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The Nordic Nomad

The Nordics

The 15 best Nordic museum restaurants (yes, we’d go just for the food)

The Nordics • Eat & drink • The 15 best Nordic museum restaurants (yes, we’d go just for the food)

The Nordics do museum dining best

Once a reliable source of filter coffee and dry cake, the museum café in the Nordics has undergone a quiet transformation. From Denmark to Iceland, Sweden to Finland to Norway, cultural institutions are now home to some of the most exciting kitchens in the region – where chefs embrace seasonality, sustainability and serious flavour, often in spaces as artfully composed as the exhibitions themselves. This isn’t just about fuelling visitors post–Picasso. It’s about making the meal part of the experience. Whether it’s a smørrebrød with a side of fjord view or a fermented root vegetable on a concrete plinth, the message is clear: in the Nordics, the culture extends well beyond the gallery walls.

Top photography courtesy of På Skissernas

Fotografiska Restaurangen

Fotografiska Restaurangen in Stockholm crowns the top floor of the city’s waterfront photography museum, with sweeping views over Saltsjön to Gamla Stan. Chef Paul Svensson’s kitchen champions sustainable gastronomy, with a predominantly plant‑based, seasonal menu accented by ethically sourced meat or fish. The food is clever without being smug. Think fermented tomato tartare or Jerusalem artichokes charred to umami perfection. Interiors mirror the museum’s artful and minimal aesthetic, bathed in light from towering windows that frame the city like a living exhibition.

Fotografiska Restaurangen
Stadsgårdshamnen 22
Stockholm
Sweden

Photography courtesy of Fotografiska

Matur og Drykkur

Situated by Reykjavik’s old harbour, Matur og Drykkur exudes rustic charm, with its wooden beams and nautical decor paying homage to Iceland’s maritime heritage. The menu breathes new life into traditional recipes, with dishes like cod’s head with dulse and bearnaise offering a nostalgic yet refined taste of the past. The cosy, welcoming atmosphere invites you to linger, making it the perfect spot to immerse yourself in Iceland’s culinary traditions.

Matur og Drykkur
Grandagarður 2
Reykjavík
Iceland

Photography courtesy of Matur og Drykkur

Apollo Bar & Kantine

Apollo Bar & Kantine is located in Copenhagen’s Kunsthal Charlottenborg and actually offers more than just brunch. This elegantly designed space boasts bespoke features like handblown glass lamps and a striking red bar. As the city gets a little windy at times, we find the courtyard a relaxing and protected spot for an al fresco brunch. Chef Frederik Bille Brahe’s menu showcases simplicity and freshness, emphasising local, seasonal ingredients. The bar complements with a selection of fine wines and creative cocktails. Unique for its evolving nature, Apollo Bar & Kantine thrives on the dynamic between guests.

Apollo Bar & Kantine
Nyhavn 2
Copenhagen
Denmark

Photography courtesy of Apollo Bar & Kantine

Spritmuseum Restaurant

Spritmuseum Restaurangen sits within a restored 18th‑century naval boathouse on Djurgården’s waterfront, where Sweden’s spirit culture meets refined Nordic dining. Under head chef Petter Nilsson, the kitchen turns seasonal, locally sourced ingredients into inventive yet grounded dishes. Think lobster crowned with vinegar‑infused pomegranate seeds or barley paired with fish, echoing the museum’s theme of distilled heritage. Menus shift daily but always align with New Nordic sensibility, complemented by natural wines, craft beers, aquavits and spirit pairings. The light‑filled dining room and summer garden terrace frame harbour views, making the space feel both museum and living moment.

Spritmuseum Restaurant
Djurgårdsstrand 9
Stockholm
Sweden

Photography courtesy of Spritmuseum Restaurant

Connie-Connie

Connie-Connie, the café at Copenhagen Contemporary, is as much a design statement as it is a lunch spot. Dreamed up by floral-art studio Tableau and Australian designer Ari Prasetya, the seafoam space doubles as a seating exhibition: over 25 artists and architects were asked to craft chairs from Dinesen Douglas Fir offcuts – with comfort as the only brief. The result? A sculptural parade of one-off pieces, each for sale. On the menu: artful tins of sardines, tuna or squid, served simply with lemon, dill and bread, alongside cakes and craft chocolates. Natural wines flow freely, as do small-batch sodas and excellent coffee. Come hungry – or just curious. Either way, you’ll leave inspired.

