Top 3 Secret Lunch corners in Uppsala

Being French in a Scandinavian country is not always easy. I come from a culture where it is common to have two hours lunch break. You eat slow, you enjoy, it is a ceremony.

Sweden is different. There are social activities around food but mostly around "fika" understand it as "coffee break". Thus, finding a coffee place to have your Sunday tea and cookie is easy, getting your lunch is not. I always look for right places to eat with affordable and varied options every day.

Uppsala is the fourth city of Sweden. It is 200 000 inhabitant which makes it a big city in Sweden. Obviously, I will not mention all the restaurants I tried. Many are in the city center and easy to find (Cuisine de Cousteau, Saluhallen...). I just list the ones that surprised me with their services and may not be easy to find.

Västgöta Nation

Price: 40 kr
(+) Quality
(+) Cheap
(+) The freshly baked bread


(-)Can run out of food if you come after 12:30
(-)Not for big eaters (soup only)
(-)Not always reliable opening days (like any nation)
(-)One option

This is the place I go back more often. Not everybody knows it, but nations are accessible to anyone at lunchtime, no need for a nation card. What makes this nation lunch interesting is that all is ultra fresh: soup of the day, salad. They bake this amazing bread, soaked with oil, sometimes herbs and sprinkled with crystals of salt.

Careful, if you have an important lunch: it is just a nation i.e., a place hold by students, not professionals. That is why you pay cheap. Most of them do that in their free time. Be kind to them! Sometimes they run out of bread and if they run out of personal, or have a problem in the kitchen they simply close, sometimes without notice. Forgive them and take one of the options below.

Segerstedt Huset Restaurant
Price: 90kr
(+)Choice
(+)Creative
(+)Fresh salad bar
(+)Nice coffee
(+)Modern and stylish building
(+)Direct view on the food when choosing
(+)serve still warm food until 13:30

(-)Inside administrative building: not always good for escaping work!
(-)Cash free

This new restaurant (it has been open for less than a year) is located in the big administrative building of the University, just in front of blåsenhus. Like many university restaurants, you get at least three choices: vegetarian, meat or fish, plus a soup. What is different about this restaurant is its constant quality: I regularly end up not knowing what to choose because most of the options look equally good to me. This is rather rare. The chief has this sense of detail that I love: the little herb that will give the twist, the special plate for a colourful experience. The salad (included) is also good, with cut on the day vegetables (no it is not always the case in other restaurants) with a good bread, ideal for organising the ultimate professional lunch between your gluten-free_vegan_lactose-intolerant_nuts-allergic_pregnant friend and a carnivore rugby team: no matter who you bring, they will be satisfied. Coffee is included, but if you want to treat your guest, pay them the extra "fint café" for 13kr more you get a real cappuccino or latte which changes from the usual one.

Good to know: Segerstedt Huset is not open in the evening but they can organise dinners/parties for large groups, on demand. As they are fairly new they are not overbooked. Unlike nations, I did not need to book them 5 months in advance to get my party arranged. Their large room and their piano make it an excellent dancefloor :).

Hörnstenen
Price: 99kr
(+)Traditional Swedish food
(+)The little desert included

(-)Little bit higher price (but the quality is there!)

It is a rather hidden restaurant behind the train station next to a piano shop. I passed many times in front without noticing it. When I tried it, only Swedes were sitting. This is a good sign: they do not make their reputation out of their location. They are not open in the evening. Yet, when I ate there I was happy to find a restaurant that serves Swedish food but cooked with good ingredients. Indeed, finding an authentic high-quality Swedish restaurant is not easy in Uppsala even worse if you want to sit for lunch. I would recommend this restaurant for people arriving at the train station, that have time and want to eat like a Swede.

That was my insight, I never miss an opportunity to try something new, my list of good places to eat is in constant research and development!