That's my Fem Små Hus

Gamla Stan (Old Town)

Stockholm, Sweden

Hello Stuffies!  It's me Markus!  I'm back with another Swedish adventure.  Check this place out!  It may not look like much at the moment from the outside, but this restaurant is amazing!  Fem Sma Hus translates to five small houses.  This building in the historic Old Town has had a restaurant in it since the 17th century.   Eventually, the restaurant spread into what used to be five homes and became the restaurant we know today.   

Fem Små Hus is a pretty popular restaurant so make sure that you get reservations if you want to sit down at a table.  My party wasn't thinking ahead so we ended up sitting at the bar.  This bar was tucked away in the bottom corner of one of the houses.  It's stocked with all kinds of spirits.  If you aren't sure what to drink, the bartender was very helpful recommending beverages for before, during, and after your meal.  

For starters, I had the Litet Smörgåsbord which consisted of Vendace bleak roe, herring, Baltic herring, marinated salmon, Västerbotten cheese pie, shrimp mix and marinated venison.  

 

Everything on this plate was top notch.  I don't think the quality and flavor of any of these items were going to be matched anywhere else I was going to visit.  I could definitely feel comfortable that this would be the best Smörgåsbord I'm ever going to have.  The herring was very flavorful without tasting fishy, the salmon was deliciously savory, and the venison was tender.  

We also ordered the another roe dish that was Vendace bleak roe from Kalix with sour cream, red onion, chives and toast.  I loved how the roe was shaped into what looked like sushi to me.  The toast was crispy and buttery and tasted great with the rich roe.  It was all very creamy in texture.

For my main dish, I ordered the fillet of reindeer, potato and parsnip purée and red wine sauce.  This was definitely best reindeer I've ever tasted.  It was very tender, not gamey, and tasted like it had been marinated for years.  The root vegetables had a very earthy taste and went great with the sweeter wine sauce.  

I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone visiting Stockholm.  You can get a traditional meal in a historic atmosphere.  The ambiance is something that you won't be able to replicate anywhere else.  I had awesome service at the bar; the bartender was very knowledgeable not only about the drinks but also about his home country.  He provided great conversation giving us a history lesson on not only the restaurant, but stories about Sweden's history.  This restaurant is not only a great place to eat; it gives you the experience of a mini museum.  You can enter into the bar and walk through the five houses to see all the history inside this building.  Make sure that you spend the time to walk around after your meal!