Animo

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A neighbourhood restaurant built on soul

The name says it all. Animo is Esperanto for "soul" — a constructed language designed to bring people together, build understanding, and spread joy. That philosophy runs through everything at this modern Stockholm neighbourhood restaurant on Kungstensgatan 9, from the handpicked wine list to the inventive cocktail bar that holds itself to the same creative standard as the kitchen.

Behind Animo are founders Daniel Hayes, Anders Karlsson, and Nathalie — a team with long experience in both competitive cooking and large-scale catering. Together they have shaped a place where tempo, feeling, and creativity drive the menu rather than convention.

What's on the plate

The à la carte menu is deliberately compressed and playful, rooted in Swedish ingredients but unafraid to reach further. Snacks set the tone: oysters with horseradish cream and dill, löjrom on crispy potato with Västerbotten cheese and pickled elderflower, or a seafood corndog with pickled ginger and miso mayo. Starters range from a crudo of citrus-cured halibut with grilled pepper, sour cream, and ice-cold tom yam, to a pâte à choux filled with smoked duck liver satay, sauternes, roasted peanut, cherry, and liquorice.

Main courses lean into the same confident cross-referencing. A herb-roasted lamb saddle arrives with harissa-roasted aubergine, apricot, and fried chickpeas with goat's cheese and lavender honey. The Swedish classic kroppkaka gets a modern treatment — stuffed with mushroom, charred leek, apple, and ginger, finished with miso velouté. Desserts keep the playfulness alive: a freshly fried sponge cake with strawberries, sour cream sorbet, elderflower, and rose pepper is the kind of thing that lingers in memory.

White Guide 2026 recognised Animo at a very fine level, singling out the warmth and generosity of the experience — noting a sugar cake brought to the table in the shape of a doll, with whipped cream and freshly mixed raspberries, as the kind of gesture that captures exactly what the restaurant is about.

Cocktails, wine, and catering

The bar is no afterthought. Animo's cocktail programme shares the kitchen's philosophy — modern, innovative, and precise. The wine list is curated by hand, favourites chosen for character rather than category.

The team also offers a full catering service for events large and small, with adaptable menus, drink recommendations, and the option of an on-site sommelier or bartender. It is the same attention brought out of the restaurant and into any setting.