Where to Drink Coffee In Stockholm

In a city where coffee breaks are part of the cultural tapestry (read more about fika), it’s no surprise that Stockholm offers a seemingly endless supply of excellent cafés. With beautiful Scandinavian design, friendly service, fresh-baked goods and an abundance of creative alcohol-free drink options, Stockholm’s coffee scene is among the world’s best. Here are some of the city’s must-visit spots.

Johan & Nyström Johan & Nyström roastery opened their flagship café on Swedenborgsgatan street in the Södermalm neighborhood in 2009. Ten years and many awards later, the company now has 11 locations, including outposts in both the Arlanda and Vantaa airports—a testament to the quality and popularity of their coffee and other seasonal alcohol-free beverages like matcha limeade with mint. Coffee educators are always on site to guide guests to the best cup to suit their tastes, so don’t hesitate to ask for advice.

Drop Coffee Drop Coffee opened around the corner from Johan & Nyström 10 years ago and started roasting in the small shop in 2010. They then moved the roasting operations to a larger space on the north side of Stockholm to help meet wholesale demand, and have recently expanded to two neighboring locations to grow the capacity of the café. Using mostly certified-organic beans, the skilled baristas (they’ve represented Sweden four times in the World Coffee Roasting Championship) pour some of the city’s best coffee.

Kaffebar The spacious outdoor patio at this café fills up quickly during Stockholm’s sunny summers. Also located on Sodermalm, the coffee comes from roaster David Haugaard and other drinks include delectable hot chocolate and an array of cold beverages. The café is a brunch favorite for locals, thanks to fresh-baked goods from Valhalla bakery and international fans might also recognize the café as the favorite of fictitious protagonist Mikael Blomkvist from the Stieg Larsson series.

Mellqvist Kaffebar The cozy Mellqvist Kaffebar in the Vasastan neighborhood is always bustling with locals thanks to their easy-going approach to delicious coffee. Nab one of the outdoor seats for a quick cup between window shopping.

Vetekatten Because no fika is complete without fresh-baked goods, a visit to Vetekatten is a must. Established in 1928 in the Norrmalm neighborhood, it is one of the city’s oldest patisseries. Alongside cups of all-you-can-drink coffee from Arvid Nordvist, the warm, welcoming institution offers a dizzying array of traditional Swedish buns, biscuits and cakes made by Johan Sandelin, one of the city’s best pastry chefs (in 2015, he placed 7th in the Pastry Chef World Championships with a chocolate confection made to resemble a Viking ship).  Stop by on Tuesdays for one of the city’s best afternoon tea buffets.