Restaurant Pelikan

Highlights
Must-see attractions
A venerable Stockholm institution serving authentic Swedish comfort food in a grand, wood-paneled Art Nouveau setting.
Reservations Highly Recommended
Popularity means tables fill up quickly. Book in advance to secure your spot.
Embrace the Vibe
Enjoy the lively, classic bistro atmosphere, though be aware it can get a bit loud.

Quick Facts
Cuisine
Swedish
Price
$$$
Highlights
Discover the most iconic attractions and experiences

Authentic Swedish Meatballs
Savor perfectly crafted Swedish meatballs in a rich gravy, served with creamy mashed potatoes. A must-try classic!

Historic Atmosphere
Dine in a grand, wood-paneled Art Nouveau setting with high ceilings and classic decor. Experience Stockholm's past.

Diverse Traditional Dishes
Beyond meatballs, explore hearty options like Biff Rydberg, pork knuckle, and reindeer for an authentic Swedish culinary journey.
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Insider Tips
from TikTok, Instagram & Reddit
Reservations Highly Recommended
Popularity means tables fill up quickly. Book in advance to secure your spot.
Embrace the Vibe
Enjoy the lively, classic bistro atmosphere, though be aware it can get a bit loud.
Consider Lunch or Weekdays
Visit during off-peak hours or weekdays for a potentially quieter and more relaxed dining experience.
Vegetarian Options Available
While meat-centric, vegetarian dishes like kroppkakor are offered.
Tips
from all over the internet
Reservations Highly Recommended
Popularity means tables fill up quickly. Book in advance to secure your spot.
Embrace the Vibe
Enjoy the lively, classic bistro atmosphere, though be aware it can get a bit loud.
Consider Lunch or Weekdays
Visit during off-peak hours or weekdays for a potentially quieter and more relaxed dining experience.
Vegetarian Options Available
While meat-centric, vegetarian dishes like kroppkakor are offered.
What Travellers Say
Reviews Summary
Restaurant Pelikan is celebrated for its historic, atmospheric dining room and its dedication to traditional Swedish cuisine, particularly its highly-praised meatballs. While many enjoy the classic dishes and the nostalgic vibe, some find the pricing steep and the atmosphere can be quite noisy, with occasional comments on service efficiency during busy periods.
"The Best Traditional Swedish Meatballs
If you’re visiting Stockholm, one thing you absolutely must not miss is dining at this restaurant. It’s been around for a long time and specializes in serving traditional Swedish cuisine. There are many tempting dishes on the menu, but for me, the highlights were the Swedish meatballs and the mushroom-filled potato dumplings — both were absolutely delightful.
Pairing the meal with a glass of local draft beer made everything even better!
If you want to experience authentic Swedish food, this is definitely the place to go. The staff were very welcoming and gave excellent recommendations.
Please note: it’s highly recommended to make a reservation in advance."
Mandy P.
"This is a historic and delicious spot I visited in Stockholm. You can taste authentic Swedish meatballs here. Instead of going to the more touristy, well-known places, I highly recommend trying the meatballs here — the price difference is minimal, and the quality is worth it.
Also, don’t miss the herring lakerda plate as a starter. The way they’ve turned herring into such a flavorful dish is truly impressive. One starter plate is more than enough for two people."
mustafa can irhan
"This restaurant should not be rated 4.4 stars. The food was great, staff attentive, and food was fast and hot. We had shrimp salad, boiled pork knuckle, and meatballs all delicious. It is a little loud that’s the only thing to be aware of but you can still carry on a conversation but it’s a super cool setting and has been around forever."
Erin Rifkin
What People Like
What People Dislike
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, reservations are highly recommended due to the restaurant's popularity, especially for dinner.
The signature dishes include traditional Swedish meatballs, Biff Rydberg, and hearty options like pork knuckle and reindeer.
Yes, while known for traditional meat dishes, they offer vegetarian options such as kroppkakor (Swedish potato dumplings).
The restaurant features a grand, historic Art Nouveau interior with wood paneling, high ceilings, and classic furniture, creating a nostalgic vibe that can be quite lively and loud.
It's a lively establishment; for a quieter experience, consider visiting during off-peak hours or weekdays.
The restaurant is considered upscale, with prices reflecting its historic location and traditional cuisine.
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I like to go to Pelikan for a classic köttbullar experience. In business since 1733, this atmospheric restaurant is a cozy spot for lunch or dinner. The big windows are the perfect backdrop during a snowy day while you indulge in your new-found Swedishness.
