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Where to celebrate Thanksgiving in Sweden

American Thanksgiving is just around the corner..but where to find the turkey if you live in Sweden? The Local offers up a buffet of options for celebrating Thanksgiving in Sweden.

Published: 21 November 2013 11:47 CET
Where to celebrate Thanksgiving in Sweden
Most often, Thanksgiving is all about the Turkey. File photo: Matthew Mead/TT

This year, Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, November 28th, the fourth Thursday of the month, the day designating for celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States.

While some Americans living in Sweden may have the option of heading back the the US for Thanksgiving, there are options abound for those who will find themselves in Sweden at the end of November.

Not only do a number of restaurants and organizations put on some form of Thanksgiving spread, it's not impossible to find many of the key ingredients to prepare a traditional Thanksgiving meal at grocery stores in Sweden's larger cities.

For turkey, Ingelsta Kalkon is the where it's at. With outlets in Stockholm, Malmö, Gothenburg, Lund, Helsingborg, and at their farm in Österlen in southern Sweden, Ingelsta is the place to turn for Thanksgiving turkey. If you can't make it to one of their outlets, check with your local grocer – if they carry turkey, it's likely from Ingelsta.

For other Thanksgiving staples, there's also the English Shop, which has outlets in Sweden's three largest cities, and carries a wide-range of non-perishable foodstuffs with a British and American twist.

But for those out there who don't have the time or the energy to prepare their own turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes, or are simply looking to connect with other Americans on what many consider the most American of holidays, The Local has put together a list of options in Stockholm, Malmö, Gothenburg — and Småland.

Stockholm

Hard Rock Cafe 

On November 28th, Hard Rock Cafe offers a decently-priced three-course dinner for 395 kronor ($60), starting off with a Caesar salad and moving on to herb grilled turkey with mashed potatoes and candied cranberries. And of it's not Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie. Make your reservations by calling 08-545 494 00. 

Saints Food & Drinks

This is a pricier option for Turkey Day, but you get what you pay for. For 545 kronor you get a full Thanksgiving buffet, complete with squash, ham, turkey, green beans, macaroni and cheese, brussel sprouts, pie, and more. Reservations must be made at least 48 hours in advance by calling 08-314473. 

The American Table

If you can't celebrate Thanksgiving on Thursday, dinner a la Marcus Samuelsson style may be the thing for you. The dinner will be served November 25th through November 30th, and consists of warm punch, squash soup, waldorf salad, turkey, and pecan pie. The price is 595 kronor per person and reservations can be made online here, or by calling 08-6769850.

English Speaking Community Club

Home-Style Thanksgiving with the English Speaking Community Club takes place Friday, November 22nd, 5pm at Stockholm's Borgargrille. Turkey will be provided and guests are asked to bring side dishes potluck-style. Dinner costs 300 kronor.

American Club and Stockholm Stadsmissionen

Give someone else something to be thankful for on Thanksgiving Day. Each year the American Club of Sweden volunteers with Stockholms Stadsmission to give Thanksgiving dinner to the poor. The event is a collaborative with the Hilton Hotel and Ingelsta Kalkon.

Gåshaga Sealodge

The Friday after Thanksgiving Day, a four-course Thanksgiving menu will be presented at Gåshaga Sealodge on Lidingö just outside Stockholm city. Pumpkin soup, roasted turkey, creamed corn, stuffing, pie and biscuits are all on the menu for 595 kronor. RSVP no later than November 26th by calling 08-6013400.
 

Gothenburg

Norda Bar and Grill

Interested in a Marcus Samuelsson style dinner, but located on the west coast? No worries, Marcus Samuelsson and Red Rooster Harlem have their own Thanksgiving dinner the last weekend in November. Call 031-61 90 60 to reserve, or book here.

Hard Rock Cafe 

Hard Rock Cafe in Gothenburg has the same 395 kronor feast as Stockholm, starting off with a Caesar salad and moving on to herb grilled turkey with mashed potatoes and candied cranberries. And of it's not Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie. Make your reservations by calling 031 10 23 30.

American Women's Club, Gothenburg

This evens it not open to the general public, but if you are female and have any interest in American culture, why not join the American Women's Club for their annual potluck Thanksgiving dinner? Contact the club here for more info. 
 

