Scandinavia
Best and worst restaurants:
Best: Tallinn: 1) Von Krahli Baar 2) Vanaema Juures
Why: 1)We almost didn't go into this pub,because there just a couple of artsy kids sitting outside, but this place served great pub food with fine dining presentation. 2)In the same courtyard was Vanaema Juures which was a very nice restaurant with traditional dishes.
Worst: St. Patrick's pub
Why: Food was just OK. Go to Von Krahli's twice.
DennisA in Thousand Oaks, ca USA 08/14/2008
Best: 1. Tallinn, Estonia - Vanaema Juures 2. Kalmar, Sweden - Kallaren Kronan 3.Stockholm, Sweden - Kryp In - in Gamla Stan 4. Arhus, Denmark - La Trattoria 5. Aero, Denmark - Restaurant Mumm, Cafe Aroma and Rogeri 6. Copenhagen - Bull Butcher, Cafe Nytorv
Why: 1. Tallinn, Estonia - in a cellar - delicious food 2. Kalmar Sweden -- again in a cellar! -- the wild boar was excellent 3. Stockholm Gamla Stan - great service, tasty meals 4. Arhus, Denmark - La Trattoria - not listed in book - is right beside Hotel Guldsmeden - excellent food and service. [It was raining, so we didn't go far afield!] 5. Aero - Rest. Mumm - delicious food -Cafe Aroma -- great service, interesting staff -Rogeri -- excellent smoked fish 6. Copenhagen - We spent the 4 days we were there hunting for "smorrbrod take out". Thanks to Richard Karpen, we found it on our last day -- on Kultorvet Square, just north of the "Round Tower" is a butcher with a golden bull head on the front entrance. Go in, past the meat, at the back is a window where you can buy Smorrbrod to go. Delicious and cheap!! -Cafe Nytorv - "Copenhagen Plate" - great deal and delicious
Jane and Gerry Grunau in Abbotsford,, BC Canada 07/29/2008
Best: Hermitage Restaurant in Stockholm, Von Krahli Baar in Tallinn
Why: For starters, the Hermitage was open the day after Midsummers, but after living on a cheese and bread diet, this vegetarian buffet was a welcome change. We went back there three times, especially if we had an evening train. Eat guilt free.
The Von Krahli Baar served delicious food, and the traditional Estonian dessert they served us of sour milk, some sort of grain, and sugar was excellent. Two of us went there, and we kept ordering one dish for us to split, but they brought it out on two plates, so it was most accommodating.
Worst: Pegasus in Tallinn
Why: Pegasus was a little too hip, and therefore pricey, especially for breakfast. But we were desperate for food and didn't know what else to do after being drawn that deep into Old Town. We would have gone somewhere else after getting off the boat if we had known of another location.
Heather Kandoll in Vancouver, WA USA 07/11/2008
Best: Salmon grill at Helsinki Market Square stall
Why: For 8 euros, I got the best lunch I had on my whole trip--a huge plate of freshly-prepared food, including delicious grilled salmon. But bring your own drink--a bottle of water was 2 euros extra.
Worst: Golden Rax Pizza Buffet in Helsinki
Why: OK, it wasn't a recommended restaurant, but it was intriguing. For 8 euros, it's all-you-can-eat and drink, but the food just wasn't that good.
Kyla Gurganus in Ypsilanti, MI USA 01/10/2008
Best: Restaurant Nytorv, Copenhagen
Why: Danish home cooking, friendly staff and charming environment. Met owner one night and he could not have been more welcoming and appreciative. Had dinner here 2 nights.
Gene Field in Tampa, FL USA 09/09/2007
Best: Riz Raz in Copenhagen
Why: Great value, unique and good food...even works with the kids due to having things like noodles. Close tie is the Grand Buffet -- very different class. A must-experience as you note.
Worst: None!
Why: n/a
Mike McDonnell in Wroughton, UK 09/02/2007
Best: Kryp In
Why: Not just the best we had in Stockholm, but my husband claims the best meal in 3 weeks in Scandinavia.
Worst: Grand Hotel smorgasbord-Oslo
Why: Not really "bad" but compared to the smorgasbords in Stockholm (Grand) and in Balestrand (Kviknes), this one was not up to snuff for the money paid. Pretty limited fair for the high price.
