Tranan

Wow! First time in Sweden and wanted Swedish meatballs of course. My friend took me here and it was unreal! The best! Ps It’s not on the menu! Don’t forget to add the sweet sauce and have the cucumbers that come on the side. Don’t miss out on this while in Sweden!

Wow, awesome food and great place for dinner. If you want to dine in their restaurant, you absolutely need a reservation so call in advance. If not, you can always go downstairs where the whole basement floor is open table and looks more like a gastropub. They serve the same food and drinks, the only difference is the ambiance.
The food was incredible, that’s a fact. I had the chanterelle soup which was superb, and my husband got the seafood stew which was absolutely amazing as well (it’s served in a pot and comes steaming hot to you, perfect for a cold Stockholm night). The complimentary bread basket they served you had 3 types of bread which were also delicious.
If you’re staying near Odensplan, this is a must visit place!

When trying to decide between Pelikan and Tranan, it was clear from the Unilocal reviews that Tranan would be the right choice — and we were not misguided.
The atmosphere is quite cozy and the food was delectable. The cuisine was traditional Scandinavian and the cost was quite reasonable. For 550kr ($ 60 USD) we were able to enjoy an appetizer and two entrees.
We ate the deep fried cod for an appetizer (I would order again!) and for our entrees I went with the traditional Swedish Meatballs (not listed on the menu, but available upon request) and my boyfriend went with the fried herring. The Meatballs were fantastic! The fried herring was not much to write home about, but those meatballs definitely were!
If you’re looking for a restaurant that is a little less mainstream and touristy, this is it! Would definitely go back if we were staying longer!

On our way back to Chicago from Norway we had a 21 hour layover in Stockholm and decided to see the city. We looked up some restaurant options and read some good reviews about this older restaurant serving classic Swedish dishes. Of course everyone wrote about the meatballs that aren’t on the menu and I will echo their comments; they were amazing. The sauce was very flavorful and the portion was great for the three of us. Their bread served before our meal was fresh and delicious. We had Baltic herring, smoked salmon, and the lamb chops. Along with a bottle of wine. Everything was great and our waitress Oz was great to us and she was extremely pleasant. Made our short trip extremely worth it just for the meal here.

First, my boyfriend and I are foodies and always looking for great food, service and authentic feel. We got all of that here and more. We ordered the swedish meatballs, beef with potatoes and egg along with a nice french Brut champagne. The atmosphere, service and authentic small town feel was perfect. Definitely recommend this place :)

My family and friends ate here one of the nights we were in Stockholm. With it being Easter Sunday, we made reservations because we weren’t sure how easy or hard it would be to get a table at a restaurant. I’m really glad we did because they were definitely turning people who walked in away.
We were a group of 6 and they had our table waiting for us even though we were about 10 minutes late (trouble figuring out ticket machines at subway station without a chip & pin card — US banks need to convert!).
Once we were seated, our server came over to check in on us, gave us time to explore the menu, and answered questions we had. They did have an English menu behind the Swedish one, which was convenient. Just like Unilocalers said, they have the Swedish meatball plate everyday, but it’s not on the menu. We ordered a plate to share and even though the dish only comes with 5 meatballs, our server said the kitchen would add one more so each of us at our party could try one. The meatballs were the size of golf balls and very flavorful. The mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam went perfectly with it.
We each ordered an entrée. Among the 6 of us, we shared the steak, veal, fried sole, fish & chips, pork chop, and smoked salmon. All of us were very happy with our choices and it was awesome to be able to taste so many dishes off the menu. My personal favorites were the fish & chips and the steak, but the rest of the dishes were also really good. My friend thought the fried sole would actually be breaded and fried, so she was slightly disappointed, but the fish itself was very good. It does come with a lot of bones, so be careful when eating it.
We probably sat at dinner for about 2.5 hours eating, chatting, and enjoying being on vacation together. The service was great, just enough attention when we needed something. We picked this place because it was known for Swedish comfort food and we definitely felt comfortable and full after our meal there!

As tourists, we had no idea where to eat and go at night. Luckily, this restaurant was open when no other shop was open… And I’m so glad it was open!
We had one of the soups with shrimp and I got the meatballs for my entrée. When the shrimp soup appetizer came out, I was really shocked– literally one shrimp on the plate. Just when I was about to ask about the rest of the dish, our waiter poured soup over it. The rest of that dish went into our stomach very quickly. My entrée came out soon after our appetizer was done and consisted of meatballs and mashed potatoes, with marinated cucumbers on the side. The potatoes were DELISH and the meatballs were even MORE delicious! And then when you put the potatoes, meatballs, and the cucumber together, it makes a crazy good taste.
This place is great– great food, reasonable price, great waiters (and English speaking, for those who are traveling), and superb service. We went during a packed hour and got plenty of attention.
I would go back to this place– hands down!

Where to go when in Stockholm to have awesome meatballs? TRANAN!
Tranan or Pelikan?
We ended up in Tranan and that’s one of the best diners I have had in a while. Because:
— The meatballs (not in the menu, but they always have it so just ask) were good as shit! I don’t like meatballs and I had to have a try to the Swedish ones and the taste of the ‘gravy’ was so so powerful and it had a great contrast with the lingonberry jam and the pickled cucumbers.
— Great selection of swedish dishes like roe and skagen toast!
— Pretty good cider, and you even have a nightclub downstairs to keep up drinking!
So when In Stockholm, Tranan FOR THE WIN!

