Almost everything I ate traveling to Stockholm Gluten Free
Stunning old European buildings, impressive tower views, and delicious GF food all over the place. No, I am not talking about Rome or Florence here, instead let me tell you about the marvelous city that is Stockholm, Sweden.
I’ll be direct, my first 24 hours in Stockholm was a shock to my usual GF travel style. I started with dedicated spots, and there are some absolutely delicious ones, but the more I ate, the more it felt like GF was a given rather than a special ask. If anything, I feel like I missed out as all across the city, places not on my list, or even in an app would show up with the local “G” designation on the menu.
Now to be fair, from my chat with the friendly staff at some of the dedicated bakeries, it does seem like there’s a different vibe on cross contamination to what I am used to but even still, the knowledge of Celiac made it easy to sort out where I felt safe and where, no, I was not going to have a cake that had been positioned right beside a gluten filled one. No fuss at all and no issues whether the place was dedicated, shared with many reviews, or shared with just one.
Stockholm gluten free overview: 8.5/10
Dedicated GF Spots
Happy Atelier
Just a couple minute walk from the stunning Rådhuset subway station lies Happy Atelier bakery which instantly became one of my favorite GF bakeries anywhere. Delicious pastries, cakes, a few sandwiches, and so many breads all in a fully dedicated and oat-free spot with the most delightful staff. What more could you need? Do try to get in early, they’re popular and items sell out because it’s just that good.
Holy Greens
Stockholm was my first city on this two week trip and as usual, it takes me a day or two to warm up to really venturing out so I started with the sure thing. Now to be fair, a rice or noodle bowl may not sound like something you may travel for but for me, functional but good food is a huge win as my travel style is absolutely to roam, logging miles and miles and more miles in a day.
With locations all over the city, Holy Greens was perfect for me and I probably went there more than I should have given how much else was around. But really, their menu was broad enough to never feel like I had the same thing twice and with all the pastries, fried foods, and other indulgences that come with a trip, starting out with some veggies/fiber/protein felt like a wise call. You should know that some locations have oats for breakfast but generally, it’s all GF.
Gullegårdens Glutenfria Bageri
Excited as I was about Happy Atelier, I couldn’t limit myself to just one GF bakery with others around and so I also tried Gullegårdens Glutenfria Bageri which was also delicious and offered up a slightly different assortment of options. They’re fully dedicated too though some of their items do use oats/oat flour which I react to, but their staff was patient in checking items and suggesting some alternatives and obviously not an issue for most of us anyways.
Shared GF Spots
Restaurang Kryp In Gamla Stan
Call me basic, it’s fair, but having Swedish meatballs in Sweden just felt like a mandatory part of the trip. There are many options for those on Find Me Gluten Free and Google with decent reviews so I pinned a few on my map and went exploring. The menu, the crowd, the vibe, every spot was a little different and when I got hungry enough, I finally settled on Restaurang Kryp In Gamla stan. From the start, my server immediately got GF, explaining how little gluten they serve in the first place, and how simple the protocol was as a result to keep it all apart. What came out was great! A rich meatball dish served with all their usual sides, and they even started it with some half decent GF bread.
Santorini Grekisk Restaurang
For my final night, having convinced myself I couldn’t just have another bowl, I tried Santorini Grekisk Restaurang a spot near my hotel. As with Restaurang Kryp, they were immediately on it when I mentioned Celiac, walking me through the menu and explaining what I could and could not safely have, even double checking something with the kitchen to be sure. I went with a classic chicken and potatoes dish which was wonderfully seasoned and absolutely worth trying, even if certainly not local cuisine.
Grocery store options
Like most (maybe all?) EU countries, gluten is clearly labeled on items and gluten free sections were common in almost every store I went to. Outside of bread/pasta/cookies, few items seemed to be explicitly GF labeled so it is a bit of a departure if you’re used to shopping by certification rather than ingredients. You’ll also see clear labeling on most fresh items though consider any CC risk obviously.
Airport options
ARN is an impressive looking airport but sadly, it is not home to any dedicated bakeries. Apps do show a number of places and true enough, I spotted “G” or “GF” labels though not as readily as in the city. For my meal, we went to the Amex lounge which is really more sit down restaurant than typical airport lounge. They confirmed their gluten free options (with the usual “we’re not dedicated” disclaimer) and I had a wonderful salmon before flying off.
While it may have less dedicated options than some spots, Stockholm was truly special for me. Gluten free never felt like a big ask or an exception and more just a part of life. Dedicated or shared, labeled or not, you’ll eat well here without breaking a sweat.
Other Nordic guides: Visiting Copenhagen GF | Visiting Oslo GF
