Restaurant Fem Små Hus

I had dinner with a Concierge colleague last week at the restaurant Fem Små Hus in the old town (Gamla Stan). I have been to this restaurant many times over the past twenty years and have, of course, written a blog article about it. However, as that article was written almost 7 years ago, it is time for an update!

Fem Små Hus is one of those restaurants that is very easy to recommend to visitors. Not only do they serve great quality, delicious Swedish cuisine (with a French twist) but they also have a beautiful, historic atmosphere. The name Fem Små Hus means "five small houses" and comes from the fact that the restaurant's seven vaulted cellars stretch out under five houses. The restaurant, as I mentioned, is located in Gamla Stan and restaurants have been found at this location since back in the 1600's when there was a restaurant run by a woman named Anna Lindberg (more about her later).

It is actually a relatively large restaurant though you would never know this as it is divided up between 7 vaulted cellar rooms connected by stairs and small hallways, giving diners an intimate feeling. This also makes Fem Små Hus a good restaurant if you are a smaller group as you can dine in your own room, making it a private dining experience. They have a nice bar as well on the street level with a great outdoor terrace during the warmer months.

The cuisine is Swedish with a touch of French and they have some favorite Swedish dishes like assorted herring, Toast Skagen, fillet of reindeer and moose carpaccio. We opted for one of their set three course menus called "Anna Lindberg", named after the entrepreneurial Swedish woman who had a restaurant here around 400 years ago. This menu consists of cured salmon (gravad lax) with a mustard sauce, followed by fillet of veal with a morel sauce and finally a terrine of chocolate with orange curd. It was all very delicious and paired with some great wines.

While Fem Små Hus is a large restaurant, I do recommend booking a table in advance... especially if you wish to dine there on a weekend. You can do this on their website or, if you are staying at the Hotel Rival, contact me directly for help. It is only a 20 minute walk there from the hotel, otherwise you have a couple of busses you can take or else it is a 5 minute taxi ride. The closest subway station is Gamla Stan (red and green lines). Click here for more restaurant reviews and click here for restaurants that serve Swedish cuisine.