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Restaurant Pelikan

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

Highlights

Highlights

Must-see attractions

Social content

Social

From TikTok & Reddit

Best Time

Wed/Fri 18-21h

Blue hour photography, calmer galleries

CrowdLow
Pic 4

Restaurant Pelikan

Highlights

Highlights

Must-see attractions

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

"Experience a true taste of Swedish tradition in a beautiful, historic restaurant."

TIP

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.

Third hero image

Quick Facts

Closed·Opens 11:30AM

Cuisine

Swedish

Price

$$$

Phone

+46 8 556 090 90

Address

Blekingegatan 40, 116 62 Stockholm, Sweden

Insta-Factor

High

Highlights

Discover the most iconic attractions and experiences

Authentic Swedish Meatballs

Authentic Swedish Meatballs

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

This is where to eat Stockholm's best Swedish meatballsStockholm’s 5 Best Spots for Swedish MeatballsGoogle Review+1
Historic Atmosphere

Historic Atmosphere

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

Best Stockholm restaurants for traditional Swedish food – A Day In StockholmStockholm’s 5 Best Spots for Swedish Meatballs10 Best Places For Swedish Meatballs In Stockholm
Diverse Traditional Dishes

Diverse Traditional Dishes

Beyond meatballs, explore hearty options like Biff Rydberg, pork knuckle, and reindeer for an authentic Swedish culinary journey.

Best Stockholm restaurants for traditional Swedish food – A Day In StockholmStockholm’s 5 Best Spots for Swedish MeatballsGoogle Review
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Insider Tips

from TikTok, Instagram & Reddit

Svensk husmanskost 📍🇸🇪 #mat #food #foodie #restaurangtips #fördig #fördigpage #fds #fyp #foodtok #foodtiktok #stockholm #sthlm #swedish #swedishcandy #husmanskost #pelikan
@svarding
1.5K likes • 72.7K views

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.

Looking for a traditional Swedish meal in Stockholm? 📍Pelican, Blekingegatan 40 Södermalm, Stockholm . . . #stockholmfood #stockholmfoodguide #stockholmtips #foryou #foryoupage #fyp #fördig #stockholm #stockholmfoodie #stockholm🇸🇪 #food #foodietok #foodie #stkhlm #foodblogger #stockholmfoodadventures #4u #swedishfood
@stockholmfoodology
64 likes • 2.6K views
Our first night in Stockholm! We went to Fotografiska and Pelikan for dinner 😋🤤 The food was so amazing…..
@katie_klingler
12 likes • 317 views

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.

Vart finns Stockholms bästa lunch? Idag testar jag:📍Pelikan, Blekingegatan 40
@beatricereiman
6.4K likes • 118.9K views

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

4.6
(491k reviews)

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

Authentic Swedish meatballs
Nostalgic, historic ambiance
Classic traditional dishes

What People Dislike

High prices for drinks
Noisy atmosphere
Inconsistent service at times

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, reservations are highly recommended due to the restaurant's popularity, especially for dinner.

Google Review

The signature dishes include traditional Swedish meatballs, Biff Rydberg, and hearty options like pork knuckle and reindeer.

This is where to eat Stockholm's best Swedish meatballsGoogle Review+1

Yes, while known for traditional meat dishes, they offer vegetarian options such as kroppkakor (Swedish potato dumplings).

Best Stockholm restaurants for traditional Swedish food – A Day In Stockholm

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.

Best Stockholm restaurants for traditional Swedish food – A Day In StockholmGoogle Review+1

It's a lively establishment; for a quieter experience, consider visiting during off-peak hours or weekdays.

Google Review

The restaurant is considered upscale, with prices reflecting its historic location and traditional cuisine.

Google Review+1

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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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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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