Malmö

Lund Meetup Social Dinner

Turkey dinner is hard to come by in Malmö, but if you'd still like to meet and eat, the Lund social group on Meetup.com will be gathering at an Italian Restaurant on Friday, November 29th. Perhaps chicken parmigiana doesn't shout Thanksgiving, but it's the thought that counts.

American Women's Club, Malmö

Once again, events with the American Women's Club are only open to members and members' guests – but why not try it out? They have an annual potluck dinnner in Malmö as well. Contact the club here for more info. 
 

Småland

American Thanksgiving in Småland

If you're in Kalmar, Öland, Nybro, or Växjö, you're in luck. Americans across Småland will gather on Sunday, November 24th for a cozy and affordable Thanksgiving dinner, just 100 kronor per adult. But there's only room for 75 people so RSVP quickly.

Did we miss any? Feel free to add them in the comment section below. 

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FOOD AND DRINK

OPINION: Are tips in Sweden becoming the norm?

Should you tip in Sweden? Habits are changing fast thanks to new technology and a hard-pressed restaurant trade, writes James Savage.

Published: 5 April 2024 13:59 CEST
OPINION: Are tips in Sweden becoming the norm?

The Local’s guide to tipping in Sweden is clear: tip for good service if you want to, but don’t feel the pressure: where servers in the US, for instance, rely on tips to live, waiters in Sweden have collectively bargained salaries with long vacations and generous benefits. 

But there are signs that this is changing, and the change is being accelerated by card machines. Now, many machines offer three preset gratuity percentages, usually starting with five percent and going up to fifteen or twenty. Previously they just asked the customer to fill in the total amount they wanted to pay.

This subtle change to a user interface sends a not-so-subtle message to customers: that tipping is expected and that most people are probably doing it. The button for not tipping is either a large-lettered ‘No Tip’ or a more subtle ‘Fortsätt’ or ‘Continue’ (it turns out you can continue without selecting a tip amount, but it’s not immediately clear to the user). 

I’ll confess, when I was first presented with this I was mildly irked: I usually tip if I’ve had table service, but waiting staff are treated as professionals and paid properly, guaranteed by deals with unions; menu prices are correspondingly high. The tip was a genuine token of appreciation.

But when I tweeted something to this effect (a tweet that went strangely viral), the responses I got made me think. Many people pointed out that the restaurant trade in Sweden is under enormous pressure, with rising costs, the after-effects of Covid and difficulties recruiting. And as Sweden has become more cosmopolitain, adding ten percent to the bill comes naturally to many.

Boulebar, a restaurant and bar chain with branches around Sweden and Denmark, had a longstanding policy of not accepting tips at all, reasoning that they were outdated and put diners in an uncomfortable position. But in 2021 CEO Henrik Kruse decided to change tack:

“It was a purely financial decision. We were under pressure due to Covid, and we had to keep wages down, so bringing back tips was the solution,” he said, adding that he has a collective agreement and staff also get a union bargained salary, before tips.

Yet for Kruse the new machines, with their pre-set tipping percentages, take things too far:

“We don’t use it, because it makes it even clearer that you’re asking for money. The guest should feel free not to tip. It’s more important for us that the guest feels free to tell people they’re satisfied.”

But for those restaurants that have adopted the new interfaces, the effect has been dramatic. Card processing company Kassacentralen, which was one of the first to launch this feature in Sweden, told Svenska Dagbladet this week that the feature had led to tips for the average establishment doubling, with some places seeing them rise six-fold.

Even unions are relaxed about tipping these days, perhaps understanding that they’re a significant extra income for their members. Union representatives have often in the past spoken out against tipping, arguing that the practice is demeaning to staff and that tips were spread unevenly, with staff in cafés or fast food joints getting nothing at all. But when I called the Swedish Hotel and Restaurant Union (HRF), a spokesman said that the union had no view on the practice, and it was a matter for staff, business owners and customers to decide.

So is tipping now expected in Sweden? The old advice probably still stands; waiters are still not as reliant on tips as staff in many other countries, so a lavish tip is not necessary. But as Swedes start to tip more generously, you might stick out if you leave nothing at all.

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