Potatoe pancakes & caviar (roe)-we got the appetizer version –sufficient & very good. Tried the triple herring, a Swedish specialty, OMG (disgusting! Sorry Swedes!) not for the American palette. Outdoor tables much nicer, inside very crowded! And yes, it’s TRUE! The Swedish meatballs are excellent! (Not on the menu) just ask

We actually decided to check this place out based on some Unilocaling we had done. When we walked in it seemed like we had made the right choice because there were a bunch of Swedes in here! It felt like we were the only tourists there.
We got shafted at first while we were waiting for a table. After waiting for about 20 — 30 minutes, we thought about walking out after our question of «How long until we get seated?» had been evaded more than enough times, but one of the servers caught us as we got up and said she’d seat us in 3 minutes and that she did! Service was actually good after we got seated.
I ordered the fried mackerel, based on a high recommendation from the lady that sat us and my aunt ordered the halibut. The mackerel was excellent — it was seasoned well and cooked well too! Warning — this was a full fried fish with the head and all. I was pulling out bones the whole time, but it was totally worth it! It also lay on a nice bed of spinach, which went nicely with the fish. My aunt loved her halibut too!
I’ll definitely be making a return visit next time I’m in Stockholm!

This restaurant is close to the subway station, so if you are new to Stockholm it is very convenient.
This place has more of a romantic interior and has both indoor and outdoor seating.
The Swedish meatballs are simply amazing here. In my opinion better than Riche even.

Best meal I had in Stockholm — awesome food, sweetest waiter, and extensive wine list. Highly recommend!

Visiting Stockholm and want to try «authentic» Swedish cuisine?
I’d say, «come to Tranan!», but I’m clearly the last person to tell anyone what authentic Swedish cuisine is supposed to taste like. That aside, this restaurant was well reviewed in enough guide books and online travel blogs that we figured that chances of snagging a delicious meal were good.
We started the meal off with the ubiquitous bleak roe on toast, and melted in the luxurious decadence of such a simple offering with each bite. Would it be better here than any other place? I have no idea, but what we had here was delicious.
Another traditional offering (I know only because I asked) was the Biff Rydberg, which was great not only because it felt like eating breakfast for dinner, but because it let me mush together some of my favourite things all into one big pile: beef, hash, and an egg yolk in the middle. Not what I would call a refined nor elevated dish, but one that was deeply satisfying and comforting, and one I’d certainly order again.
We also tried the meatballs with mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam, which was NOT on the menu (thanks, Staffan H!) but definitely worth trying at least once. How good were they? Well, I think it would be pretty unfair to compare them to the meatballs at IKEA (hey give me a break, that’s the only other place I’ve ever had Swedish meatballs), but rest assured, I can say that they were WAY better here.
Well, everyone says that this is the best place to get classic Swedish food. Sure, they could be right, but I have no idea. But all I know is that the food was good, the food was satisfying, and if I had to make a recommendation for future tourists who want a good meal in Stockholm, I’d be happy to recommend Tranan (but make sure you get a reservation!!!).
PS — the bread is really good too!

One of Stockholm’s classic ale houses gone restaurant. Tranan offers high quality Scandinavian cuisine in an authentic environment. My granddad used to eat and drink here in the 1940-​ies and I carry on the tradition.
Service is impeccable, the wine selection is good and the food is constantly great — I have never had a bad experience or substandard food here.
Remember — Tranan always offers great meatballs with mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam even though it’s not on the menu.

By far the best Swedish food I’ve had so far. Very trendy/​upscale place, and always busy. Be sure to make reservations!
For a starter, we got the cold cuts. Excellent meat.
For the entrees, we got the fried baltic herring and saltcured salmon. Both delicious and very well made. Portion looks small, but it’s really quite filling because of the [butter/​creamed] potatoes. Everything just meshed well on your palate.
When they serve you bread, make sure to take more than 1 if you want more than one! The waiter only offered it to us once and I wished I had taken 2. =(I guess we could’ve asked for more, but didn’t want to seem greedy…
Service was helpful and polite, but a bit stand-​offish. We didn’t mind so much. It’s hard to believe how those waiters walk around in the place with large plates since the restaurant’s so small.
Highly recommend this place if you want to try Swedish food, but caution that it’s very pricey. It’s good for a special occasion.

NOTE: This is for Bar Tranan (the bar) not Café Tranan (the restaurant).
So this could be my favorite bar in Stockholm. I came here for the first time last night. It’s one of those places that when, the second you walk in, the atmosphere blindsides you completely. It’s a bar where local Swedes meet up with friends, grab a big table and don’t move for the rest of the night. It’s a bar that lacks pretention and is a great place to meet new people. Everyone is laid back, the bartenders are swift, and the drinks are flowing.
I had the chance to eat here as well. Good Swedish food. Meatballs, herring, sausage. It’s the ultimate Swedish bar.
The key with this place, get here early and keep your eyes peeled for a table. Once you get one, you’re unlikely to give it up.