Connie-Connie
Refshalevej 173A
Copenhagen
Denmark

Photography courtesy of Connie-Connie

Kunstsilo Brasserie

Kunstsilo Brasserie occupies the ground floor of the former 1930s grain silo on Odderøya in Kristiansand, now transformed into one of Northern Europe’s most striking cultural landmarks. Bright and Scandinavian‑minimal in decor, it serves warm and cold à la carte dishes daily. The menu spans fish soup, entrecôte, pasta, burgers, sandwiches, salads – and vegetarian delights – with a tempting cake counter and a children’s menu. Critics have lauded the byggotto (barley risotto) with vibrant herb oil and pickled asparagus as a standout. All this in a venue that marries bold Nordic architecture with warming food and casual elegance.

Kunstsilo Brasserie
Sjølystveien 8
Kristiansand
Norway

Photography courtesy of Kunstsilo Brasserie

Restaurang Nationalmuseum

Restaurang Nationalmuseum inhabits the ground‑floor of Stockholm’s thoroughly renovated Nationalmuseum, framed by light-filled interiors and sweeping views across Strömmen to the Royal Palace. Under chef Fredrik Eriksson (also behind Långbro Värdshus), the kitchen delivers weekly‑rotating menus rooted in Swedish tradition, tinted with French and Italian flair. It’s counter‑service only, with food ordered on arrival and served at tables. As museum cafés go, this one is serious, stylish and conveniently located for a post‑gallery fika.

Restaurang Nationalmuseum
Södra Blasieholmshamnen 2A
Stockholm
Sweden

Photography courtesy of Restaurang Nationalmuseum

Finlandia Bistron

Finlandia Bistro resides inside Helsinki’s iconic Finlandia Hall, the Alvar Aalto masterpiece reimagined following a major renovation completed in January 2025. Accommodating around 64 diners in a midnight-blue, marble-and-brass interior designed by Fyra, it strikes a sleek tension between modern Finnish craft and Aalto’s mid‑century vision. Under head chef Mikko Puuronen, menus evolve with the seasons and place Finnish ingredients centre‑stage, while drawing subtle inspiration from Italian, French and Spanish flavours. The curated drinks list includes natural wines and carefully chosen pairings. For travellers who appreciate architecture as much as appetite, this bistro delivers quietly bold, unpretentious excellence.

Finlandia Bistron
Mannerheimintie 13E
Helsinki
Finland

Photography courtesy of Finlandia Bistron

Ravinen Café & Bistro

Set beside Norrvikens Trädgårdar in Båstad, Ravinen Café & Bistro is part of a growing Nordic movement – serious food in cultural spaces – but with sea, forest and garden at its doorstep. Chef John Moberg leads a tight-knit, local team crafting seasonal dishes like shiitake fritters with seaweed and chilli honey, or slow-cooked goulash with deep Bjäre flavour. The aesthetic is pared-back but warm, echoing the gallery’s raw concrete and light-filled calm. Pastry chef Eva Mattsson adds old-school Swedish sweetness, while the drinks list celebrates hyper-local wines, kombuchas and sparkling sea buckthorn. Understated yet ambitious, this is a rural bistro that outpaces its urban counterparts.

Ravinen Café & Bistro
Kattviksvägen 231
Båstad
Sweden

Photography courtesy of Ravinen Café & Bistro

Ventiventi

At the far edge of Tjuvholmen, past the polished galleries and moored yachts, Ventiventi is where Oslo’s art crowd goes when they’re done contemplating. The vibe? Sicilian soul with Nordic restraint. Chef Gaetano Saccoccio’s menu skips the clichés in favour of anchovy-laced pasta, bitter greens and seafood so fresh it barely hits the pan. Floor-to-ceiling windows give you front-row views of the fjord, while velvet banquettes and terrazzo floors nod to retro Italian glamour without overplaying it. Aperitivo is taken seriously, the coffee even more so. It’s less trattoria, more modern-day salon, with enough edge, atmosphere and anchovy to make you linger long after the plates are cleared.