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Pelikan in Sodermalm is where you eat meatballs and all the Swedish traditional food (mains from £15; pelikan.se). It’s very rustic, all the waiters are in their 60s, and everyone gets drunk when they go there.
Best Stockholm restaurants for traditional Swedish food – A Day In Stockholm
The restaurant Pelikan is located in an old Art Nouveau building in the Södermalm district. The restaurant’s interior is characterized by high ceilings, large windows, and classic wooden furniture, creating a spacious and nostalgic atmosphere reminiscent of early 20th-century dining halls. Their menu features classical Swedish dishes and we recommend trying their creamy hash called “Doppsko” (a traditional Swedish dish with diced potatoes, meat, and onions, cooked with cream), served with an egg yolk on top and beets, or their vegetarian “kroppkakor” (Swedish potato dumplings filled with porcini mushrooms).
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Well worth checking out include bars such as Bar Ninja, Snotty Sound Bar, Mikkeller Södermalm or NOFO Wine Bar if you’re looking for something a bit more posh, as well as restaurants like Restaurant Pelikan, Falloumi, Deli Di Luca, 800 Grader Slice Shop, Checa, Restaurang Dionysos, or 58 Dim Sum. Not in the mood for a full meal yet?. Grab a fika at one of the many coffeeshops like Koffein, Beck Kaffebar, Café & Bageri Pascal, and Leonardos Kafferosteri.
Nightlife for a more mature crowd
From this historic, classic restaurant you can slip next door to the sister bar Kristallen, to sit and enjoy chilled music late into the evening. Perfect if you're after a sophisticated evening in a bar, where you can accompany deep and meaningful conversations with a few drinks and order traditional Swedish dishes in the restaurant if you get peckish. Pelikan is in SoFo (South of Folkungagatan), close to lots of other restaurants and bars.
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Im Restaurant Pelikan auf Södermalm wird gute schwedische Hausmannsküche in lauter Bistro-Atmosphäre serviert. In dem hohen großen Raum gibt es viele Tische und nur einige in Nischen – das ist auf jeden Fall nichts für den lärmempfindlichen Gast. Einheimische und Tourist*innen kommen und gehen, man kommt mit den Nachbartischen ins Gespräch und das Personal ist sehr geschäftig und bringt Teller um Teller mit Köttbullar an die Tische.
Stockholm’s 5 Best Spots for Swedish Meatballs
Pelikan is located in Stockholm’s Södermalm district and has been serving traditional Swedish cuisine since 1904. The restaurant’s interior features high ceilings and impressive arched windows, creating a spacious and inviting atmosphere in keeping with the neighbourhood’s beer halls of yesteryear. The menu includes classic dishes such as hand-rolled meatballs, herring, veal liver and pork leg with root mash.
10 Best Places For Swedish Meatballs In Stockholm
In addition to serving some of the Best Swedish meatballs around, restaurant Pelikan might just be the prettiest restaurant in Stockholm. Just ten minutes in this uber trendy location will have you embracing your inner influencer. With towering palms, mood lighting, massive arched windows, and a lavish bar, this is a dining experience that will leave you feeling like one of the cool kids.
This is where to eat Stockholm's best Swedish meatballs
At Blekingegatan 40, oversized meatballs are served with classic condiments in Restaurant Pelikan, a local eatery that is one of the oldest in the city and can trace its roots back to the 1600s. With its wood panelled walls and black and white tiled floor, Pelikan is a deeply atmospheric spot to tuck into some traditional fare - and their well-priced meatballs never fail to deliver.
Where to Eat in Stockholm: 14 Top Restaurants
Last, but not least, we have Restaurant Pelikan, another traditional Swedish restaurant established in 1904. Of all the restaurants in Stockholm we visited, this was probably our favorite. Not only was the setting beautiful, with a gorgeous grand hall dining room characterized by high ceilings, huge arched windows, and cozy candle-lit tables, but the food was incredible as well.
Two of Stockholm's Most Popular Restaurants
In my job I often recommend restaurants to visitors, but there are two restaurants that visitors seem to know about before coming to Stockholm: Gondolen and Pelikan. Besides being good restaurants, they are widely written about in various city guidebooks. I think that this is because of a combination of word-of-mouth and good PR on behalf of the restaurants themselves.
Palate’s Guide to the Ultimate Swedish Meatballs – Palate Magazine
Pelikan is in Södermalm, the middle island of this archipelagic city. The restaurant has a lovely ambience: all candlelit, flattering soft lighting and the relaxing, unpretentious feel of a decent gastropub. Rocking up without a reservation presented no issues – tables were available on a mid-week evening but the atmosphere wasn’t dead either.
