Operabaren — Restaurant in Stockholm

Before coming to Stockholm we were looking for interesting places to eat, so we decided to have lunch at this restaurant one day.

It is located in a very beautiful, historic opera house, and the interior of the restaurant itself is amazing. Neither small nor excessively large, the restaurant is located in a room with fantastically designed walls, a ceiling with an unreal mosaic and a solid wood bar, so everything looks very classy and old, with a lot of elegance. At the entrance, the waiter greeted us and directed us to our table (we made a reservation in advance, so I recommend it to you if you plan to visit). We had the steak tartare as an appetizer, which tasted fantastic, and the quantity was the right measure, given that it tickled us just right before the main course. For the main course - traditional Swedish meatballs with mashed potatoes. Considering that I travel a lot, that I am a gourmet and that I have tried many things, I can say that this dish is among the 3 best things that I have ever eaten in my life. The meatballs are soft, tasty, the sauce is perfect, the mashed potatoes are just as they should be, and in combination with the cranberries, a rhapsody of flavors is created in the mouth. Unbelievable really, a real delight, and as far as the food is concerned, a recommendation x 100.

On the other hand, as far as the service is concerned, maximum disappointment. All the time we had the impression that we were not welcome. The waiters are haughty, with a certain amount of passive aggression during communication, uninterested in helping you to choose, all the time you have the feeling that they are looking down on you, for some unknown reason. We spent 6 days in this city, we are amazed by how friendly, communicative and willing people are to help when you ask them something, and this restaurant is the only place where we came across something like this. A real shame, considering how delicious the food here is.

Also, there is no music at all in the restaurant, so it can be annoying when the guests at the next table are too loud. After all, you are at the opera, play some classical music, it would be...

This is where my husband and I had our first dinner in Stockholm on our honeymoon. The restaurant itself is gorgeous. We loved the dark wood surroundings, the sturdy chairs and tables.. it felt like an establishment that has thrived for decades without changing its vibe because it doesn’t need to. It felt elegant without the elegant price tag.

We chose Operabaren for the traditional Swedish foods and we were so pleased with the options. The pickled herring was delicious and approachable for someone coming from the US that has never eaten pickled herring. The champagne selection was fantastic. Everything we ate was delicious. And the service was outstanding!

I would highly recommend this place for someone visiting Stockholm looking for great food and service, especially if you want traditional...

First the good news : Historical beautiful decoration , staff professional and friendly , food was good.We ordered swedish meatballs and schnitzel.

And then the bad news : Absolutely no music ! Howcome in the bar of a historical opera they do not have any kind of music from a CD playing on to accompany your dinner ? This silence compined with the fact that 8 out of 10 clients were over 60, created an atmosphere of a retirement home restaurant. Limited variety in the menu . We could hardly find something that we really wanted to eat. Menu did not contain something exciting . Prices are high. Would I go again ? Certainly not, in a town with so many choices...