Elaine in Livingston, MT USA 08/28/2007
Best: Byttan Restaurant, Kalmar, Sweden
Why: Great view of Kalmar Castle, great food and service
Rhoda Barber in Ellesnburg, WA USA 08/27/2007
Best: Riz Raz Veggie Buffet, Copenhagen
Why: Something for everyone - kids and adults alike. Prices can't be beat!
Vivian Miller in Los Alamitos, Ca USA 07/29/2007
Best: Grand Hotel's Royal Smorgasbord, Stockholm
Why: The dinner was fabulous, the service was excellent. For Scandanavia, which is very expensive, this was a great deal for a very nice dinner!
CL in Koebenhaven K, DK 07/16/2007
Best: Cafe Opera in Bergen
Why: Excellent quality and very affordable.
John in Towson, MD USA 06/12/2007
Best: Department Store Restaurants
Why: Cheaper and the cooks and servers are friendly.
Jude1349 in deptford, NJ USA 05/30/2007
Best: Cafe Opera, Bergen
Why: Decent food, not too expensive, pleasant dining room at lunch time on a week day. When I walked in, they were playing a CD of cabaret music. The calm and relaxing music was just what I needed to hear on a rainy, dreary day.
Ron Woodruff in Springfield, USA 05/26/2007
Best: In Copenhagen : Riz-Raz Vegetarian Buffet, at Kompagnistraede 20. In Oslo : Vegeta Vertshus at Munkedamsveien 3B
Why: Vegeta Vetshus has soy tofu, and delicious vegetarian paddies, in addition to a huge variety of good food. It costs $ 25. for one plateful of food (put as much food on the big plate as you want, once). A beverage costs extra. I never spend that much money at a resaurant in the U.S.A. But $ 25. is the minimum price for a good meal in Oslo
Ronald Woodruff in Springfield, MO USA 05/21/2007
Best: Riz Raz in Copenhagen
Why: It was great to pay a reasonable price (about 12 US dollars) for lunch and get the all you can eat lunch buffet including pizza and lasagna. I believe that Riz Raz has at least 2 locations. Yes, it is vegetarian, but it is filling. I loved the olives, hummas, and the skinny green beans best. The waitress told us we could return to the buffet bar as often as we wished and get a clean plate each time.
Jan Wishau in Columbia, MO USA 02/24/2007
Best: Dine with the Danes
Why: Food was excellent, all we could eat plus beer and wine, making it similar to prices in better restaurants, only we felt like we were dining with old friends!
Debbie Harker in Waldron, IN USA 11/07/2006
Best: Riz Raz in Copenhagen
Why: Inexpensive and delicious...the variety was amazing.
Worst: Aeroskobing
Why: Very few restaurants were still open by mid-September. The Netto supermarket was a life-saver for our picnic-dinners.
Marion Dunham in Whitefield, NH USA 10/26/2006
Best: Hermitage Restaurant, Gamla Stan, Stockholm
Why: Delicious vegetarian food, 4-5 specials on each of my visits. Felt great to eat in small cafe & chat briefly with several of the "regulars".
Sally Davenport in Bellingham, WA USA 09/15/2006
Best: Cafe Kappeli (Helsinki)
Why: Great atmosphere ... I could have sat there all afternoon
Lauren in New York, NY USA 09/06/2006
Worst: Restaurant NewCastle, Bergen
Why: Bad food--I ordered a caesar chicken salad and couldn't eat it. Service was poor and slow. Atmosphere was spartan. Visa machine was "broken"--so was the whole operation. You should remove this place from your book.
Wallace Mersereau in San Mateo, CA USA 09/06/2006
Best: ice bar, stockholm
Why: fun experience to drink from ice. pay for experiences
eric daimler in san jose, ca USA 09/02/2006
Best: Opera Cafe Bergen
Why: Great food at a good price for Norway.
