Operakällarens Matsal

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

Culinary Sensations Since 1787

Inside the Opera House on Karl XII:s Torg, Operakällarens Matsal is one of Sweden's most storied dining rooms — a place where history and contemporary Swedish cuisine meet with quiet, assured confidence. The house traces its roots to 1787, and the weight of that legacy is felt in every detail, from the gilded surroundings to the procession of service trolleys that weave between tables throughout the evening.

A Dining Room Like a Palace Ball

The White Guide, which awarded Operakällaren its Masters level distinction, captured the atmosphere precisely: "like a palace ball — a night to fire the imagination." What makes the experience remarkable is that the grandeur never tips into stuffiness. The treatment, as the guide puts it, is royal — but delivered with affection, care, and knowledge rather than ceremony for its own sake.

The famous trolley service is central to the ritual. A ham trolley bearing 40-month-aged, grand-cru-denominated Iberico bellota ham competes for attention with champagne aperitif trolleys, flambé carts, and two cheese trolleys laden exclusively with French cheeses at perfect ripeness. Later in the evening, four separate trolleys arrive carrying aquavit, cognac, whisky, and calvados — a statement about how seriously the house takes its spirits.

The Kitchen and the Menus

Executive Chef and Culinary Leader Emanuel Tärnqvist leads the kitchen, building on the foundations laid by Tore Wretman — who made Operakällaren internationally renowned — and continuing the vision of the beloved Daniel Höglander. The philosophy is one of inclusive, heartfelt gastronomy: technically precise Swedish cooking that draws on the finest seasonal ingredients without losing its warmth.

The full tasting experience, Le Grand Menu, showcases the kitchen's range: dishes such as a beautifully grilled Fröja scallop with ginger foam, baked apple and crab-filled tortellini; a salt-baked white onion with crispy sweet kombu, pickled turnip and clear onion broth; and a main of roast Swedish rapeseed-fed pig with confit of Jerusalem artichoke, pistachios and grape sauce — modest on the plate, generous in flavour. The climax noted by the White Guide was a sole with Australian winter truffles, creamy potato purée and mussel sauce, paired with a sappy red Fixin from 2014.

For those seeking a shorter evening, an à la carte three-course menu is available Tuesday through Thursday.

Wines and the Nobiskällaren Cellar

The wine programme is a serious undertaking. Three curated pairings accompany Le Grand Menu: Pour les Curieux (lesser-known regions), Tour de France (exclusively French selections), and the cellar-showcase Le Grand Vin. Sommeliers also craft the non-alcoholic Sans Alcool pairing in-house using seasonal fruits, spices, and herbs. The bottles themselves come from Nobiskällaren — opened in 1961 as Sweden's first temperature-controlled wine cellar, its walls reputedly seasoned with wine for six months by Tore Wretman himself.

Private Rooms and Special Evenings

The Steinwallsrummet, a chambre séparée seating up to 18 guests around an oval table, honours the family who reopened Operakällaren in 1895. It offers a set menu of three courses with hors d'œuvre and mignardise, many dishes served family-style. The cellar itself, Nobiskällaren, can host private gatherings of 10–16 guests for an exclusively wine-focused dinner experience.

Operakällaren opens for dinner Tuesday through Saturday, inside one of Stockholm's most extraordinary buildings.