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If you want to try some traditional Swedish cuisine during your visit you can visit Kvarnen or Pelikan. Both are located in Södermalm and situated inside old beer halls, the high ceilings contributing to a buzzing atmosphere. At both restaurants, you will find classic dishes such as meatballs, västerbotten cheese pie, reindeer and herring.
Eat & Drink
Pelikan provides a glimpse of Stockholm in the old days, when there was a beer café on every corner. Classic Swedish home fare is served in a rustic beer hall with high ceilings, where the atmosphere is relaxed, the food is affordable and the crowd is a mix of people. Pelikan is a long-time favorite of many in the city’s culture crowd.
Best Restaurants in Stockholm to Suit Every Craving
For a classic Swedish dining experience, Pelikan in Sodermalm is a must-visit. This iconic restaurant serves traditional Swedish fare like herring platters, roast beef, and potato dishes in a charming, old-school atmosphere. Pelikan offers a welcoming setting where diners can enjoy hearty meals at an affordable price.
The best places to eat meatballs in Stockholm
It has been offering dinners since 1633 and only open from 17:00h to 23:00h. Pelikan’s meatballs boast about having the best cream sauce in the city, and are served with gherkins, lingonberries and mashed potato. They are quite bigger than the usual and you can combine them with any of their other plain food.
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Visiting charming Pelikan is like a very pleasant trip back in time. Pelikan is a restaurant in Södermalm that is one of Stockholm’s most historic, and it’s like visiting a tavern in the past. The place dates back to the 17th century and has been located in several spots in the city over the centuries.
Best Swedish Meatballs (Köttbullar) in Stockholm
Pelikan is one of the oldest restaurants in Stockholm and is probably the first hit you get when searching for Swedish meatballs in Stockholm. The place is an institution. The interior, styled after a classic beer hall, has high ceilings, wood furnishings, brass fixtures, and a casual old world charm.
In Stockholm
If it’s the first time you come to Sweden, you need to try typical Swedish food, right?. In this large old beer hall, a limited menu of traditional Swedish dishes and local beers is served to locals and tourists alike. It may be a bit overpriced but the quality of the food won’t disappoint you.
Tips on where to eat in Stockholm
And after a bit of research and review reading to source the most favoured meatball establishment in Stockholm, I decided upon Pelikan. Assisting with this decision was the visit paid by Anthony Bourdain in his ‘No Reservations’ episode on Stockholm – if he went, it must be good.
Where to find the best meatballs in Stockholm
Located in Södermalm and modelled after a grand beer hall, Restaurant Pelikan is a real Stockholm classic. This place is always packed, and rightly so. Pelikan is famous throughout the city for its rich, hearty and traditional Swedish dishes – the meatballs here are no exception.
Stockholm’s best places to eat and what to order there
Another great option for traditional Swedish food is Pelikan, in the heart of Södermalm. Pelikan is set in a rustic beer hall, which creates a warm and relaxed atmosphere. The classic Swedish home fare is affordable here, which makes it popular with both locals and tourists.
The 13 Best Local Restaurants in Stockholm
Restaurant Pelikan in Stockholm has a long history of serving traditional Swedish food in a spacious, beer-hall setting. Its high ceilings and century-old interior create a memorable atmosphere, making it an inviting spot to experience local flavors.
Classic restaurants in Stockholm - Visit Stockholm
From the well-preserved art nouveau-palace Berns to the working-class eatery Pelikan, these are restaurants and cafés that have served hungry diners year after year, decade after decade, and – in some cases – century after century!
Where to eat in Stockholm 2021 : stockholm
Swedish/Nordic: Kvarnen, Tranan, Pelikan, Blå dörren, Tennstopet, Den Gyldene Freden, Meatballs, Wood, Sturehof, Eriks Basar, Tabberaset, Sillkaféet, Slingerbulten, Hantverket, Knut, Två små svin, Matrosen smørrebrød
Top 10 Restaurants in Stockholm
Description: A historic restaurant offering traditional Swedish dishes in a charming, vintage setting. It’s well-known for its classic Swedish fare and cozy atmosphere. Address: Blekingegatan 40, Stockholm
Gastronomy and culinary specialities in Stockholm
The Pelikan offers a journey into the past of the Stockholm of yesteryear. Classic Swedish dishes are served in a rustic beer hall with high ceilings in a friendly atmosphere.
Savor the Flavors: Stockholm's Best Restaurants Unveiled
Pelikan is a classic beer hall offering traditional Swedish dishes. The portions are generous, ensuring value for money. View this post on Instagram
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from TikTok, Instagram & Reddit