John Chris Coffee

I walked by here the other day and made a mental note to stop in. Initially, It seemed a little British with the name «John Chris» and I thought it might be a chain from the UK. Now that I have had an opportunity to stop in, I am no longer convinced of that. I can see a little bit of a distant British vibe going on here with the dated blue upholstery everywhere and the early 1990’s coffee house vibe, but I think it may have been a Swede who created this place. Especially since the name feels strange to me – consisting of two typically English first names together. Sitting in here feels like I’m seeing a British coffee house through a Swedes eyes while traveling back in time. LOL.
All that aside, I am here to write a review about the fika I just had to kill off some time before an appointment. I was hoping that I might have found something new and interesting here, but now I just really wish that I went to Espresso House next door. The brownie was dry. It feels like I just ate a sponge. The latte was watery and not great. The coffee didn’t have a totally terrible flavor though, so maybe the drip coffee is a bit better. I just read a review about their lunch food options and I’m guessing that it’s probably what you want to go here for then. However, I think there are probably a lot of better options in the area for lunch. This is the city center! I think this place probably stays in business because of the regular tourist traffic on the street outside. I would almost find the place a little charming in its dated appearance, but only if the food was good. What I had was not worth the extra 10 walking strides it takes to bypass the other coffee shops next door. The good news is that it’s fairly easy to find a comfortable table with an electrical outlet and the service was pleasant. Despite all that, I’m not sure I will be back.

Went there about 4 times in 7 days because it was THAT good! Love the «healthy plate», really tasty and fresh. You get a good amount of fresh food for your bucks. We also tried the pastas which were decently nice. Really loved it on the whole though, so inexpensive!

The décor, ambiance and staff are nice, but I’m mainly writing this review about the lobster soup. WOW — it’s fantastic. It’s not just soup made from the water some lobsters were boiled in… it has real pieces of tender lobster in it. It tastes amazing. You must try it! The carrot cake is also wonderful. All of it is very fresh and tasty. Not your average coffee shop! And I’m so glad they do not have TVs blaring and the music is quiet and unobtrusive, allowing for easy conversations.

I came here one day for lunch and order the «Dagens meny», which is basically the menu of the day and the cheapest option in any restaurant.
Line was a bit confusing but I managed to order a pasta and a hot tea. Any food orders allow you to eat from the salad bar.
My food was pretty decent, and they have WiFi and power outlets which makes it easy to work from there. Be aware the place is right on Queen’s Street so you may see a large wave of tourists. Also don’t leave your things unattended, you never know who is around.

We didn’t try the pastries or cakes, but the food was quite good. They have healthy options and you can ask for a menu in English. I had grilled chicken with salad and bulgur wheat (they called it couscous) and it was just what I needed after eating so many cinnamon rolls and other sweets for the past week! It’s also conveniently located on the main pedestrian road with all the shops. Stop in for a quick lunch!

We enjoyed good coffee and yum cakes by John Chris. However we found restaurant interior decoration + furniture dark, old style and boring! Location is on a busy street in city center. There are outdoor seats too. Service was very friendly and helpful.