We love ASI for the kids’ play area downstairs, and often we’ll stay for lunch after a visit. The food at Fika is mostly excellent, but I don’t know why they can’t figure out how to provide decent service. We’ve probably eaten here 20+ times, and almost every time we experience a VERY long wait for something - to take our order, bring our food, bring the check, etc. I’m not sure if they’re chronically understaffed or just have inexperienced servers, but we’ve started to avoid eating there because we expect such a long wait, even when we can get a table right away.
Angela Mielke
Wow! I was thinking this was going to be cafeteria food. I was ENTIRELY wrong! Everything is made in house! The food, coffee and desserts are incredible! If you've never tried Swedish food you must stop here! So yummy!!!!
Jeffrey Truckenmiller
FIKA Café – 1 Star I came here for a relaxing Swedish lunch and left feeling like I’d accidentally joined a minimalist cult that worships dill.
First of all, I paid $19 for three meatballs and what I hope was potato purée—though it had the texture of something Björn dug up from a glacier. The lingonberries tasted like IKEA sadness and unmet expectations.
The server told me the experience was about “slowing down and savoring.” I slowed down. I stared. I waited. I aged. I achieved full Norse time dilation. Odin himself could not have endured the eternity between ordering and receiving a plate of deconstructed melancholy.
Their “cardamom bun” tasted like a cinnamon roll that gave up on life halfway through baking and decided to major in interpretive dance.
Also, the aesthetic? It’s like dining inside a snowdrift designed by a ghost.
Would I return? Only if I lose a bet, or am sentenced by a Scandinavian judge for crimes against design.
Josh M
A fantastic gem for lunch. Their patio is very nice. The bread pudding was spectacular.
Megan Steuart
Good food, that’s the only reason I keep returning. However, 80% of the times I’ve been here I have the most awkward, bizarre encounters with the wait staff. Most of them act like it’s their first day on the job and when I stand at the counter to order a coffee or pastry no less than 6 staff walk past me and ignore me for several minutes. This is not an uncommon occurrence here. Bizarre behavior. And when they finally acknowledge me, they act flustered or annoyed at my existence?
Margaret Cosgrove
Excellent modern nordic cuisine. Casual atmosphere and great place to dine with kids. The cardamom bread pudding is perhaps my favorite dessert of all time! A visit to the historic mansion attached and the gift shop are a must!
trisha b
We stopped for a quick bite and ordered the meatballs to share. When I opened my napkin, there was food inside of it. The meatball dish came out and the server did not bring us an extra plate. After our food arrived, a gentleman came out with my husband's room temperature can of soda and a glass of ice. When I showed him the napkin he quickly replaced it with a clean one. There were 4 meatballs on a bed of mashed potatoes. We were thinking since the menu listed this as a main course dish and the price as $19, there would be more than 4 small meatballs to share. The meatballs tasted really good along with the different sauces/lingonberries on the side, we just wish there would have been more of them to eat.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Swedish Meatballs
Allie Hanson
Incredibly delicious food! I highly recommend checking out Fika. I have visited many times for lunch or brunch and I'm always so impressed by their food.
The menu rotates a bit with the seasons, but you can always find Swedish meatballs and gravlax available—both of which are fantastic. On my most recent visit I was able to try the seasonal “Kroppkakor,” which are veal and potato dumplings. These were so good and I highly recommend trying them if they're on the menu! Additionally, their cocktails and coffee are also wonderful. I always get their “Bloody Swede” whenever I visit and it is genuinely one of the best Bloody Marys I've ever had, the beet and aquavit just make for an incredible drink.
Beyond the food and drink, the location inside the American Swedish Institute is great—if there is ever a long wait to be seated, you can put your name in and explore the museum and they will text you when your table is ready. However, the only times I've ever had to wait long for a table have been during the Christmas season. The staff are very nice and the atmosphere is great. It's a super clean and trendy space which feels very modern Scandinavian. At this point I have brought most of my family here whenever they are visiting from out of town and they all love it. Overall a great place and I will certainly keep coming back regularly for those meatballs!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Swedish Meatballs, Gravlax
Gust Johnson
Due to crowd, we were seated in overflow conference room, not the best atmosphere
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cardamom Bread Pudding
Henry Forde
A man with Parkinson’s next too us had a medical emergency and while he was laying there half dead, the waiter requested that the wife settled their bill. Very distasteful. Besides that the service was slow, beer was warm, but the food was good.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Veil and Pork Potato Dumplings Mustard Seed Sauce Black Currant and Puréed Leek Sauce
We love ASI for the kids’ play area downstairs, and often we’ll stay for lunch after a visit. The food at Fika is mostly excellent, but I don’t know why they can’t figure out how to provide decent service. We’ve probably eaten here 20+ times, and almost every time we experience a VERY long wait for something - to take our order, bring our food, bring the check, etc. I’m not sure if they’re chronically understaffed or just have inexperienced servers, but we’ve started to avoid eating there because we expect such a long wait, even when we can get a table right away.
