Restaurant Riche

Riche is the grand dame of Stockholm restaurants and has been around in one form or another since 1896. Just about every Stockholmer has visited Riche at some point in their lives. I have been here many times over the years. Sometimes for dinner and other times just to meet friends for a drink in the bar ("Lillabaren"). I had written an article about Riche back in 2012 and I thought, as I recently dined here with a friend, that it was time for an updated article.

Press image from Riche

The name and interior design of the restaurant comes from its Parisian namesake, the storied Café Riche. Famed Swedish restauranteur, Tore Wretman (who created the Swedish signature dish Toast Skagen), ran the restaurant in the post war period. The menu today reflects the restaurant's history and namesake with classic Swedish dishes mixed with French influences and favorites. The bar is very popular with people of all walks of life, from after work drinks to late night partying. I especially like their generous opening hours... Riche is one of the very few restaurants open for a la carte breakfast (weekdays from 7:30am). However, they are closed a couple of weeks this summer: July 14th to 29th.

I was there a couple of weeks ago to have dinner with a friend. I had the classic Escargot, followed by the Schnitzel "Katsu-Sando style". It was all very delicious. As per usual, I ran into several friends and colleagues there at the bar and dining themselves. It is exactly that type of local restaurant, where you tend to run into people you know each time you visit. Riche is located on the street Birger Jarlsgatan in the upscale Stureplan district.

The easiest way to get there, from the Hotel Rival, is to take the subway (red line) four stops to Östermalmstorg and then exit to Stureplan/Birger Jarlsgatan. Otherwise, it is a 10-12 minute taxi ride. If you are staying at the hotel, contact me directly for help in reserving a table... or else you can book your table on their website. Click here for other restaurant recommendations.