Fika Swedish Kitchen, Manly

Tucked away in a laneway in Manly is Fika Swedish Kitchen, a small and homely cafe that opened last year. Characterised by beautiful and modern designs which the Swedish are so well known for, they’ve gone all out to transport you halfway across the world – the concrete floor has been painted to mimic the iconic Segels torg, framed on the walls are famous Swedish brands and in the back corner is even a cupboard selling imported snacks. Attention to detail is key here to their authenticity.

Portraits of Swedish brands on the wall

Imported Swedish products for sale

Iced Elderflower Tea – $3

The menu here has a good range of classics (some of which we tried during our trip to Stockholm a couple years back), and we kick off with a refreshing elderflower iced tea. It’s light and not too sweet, a great palate cleanser before the food.

Swedish Meatballs – $18

For my main meal, I opt for the Swedish meatballs off their lunch menu which comes with potato mash, gravy and lingonberry jam. This brings me back to the meatballs I had in Sweden – rich and hearty with smooth mash and sweet jam. If you’ve had the meatballs at IKEA before, this is a much tastier, non-processed version of that – absolutely delicious!

Skagen Sandwich – $15

My friend opts for the Skagen Sandwich which consists of cold prawns mixed with dill, mayonnaise and onions piled on top of some toasty bread – it’s essentially an open sandwich with a prawn salad. There’s heaps of prawns here and it’s quite difficult to eat this gracefully as the generous serving is overflowing, but you can never have too many prawns. It’s quite refreshing especially when coupled with the lemon wedge and is a more unconventional lunch dish I could get used to.

Vanilla and Cinnamon Buns – $5 each

After this we check out some of the freshly baked Vanilla and Cinnamon Buns which are baked fresh every morning. They’re served warm and are still moist on the inside, yet a bit crispy on the outside and are perfect for any cold rainy day.

Chocolate Oat Ball – $3

We’re quite full at this stage but still manage to fit in one more sweetener – the Chocolate Oat Ball. This is like a small brownie which has been baked in the shape of a ball and is coated with pearl sugar. The cake component of this isn’t that sweet as it contains oats, giving it a thicker consistency whilst the pearl sugar provides some complementary sweetness that doesn’t overwhelm the flavour.

Overall Fika Swedish Kitchen is a definite standout, displaying some of the amazing Swedish cuisine which is still quite scarce here. From the beautiful design, tasty food and homely atmosphere, it’s Manly’s little secret which we’re sharing with the rest of Sydney. What’s great about this place is that most of the staff and half the patrons here are all Swedish as well, so you know it’s a winner when it’s frequented by actual Swedes. I can’t wait to return to try their dinner menu along with some Swedish beers on my next visit!

Excuse Me Waiter dined as guests of Fika Swedish Kitchen

Fika Swedish Kitchen
5B Market Ln, Manly NSW 2095
Ph: (02) 9976 5099

Fika Swedish Kitchen on Urbanspoon

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