Café String

To take a break, or to fika, is an integral part of Swedish culture, and many locals escape to cafés at least once a day. The word fika was once slang for kaffi (coffee). But fika is more than a cup of joe. The ritual often involves pastries, or fikabröd, such as kanelbullar (cinnamon rolls) and mazarin (marzipan tarts). Café String serves thin pancakes topped with lingonberries and ice cream—a classic Swedish meal, not dessert.

Café String, Nytorgsgatan 38, 46/(0) 8-714-85-14, cafestring.com

This story appeared in the September/October 2011 issue.