Tom Gilbert in Bryn Mawr, PA USA 08/25/2006
Best: Elite Cafe, Helsinki
Why: Not in the guide but deserves to be. While walking around in a neighborhood just about 10 minutes north of the Temp Rock Church (looking for antique stores), we stumbled upon a great restuarant with a marvelous history...like Cafe Kapeli, this is and was a favorite cafe/bar/restaurant for the city's "beautiful people." The food at the Elite is wonderful traditional Finnish food (meaning its not like anything we have in the US), but it is plated so beautifully, it reminds you of new French or a classic Japanese dish. It's on Et. Hesperiankatu 22 and the tel. is 09 434 2200. Like other Helsinki restaurants, it has al fresco dining.
Another great find in Helsinki just off the esplanade was Restaurant Michelle: great French food in a very hip setting; a place to enjoy the food, wines by the glass and good dessert (never mind the translation on the menu; the fried bread was in reality a lovely brioche with a wonderful sauce).
Bill Young in San Leandro , CA USA 08/22/2006
Best: Hell Hunt, Tallinn
Why: Excellent food at half the price in Helsinki, and beer only 1/3 the Helsinki price.
Worst: Zetor, Helsinki
Why: Maybe I just didn't like Finnish food, so I'll give them a pass on that, but the service was atrocious. Agonizingly slow.
Kenneth Thomas in O'Fallon, MO USA 08/21/2006
Best: Kaffistova, Oslo
Why: the high prices at other places, it had real, home-cooked, ethnic food selections. The atmosphere was great and real!!
Worst: Tivoli Gardens, Faeergekroen
Why: The intial price for a fish dinner looked acceptable, we each had 1 beer. By the time they were through with us, with added tip and tax the price had doubled. Felt treated like a touristo. Waiter never asked us if we'd like another drink.
kathi o'Gorman in Oswego, NY USA 08/20/2006
Best: In Copenhagen, Restaurant Gammel Strand, in Aero, another vote for Det Lille Hotel, in Helsinki, Havis
Why: From the comments below, some of our campers appears to have missed the point. Rick always provides good advice for restaurants, but it may not be the most current or the best available...he's left that part of the discovery to the travelers.
In Copenhagen, we had two great meals at Gammel Strand (across the canel from the Thorvaldsen museum) courtesy of chef Jengiz Moller. This man cares about his food in the same way we find great chefs in NY or SF. It was also recommended by Richard (Hans Christian Andersen walking tours), so we were very happy to second his opinion.
In Aero, we had a very lovely and unexpectedly good dinner at the Det Lille. We went as much for the view and the ambience (dining on the porch overlooking the harbor).
In Stockholm, we ate almost every night at the restaurant on the square Stortorget, directly opposite the Nobel Museum (two outdoor dinning porches for the same restaurant). Everything was good (we ate mostly seafood).
The dining experience crossing from Stockholm to Helsinki (on the Silja line) was somewhat confusing. You need to reserve as early as possible for the best restaurant on board. We ended up at the Seafood Restaurant and had wonderful Norwegian lobster.
In Helsinki, one of the best meals ever was at Havis, near the dock for the Silja line. This upscale restaurant is as good as anything in SF or NY. The chef Jyri Hanninen has been written up in many Scandinavian restuarant guides (and would have at least one star if the Michelin guides were to rate him. Prices are high, but worth every bit; a great wine selection as well.
Worst: In Helsinki...Hariton, the Russian restaurant was closed
Why: So we tried an alternative Russian Restuarant...bad idea...the Shashlyk...way over priced with an attitude of "Lets stick it to the Americans"....most of the patrons appeared to be Russian...we went on to Russia (St Petersburg) later and found the food there to be much better than advertised, although there are many other considerations regarding St Petersburg.
Bill Young in San Leandro , CA USA 08/16/2006
Worst: Hardly any information in the book on restuarants in Copenhagen
Why: You didn't offer many useful suggestions for places to eat. We used Frommer's for that, I'm afraid!
Linda Maryanov in New York, NY USA 08/01/2006
Best: Unicorn in Bergen
Why: Great fish diner. I had whale and angler fish. both were very good. (get a reservation/it is a bit pricey)
James in Commerce, ga USA 07/13/2006
Best: Kvikne Hotel Balestrand Dinner
Why: As in Flam, unbelievable smorgasbord.
Michael Feinberg in Silver Spring, MD USA 07/07/2006
Best: kabyssen havnen marstal Ærø
Why: good food for small dollars....
julie hansen in Ærøskøbing-Isle of Ærø, Denmark 06/30/2006
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