Sustainable eating in Stockholm
Publish date: 22 March 2024
Fresh, healthy, and sustainable. Here are the restaurants leading Stockholm's sustainable boom.
Sustainability in general, and eco-friendly food in particular, has become a deciding factor in what Swedes buy and consume. This has, in turn, led to Stockholm both becoming a hub for food tech and enjoying a renaissance of green restaurants and cafés.
Many Stockholm restaurants take great care in choosing seasonal and locally sourced ingredients or take matters into their own hands and grow many of the menu’s greens. Others find new and inventive ways to reduce food waste and emissions to either become climate-neutral or climate-positive. For example:
- Restaurangen - Fotografiska: The restaurant at Fotografiska (called "Restaurangen") has been lauded for its sustainable kitchen. It was one of the first restaurants in Stockholm to receive a Green Star from Guide Michelin in 2020. The restaurant focuses mainly on plant-based food and works hard to reduce food waste. Fotografiska has both a Green Star in Guide Michelin and has top remarks in the 360° Eat Guide.
- Oxenstiernan: Like Fotografiska, Oxenstiernan has received both the highest score in the 360° Eat Guide and a Green Michelin Star. While sustainable ingredients and dishes are chosen carefully to reflect the seasons, Oxenstiernan has a holistic approach to its business. Everything from packaging and tableware to dishwasher detergents and electricity providers is chosen with high sustainability in mind.
- Etoile: A lauded playful restaurant that has received both a Michelin star, a Michelin Green star, and high remarks in the 360° Eat Guide. Etoile's seasonal New Nordic cuisine is always made with sustainability in mind. But the restaurant also prides itself on being a democratic working environment where everybody gets to do everything and staff members are encouraged to hone their skills through courses and training.
- Växthuset (page in Swedish): Located next to the beloved nightclub Trädgården, Växthuset offers vegan fine dining. A perfect place to start an evening of clubbing with a delicious, fresh meal prepared from seasonal ingredients. The restaurant aims to be as eco-friendly as possible, without impeding quality or taste. Växthuset also serves artisanal and craft beverages, focusing on natural wine and non-alcoholic drink experiences.
- Brutalisten: Brutalisten serves brutally honest food. Much like its architectural namesake, it has a raw and stripped-down quality, without elaborate presentations. The restaurant is committed to using every piece of each ingredient, with great care taken to find the best local ingredients and forming tight collaborations with farmers and producers.
- Rosendals Trädgård: Enjoy lunch, soups, sandwiches, and baked goods in the lush, green environment of Djurgården. They also serve a selection of organic wines and beer as well as homemade drinks. Both a market garden and café, Rosendals Trädgård serves food based on organic, biodynamic ingredients. During the growing season, they use herbs, fruit and vegetables from their garden, and the pastries are from their bakery. The garden café is open all year round with a short break over Christmas and New Year.
- Triton: A relaxed French bistro on Södermalm that opened its doors in 2022. Triton's menu is full of local ingredients, natural wines, and great flavors. The restaurant strives to be a socially sustainable working place, with much attention to staff well-being.
This sustainable approach to cooking has also garnered international acclaim. Three Stockholm restaurants have received a Green Star in Guide Michelin, awarded to restaurants for their environmental focus. Furthermore, twenty are listed by the 360° Eat Guide; two of which have received top remarks for the holistic approach to sustainability.
Here are some more great examples of Stockholm’s sustainable culinary scene!