Wow! I was thinking this was going to be cafeteria food. I was ENTIRELY wrong! Everything is made in house! The food, coffee and desserts are incredible! If you've never tried Swedish food you must stop here! So yummy!!!!
FIKA Café – 1 Star
I came here for a relaxing Swedish lunch and left feeling like I’d accidentally joined a minimalist cult that worships dill.
First of all, I paid $19 for three meatballs and what I hope was potato purée—though it had the texture of something Björn dug up from a glacier. The lingonberries tasted like IKEA sadness and unmet expectations.
The server told me the experience was about “slowing down and savoring.” I slowed down. I stared. I waited. I aged. I achieved full Norse time dilation. Odin himself could not have endured the eternity between ordering and receiving a plate of deconstructed melancholy.
Their “cardamom bun” tasted like a cinnamon roll that gave up on life halfway through baking and decided to major in interpretive dance.
Also, the aesthetic? It’s like dining inside a snowdrift designed by a ghost.
Would I return? Only if I lose a bet, or am sentenced by a Scandinavian judge for crimes against design.
A fantastic gem for lunch. Their patio is very nice. The bread pudding was spectacular.
Good food, that’s the only reason I keep returning. However, 80% of the times I’ve been here I have the most awkward, bizarre encounters with the wait staff. Most of them act like it’s their first day on the job and when I stand at the counter to order a coffee or pastry no less than 6 staff walk past me and ignore me for several minutes. This is not an uncommon occurrence here. Bizarre behavior. And when they finally acknowledge me, they act flustered or annoyed at my existence?
Excellent modern nordic cuisine. Casual atmosphere and great place to dine with kids. The cardamom bread pudding is perhaps my favorite dessert of all time! A visit to the historic mansion attached and the gift shop are a must!
We stopped for a quick bite and ordered the meatballs to share. When I opened my napkin, there was food inside of it. The meatball dish came out and the server did not bring us an extra plate. After our food arrived, a gentleman came out with my husband's room temperature can of soda and a glass of ice. When I showed him the napkin he quickly replaced it with a clean one. There were 4 meatballs on a bed of mashed potatoes. We were thinking since the menu listed this as a main course dish and the price as $19, there would be more than 4 small meatballs to share. The meatballs tasted really good along with the different sauces/lingonberries on the side, we just wish there would have been more of them to eat.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Swedish Meatballs
Incredibly delicious food! I highly recommend checking out Fika. I have visited many times for lunch or brunch and I'm always so impressed by their food.
The menu rotates a bit with the seasons, but you can always find Swedish meatballs and gravlax available—both of which are fantastic. On my most recent visit I was able to try the seasonal “Kroppkakor,” which are veal and potato dumplings. These were so good and I highly recommend trying them if they're on the menu! Additionally, their cocktails and coffee are also wonderful. I always get their “Bloody Swede” whenever I visit and it is genuinely one of the best Bloody Marys I've ever had, the beet and aquavit just make for an incredible drink.
Beyond the food and drink, the location inside the American Swedish Institute is great—if there is ever a long wait to be seated, you can put your name in and explore the museum and they will text you when your table is ready. However, the only times I've ever had to wait long for a table have been during the Christmas season. The staff are very nice and the atmosphere is great. It's a super clean and trendy space which feels very modern Scandinavian. At this point I have brought most of my family here whenever they are visiting from out of town and they all love it. Overall a great place and I will certainly keep coming back regularly for those meatballs!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Swedish Meatballs, Gravlax
Due to crowd, we were seated in overflow conference room, not the best atmosphere
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cardamom Bread Pudding
A man with Parkinson’s next too us had a medical emergency and while he was laying there half dead, the waiter requested that the wife settled their bill. Very distasteful. Besides that the service was slow, beer was warm, but the food was good.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Veil and Pork Potato Dumplings Mustard Seed Sauce Black Currant and Puréed Leek Sauce
Restaurantji Recommends
Parking: Nice space, small menu, but well prepared and served.
Recommended dishes: Swedish Meatballs
Exceptional lunch. Everything was terrific.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Salmon open-faced sandwich so tasty. Partner loved the meatballs. Fresh, made from scratch cooking. Perfect latte.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The halloumi salad with gravlax, and the shrimp toast were both amazing. The cardamom bread pudding was also a delight!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Visited the Institute many times but finally tried Fika, and it did not disappoint
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
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