Grands Veranda

Description:

• We'll go out on a limb here and proclaim that this restaurant serves the best smorgasbord in Sweden today. Of course, we haven't tasted all the smorgasbords in Sweden, but it's fun to make bold statements. On the ground floor of Stockholm's most prestigious hotel, and fronted with enormous sheets of glass, this restaurant opens onto a wide-angled view of the harbor and the Royal Palace. The Veranda is famous for its daily buffets, which are artfully (exquisitely, even) laid out in a satellite room off the main dining room. Scads of local business clients, assisted by a top-notch and smartly uniformed service staff, come here for a nostalgic reminder of a gentrified and very upscale Swedish tradition. If you happen to be at a table with a Swedish purist, or a Swede who remembers his or her manners, you're likely to get a quick lesson in smorgasbord etiquette, the cardinal rules of which are as follows: Don't mix fish and meat courses on the same plate, don't mix hot and cold food on the same plate, and keep your visit(s) to the dessert table separate from your trips to the tables containing the other food items. If the buffet doesn't appeal to you, there's a selection of a la carte dishes as well, including filet of reindeer marinated in red wine, pasta with lamb, or braised wild duck and deep-fried root vegetables served with an apple-cider sauce. This is your chance to sample the offerings of the most famous hotel in Sweden, to enjoy wonderful food, and to have one of the best views in town -- all for a reasonable price.

• © Frommer's 2012

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Highly Recommended 2010