Smorgasbord!

Part of the smörgåsbord buffet.

Smorgasbord, or Smörgåsbord as we spell it here, is probably the most familiar Swedish word around the world. It has even made it into the English language as a word to describe "a collection containing a variety of sorts of things". Here in Sweden it means a traditional buffet overflowing with delicacies like pickled herring, shrimp, gravad & smoked salmon, meatballs, patés, sausages, desserts and more.

Beautiful, historic dining room.

Swedes traditionally eat smörgåsbord around midsummer and Christmas (then called julbord), but visitors to Stockholm don't need to wait until these holidays to try this Swedish tradition. Yesterday I was invited by the restaurant Operakällaren to try their smörgåsbord ahead of the summer season. The restaurant has had a long tradition of serving smörgåsbord and they are now bringing it back for Summer 2011. I do recommend trying this when in Sweden... it is a good way to sample well-known Swedish favorites like different types of pickled herring, gravad salmon and, of course, Swedish meatballs. They will be serving the smörgåsbord every Thursday through Saturday all summer starting on May 26th and the cost is 390 SEK per person (all you can eat). It will be served in their historical dining room within Café Opera (next door to the entrance to Operakällaren). For more information, including history, buffet items and contact details, click here. The restaurant is located in the Royal Opera House, smack dab in the middle of the city.. next to Kungsträdgården.

First course... shrimp & herring!

Looking for another option for smörgåsbord? Then try the Grand's Veranda. And for other restaurants that serve classic Swedish cuisine... click here!