Ventiventi
Strandpromenaden 2
Oslo
Norway

Photography courtesy of Ventiventi

Perlan Restaurant & Café

Atop Öskjuhlíð hill, under Perlan’s iconic glass dome, the revolving Perlan Restaurant & Café offers more than a meal – it’s a scenic choreography of Reykjavik unfolding with every 360° rotation. The simple but seductive menu – fish‑and‑chips, seasonal chicken salad or the so‑called ‘Simple One Pizza’ – is put together by leading Reykjavik chefs using prime Icelandic ingredients. Meanwhile, the adjoining café delivers baked classics under the same sweeping views. It’s less brasserie, more high‑altitude lounge: you eat, you sip a coffee or cocktail, and the city drifts by.

Perlan Restaurant & Café
Varmahlíð 1
Reykjavík
Iceland

Photography courtesy of Perlan Restaurant & Café

Restaurangen Moderna Museet

Situated on Skeppsholmen with sweeping water views towards Djurgården, Restaurangen Moderna Museet marries minimalist museum ambience with everyday plate pleasures. Overseen by award‑winning chef Malin Söderström, the self‑service format features modern riffs on Nordic classics – shrimp salad, pickled herring, baguettes and pasta bolognese – made sustainably and with seasonal precision. The rotating lunch menu always includes a meat or fish dish plus a vegetarian option – recently artichoke salad with spiced tahini dressing earned praise Moderna Museet i Stockholm. The dining room’s panorama is the real star: panoramic windows frame Stockholm’s harbour and Kastellholmen, making the view worth staying for.

Restaurangen Moderna Museet
Exercisplan 2B
Stockholm
Sweden

Photography courtesy of Restaurangen Moderna Museet

Bistro Tolvte

Twelve floors above Oslo’s waterfront, Bistro Tolvte feels like the city’s best-kept open secret. Located at the top of the Munch Museum, it’s where serious art lovers go to decompress – with fjord views, a plate of mussels and a glass of something dry and Nordic. The space is stripped-back but sultry: ash wood, moody lighting, skyline on full display. On the menu? Comfort masquerading as fine dining – pork cheek pies, trout tartare, and fries so crisp they might snap. Service walks the line between gallery hush and genuine warmth.

Bistro Tolvte
Edvard Munchs Plass 1
Oslo
Norway

Photography courtesy of Bistro Tolvte

På Skissernas

At Lund’s Skissernas Museum, På Skissernas isn’t a café with art nearby. It’s a restaurant of art. With floor-to-ceiling windows gazing onto the Sculpture Park, the kitchen turns local, seasonal produce into elegant multi-course menus. Chef Mattias Jönsson Caesar leads a compact, craft-driven team who forage and ferment their way through the seasons, picking herbs and preserving summer’s bounty for winter plates. Recent highlights have included quail with fava beans and mussels with asparagus – balanced and assertive flavours. Service nudges between warm hospitality and gallery-like precision. Here, food and creativity coexist as seamlessly as the sketches and sculptures outside.

På Skissernas
Finngatan 2
Lund
Sweden

Photography courtesy of På Skissernas

Nikolaj Kunsthal Café

Inside a deconsecrated church turned contemporary art space, Nikolaj Kunsthal Café feels like a divine pause in the heart of Copenhagen. Designed by Mee Studio, the space is tactile and clever – oak furniture sourced from sustainable forests, sculptural shelving and a solid oak bar doing double duty as ticket counter. The café menu leans casual but curated: Depanneur-supplied coffee, organic sodas, bagels and cookies with just enough Copenhagen cool. Wine, beer and cocktails are served beneath vaulted ceilings, though it’s the design that lingers – warm copper tones and pew-like benches where gallery-goers sip flat whites or something stronger.