A gorgeous food hall from the 1880s, the busy Old Haymarket and the youngest one, the South Halls, have made Stockholm the most ‘appetizing’ capital in Scandinavia.
Østermalm Food Hall
with counters and shelves packed with the best of the finest also houses numerous restaurants and cafés where you can enjoy traditional Swedish delicacies, with an emphasis on seafood and “husmannskost” (classic Swedish fare).
When Jamie Oliver named Östermalms Saluhall one of his favorite places after a raving trip to Stockholm, the hall has been even more frequented and received several positive press reviews. You’d be hard-pressed to find any guidebook to Stockholm that doesn’t include this iconic landmark.
Until 2018 the food hall is being renovated and the food stalls and restaurants are moved to a temporary covered market situated on the square.
Old Haymarket (Hötorgshallen)
is the busiest of all three halls. Built in the 1950s and having undergone two major renovations in the 1990s and most recently 2011-2012, Hötorgshallen’s international flair makes it a practical shopping choice with vendors ranging from South America and the Middle East to Eastern Europe, Asia, and a few Swedish specialty booths as well.
Hötorget is the epitome of Stockholm cosmopolitan bustle. Roll down the escalator from Hötorget for a quick herring sandwich at Kajsas Fisk, a Turkish burger at Izmir or a juicy, spicy merguez sandwich with ratatouille at La Gazelle. Swedish specialties? Bondens Matbod. Seafood? Melanders.
The South Halls (Söderhallarna)
inaugurated in September 1992 is located along Medborgarplatsen (“The Citizen’s Square). It might not be as colorful as the other two, but it holds its own in terms of quality and offerings.
Get yourself a bellyful of bargain basement Omega-3 at Strömmingskiosken near the metro stop at Slussen. You can munch on strömming (Baltic herring), fried or pickled on hard bread with mashed potatoes – straight from the counter of this fishy kiosk. Made to order and served fresh. Worth queuing for.
Opening hours
The food halls are most popular at lunchtime. Embrace the bustle and elbow your way to the front of queue between 11.30 and 13.00.
The food halls have daytime opening hours (closed on Sundays).
Feature image (on top) From Melanders, the South Halls.
The Food Halls in Stockholm, compiled by Admin