Liebling

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A German Bistro That Takes Itself Seriously Without Taking Itself Too Seriously

On Timmermansgatan 24, just off Mariatorget on Södermalm, Liebling describes itself plainly: a German bistro with a beer bar one floor down. That straightforwardness is exactly the point. White Guide, which awarded Liebling a Fine level recognition in 2026, put it well — this is a place for anyone with a soft spot for German-Austrian food and drink culture, where bar staff balance litres of Hofbräu with the same ease the kitchen brings to executing a genuinely good schnitzel.

The Room and the Mood

Walk in through the entrance and you're immediately in the bar section, where the atmosphere is already running warm. The dining room sits just beyond, and the two spaces feed each other's energy. The White Guide noted that no one bats an eye if you show up in full Bavarian dress, but the crowd tends toward relaxed Stockholm cool — loose clothes, caps, and a clear intention to stay a while. Dogs are welcome too, which says something about the register the place is pitched at.

What's on the Plate

The menu is structured around the German-Austrian canon, but executed with some care. Schnitzels are the centrepiece — Kalbsschnitzel (veal), a Fläskschnitzel Cordon Bleu, a chicken version, and an Aubergine schnitzel for those skipping meat — each served with a choice of sides ranging from potato salad and fried potatoes to sauerkraut and a baked fresh cabbage with blackcurrants and hazelnuts. Gluten-free schnitzels are available with advance notice.

The sausage section is equally considered: Thüringer, Käsekrainer, Currywurst in two versions, and the house Liebling Wurst with braised leek and red wine jus. For two, the Korvfest — five sausages with sauerkraut, red cabbage, mustard, currywurst sauce and fries — is the obvious order.

Smaller plates include a raw veal tartare with charred green asparagus and wild garlic, thinly pressed raw Arctic char with cucumber and horseradish, Flammkuchen with lemon cream and Swedish sheep's cheese, and the kind of snacks — pretzel with mustard butter, charcuterie with pickles, beer sausage — that make a litre of lager feel mandatory.

The Drinks

The beer list is serious in scope: draught options run from Paulaner Helles and Bitburger Pilsner to Weihenstephaner HefeWeissbier and Stiegl Goldbräu, while the bottle selection covers everything from Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier to Schneider Weisse Aventinus Eisbock. The wine list leans firmly into German and Austrian producers — Rieslings from Pfalz, Hessische Bergstraße and Mosel, Grüner Veltliner and Zweigelt from Kamptal, Spätburgunder from Baden — with a handful of Prädikatswein pours including a 1999 Eiswein available by the glass.

The cocktail menu adds a Weinerspritzl, a Bloody Mary built with Bitburger, and a small selection of classics from Paradiso.

Why It Works

Liebling isn't trying to reinvent German-Austrian cooking — it's trying to do it well in Stockholm, and by most accounts it succeeds. The White Guide recognition reflects a kitchen and front-of-house that have found a consistent balance between tradition and a certain lightness of touch. The result is a room where the food is better than the setting demands and the setting is more fun than the food requires.